9:30 Club, May 2003--Washington Post review

Richard Thompson at 9:30: Divine Inspiration

He's been called a guitar god, but on Monday at the 9:30 Club, touring with a four-piece band in support of his just-released 'Old Kit Bag,' British folk-rocker Richard Thompson seemed to be drawing on a higher power.

The metal-stomp 'Pearly Jim,' about a money-grubbing guru, and the Middle Eastern-tinged 'Outside of the Inside,' a Taliban's-eye view of the West ('God never listened to Charlie Parker'), warned of false beliefs, 'Bank Vault in Heaven' questioned the notion of squandering today in favor of tomorrow, while the meditative, eerie 'Word Unspoken, Sight Unseen' portrayed a surrender to the mystery of love.

The concert was a revival meeting for hordes of Thompson's fans, who were accustomed to seeing him in more sedate venues. Ably backed by longtime sideman Pete Zorn on saxes, mandolin, guitar and vocals, propulsive young drummer Earl Harvin, and acoustic and electric bassist Rory McFarlane, Thompson also took solo acoustic turns on the yearning 'A Love You Can't Survive' and 'Missie How You Let Me Down,' and the crowd-pleasing motorcycle ballad '1952 Vincent Black Lightning.' But a string of mid-set rockers, including 'Bank Vault' and 'Shoot Out the Lights,' gave the ax aficionados the exploratory, emotional string work they craved. Thompson took 'Can't Win' to new heights, with a lengthy solo that shattered the repressive atmosphere set up by the song's mordant lyric.

Crisp sound threw every detail of the show into sharp relief, and Thompson's vocal articulation and range took him from low growls to plaintive, extended high notes with every word intact. The result was a show that was never holier-than-thou---just wholly satisfying.

--Pamela Murray Winters