It’s a funny thing to witness a master at work. On the one hand, you’re there to be entertained. But on the other hand, you are well aware that you are basking in the presence of a true artist. Such is the line that James McMurtry has long straddled with his everyman, almost literal approach to lyricism and his no-frills style of performing. Nonetheless, the Texas troubadour’s imprint on listeners clearly continues to resonate no matter how many years he chooses to take between new albums. It almost seems as if his songbook grabs new audiences in waves, as was evidenced by his sold-out show at Portland, Oregon’s Aladdin Theater on Wednesday, June 19th.
While a James McMurtry set is certainly never formulaic or predictable, any longtime fan can attest to the fact that it can sometimes take years for a major variation in the setlist. McMurtry does things when he’s ready, at his own pace, and he doesn’t humor song requests no matter how many belligerent fans shout them out. In Portland, McMurtry and his band got straight down to business, opening up with the older tune “Fuller Brush Man,” loaded with electrified swagger and energy, before leaning into the longtime favorite “Childish Things” that saw roadie/manager/guitar shredder extraordinaire Tim Holt injecting it with a transcendent solo. Introducing it as a “brand new song about modern medicine,” he treated the audience to a new song called “Black Dog and the Wandering Boy,” which featured a similar riff to “Red Dress” with a sneaky blues tone and one of his biggest choruses to date. Quieter, more thoughtful moments came during the accordion-laced “Copper Canteen” with its small-town nostalgia and “You Got To Me” with its eloquent guitar solo.
One defining aspect of a McMurtry set is the tuning, which often feels melodic in its own way and offers hints at where he will take the audience next, building a palpable excitement. Such was the case with “Choctaw Bingo,” a sprawling groove vehicle that triggered the usual excitement from the crowd with its chugging rock and lyrical grandeur that makes you wonder how he ever constructed such a story. He contrasted this with the quietest moment of the night, donning his twelve-string acoustic and prowling the stage without a mike on the tender “Blackberry Winter.” Though McMurtry is hardly a superstar, his lyrics connect in a timeless way that speaks to the life experiences of his audience. In Portland, it was remarkable to see fans singing along to every lyric on many songs. BettySoo would join him for another new one called “Color of Night” as well as “Canola Fields,” a newish tune that has already become an all-time fan favorite. Other highlights of the set included the mournful alt-country of “No More Buffalo” and “Levelland,” an impressive work of Texas country-rock that surely put McMurtry on the radar for many folks when it was recorded by Robert Earl Keen many moons ago.
There is a certain beauty in McMurtry’s resoluteness and steadfast approach to playing live. With a deep catalog that now stretches back over thirty years, he always manages to craft a set that touches on every era and satisfies newbies and diehards alike. This was the case in Portland, where McMurtry and his uber-tight band delivered a performance that showcased his rich songwriting and guitar workmanship while also providing a small but mighty glimpse of what will hopefully be his first new album since 2021’s masterful The Horses And The Hounds. In the class of Americana and folk songwriters who might be labeled progressive, McMurtry remains unrivaled. He’s also a damn fine guitar player.
All photos by Greg Homolka
