Review: Graham Nash at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts
Everyone should have the opportunity to sing along with “Our House” in the same space with the person who wrote the song.
While seeing this campaign promise through would likely involve some substantial underwriting by a Graham Nash scholarship fund dedicated to bringing him and his celebrated body of work to the masses, such boomer summons like the singer/songwriter’s Nov. 12 stop at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts will have to do.
With multi-instrumentalists Adam Minkoff (drums/bass/guitar) and Zach Djanikian (guitar/mandolin/bass/sax/drums) to his right, the 81-year-old engaged the millennial wonders in CSN-style, three-part harmonies, ceding his high notes to Minkoff yet sounding confident in his own current register.
Nash stuck primarily to acoustic guitar and the occasional piano detour, leaving Todd Caldwell the bulk of the keyboard work to his left. But the true sonic showcase belonged to Minkoff and Djanikian, who brought distinct styles to the same instruments and frequently brought to mind the word “genius.” At one point, Minkoff played bass with one hand, tapped rhythms on snares and cymbals with his right, popped the kick-drum, and sang harmony, all while smoke emitting from attendees’ ears miraculously didn’t activate the building’s sprinkler system.
Such musical prowess provided an exciting sonic bed from which Nash’s songs could blossom, and considered as a whole, the 22-song, two-set presentation cemented him as a conversational and observational writer — to the point that he should perhaps revise his inter-song banter. “Behind-the-scenes” introspections on compositions like “Marrakesh Express,” “Cathedral,” and even “Our House” played out almost word-for-word in the songs themselves, resulting in an odd feeling of déjà vu instead of the “Oh, isn’t that clever” response Nash seems to be cultivating.
Repetitions aside, the trip down memory lane — where merely dropping the name “Joni” received plentiful nods of recognition, and still-relevant cries for social and environmental justice earned spirited support — proved a superb fit for the downtown theater, its comfy seats, excellent lines-of-sight, and terrific sound. And though the space isn’t exactly conducive to a dance party, that didn’t stop a few women down front from standing toward the evening’s close and grooving to “Love the One You’re With” and the dark organ stomp of “Chicago.”
When the next flower-child assembly will occur remains unclear. But the musical sunbeams from Nash and his talented band should provide enough nourishment for a while.
(Photo by Edwin Arnaudin)
