San Francisco rock-and-roll true believer Chuck Prophet takes the stage at The Parlor Room in Northampton on Friday, May 17, at 7:30 p.m. Opening the show is local band Workman Song.
“Please open your hymnals now, children,” Prophet warmly told a recent crowd before launching into the title track of his latest record, “Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins,” an instantly catchy jangly pop song with both humor and horror under the sing-along surface.
One writer said about the new album, “In a superficial and dark world this is an album with surprising depth and spirit, and in the era of post-truth Trump-ism, ‘Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins’ is as real as it gets.”
Prophet’s tunes have humor, heart and honesty. “Bad Year for Rock and Roll” (written in 2016 when heroes like David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen and Muhammad Ali were dying) contains the recurring line, “I wanna go out / but I’ll probably stay home.” It could sound like a depressing defeat, but then he leads his band and crowd in a triumphant “Hey! Hey! Hey!” that suggests rock and roll still has the power to snap us all out of the anxiety and sadness.
Prophet knows the power of a great refrain — once you’ve heard the chorus of “Play That Song Again,” good luck not singing it for the rest of the day — and he has a timeless kind of attitude and passion (sometimes his voice sounds like a cross between Tom Verlaine and Randy Newman, or maybe Warren Zevon).
Shawn Alexander, an old record store co-worker friend, is the biggest Prophet fan I know — he took his kids to see him play a couple of years back — and had this to say: “Chuck Prophet is a stellar songwriter and performer. From the days of [his old band] Green on Red in the 1980s to his most recent album, Prophet has shared his unique gospel, telling stories of everyday people, places and this crazy world we all live in. If you like punk, rock, blues, soul, Alejandro Escovedo, Iggy Pop, Alex Chilton or the local sounds of Ray Mason, you will love Chuck Prophet.” Recommended!
F. Alex Johnson plays two hours of original songs from his 27 years of Valley music-making at his last appearance (before moving to Japan) at Fort Hill Brewery in Easthampton on Friday, May 17, at 5 p.m. The all-ages show is free, though tips are appreciated.
The Lonesome Brothers celebrate their 34th anniversary with a big gig at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield on Friday, May 17, at 8 p.m. Dez Roy is the special guest.
Carrie Ferguson and the Cherry Street Band play the Wendell Full Moon Coffee House in Wendell on Saturday, May 18, at 7 p.m.
The Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet (Michael Formanek, bass, compositions; Tony Malaby, tenor and soprano saxophone; Kris Davis, piano; and Ches Smith, drums) are featured at the latest show in the Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares concert series, at the Northampton Center for the Arts on Saturday, May 18, at 7:30 p.m.
Trumpeter and composer Arthur Brooks brings his ensemble to the Root Cellar in Greenfield on Saturday, May 18, at 8 p.m.
Free Range Cats perform the music of Tom Waits with special guests Frank Padellaro on vocals and Russell Chudnofsky on guitar at the Luthier’s Co-op in Easthampton on Saturday, May 18, at 8 p.m. Also on the bill is Lisa Palumbo (7 p.m.) and Love Love (9:30 p.m.)
Acid Dad headlines a show that also features Phenomenon 256, Hot Flakes, and Receivers, at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center on Saturday, May 18, at 8:30 p.m.
The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio haul their Hammond B-3 and funky grooves all the way from Seattle to play the Iron Horse in Northampton on Sunday, May 19, at 7 p.m.
NYC vocalist and tenor saxophonist Camille Thurman (at right) makes her first appearance with the Green Street Trio at the Northampton Jazz Workshop inside City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton on Tuesday, May 21, at 7:30 p.m. The open jazz jam session follows at 8:30 p.m.
Karan Casey (she’s been called “the Irish Emmylou Harris”) appears at the Iron Horse on Thursday, May 23, at 7 p.m. Tim Eriksen opens.
Ken Maiuri can be reached at tunedincolumn@gmail.com.