Concert Review: Bill Harley (Phoenix, October 2010)

Reviewing the Grammy-winningBill Harley in concert seems a little bit like reviewing Bruce Springsteen. He's been playing shows for so long -- thirty-plus years, as he noted early on in his show this weekend at Phoenix's Musical Instrument Museum -- that his proficiency at doing his thing live isn't questioned at all, and trying to find new things to say about songs your family may have heard dozens of times before can prove vexing. Better, then, for the reviewer, to try to find new things to appreciate, like Harley's nifty guitarwork on "Down in the Backpack." Or his commitment to being in the moment -- always a good thing as a parent to being reminded of -- such as his decision to turn his guitar into a mbira of sorts for the Ghanian song "Tuuweh" (poor spelling entirely my fault), rarely performed by Harley. Or even his ability, physicially, to make himself appear small when necessary so as to make himself more credible as a kid-sized narrator. The set list focused more on Harley's classics, such as his long story "Teachers' Lounge," "Pea on My Plate," and "Is Not Is Too." He wrapped up the show with "Somos El Barco," recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, among others. I would've been happy to have Harley extend his 75-minute set a little bit longer, but it's probably a good length for the younger folks in the crowd. As with any good storyteller, Harley's gift of being able to communicate -- listen and share -- with others is best experienced live. A fun time. By the way, here's my recap of Harley at Kindiefest. And while I don't have any video from the MIM, here's Harley at Kindiefest performing "Pea on My Plate," which he also did here in Phoenix.

Disclosure: I was provided tickets for the show. Photo of Bill Harley at Cincinnati Playhouse by Thom Luce.

Itty-Bitty Review: The Best Candy in the Whole World and Other Stories - Bill Harley

Not quite sure how I've managed to write this website and not review a disk from Bill Harley. Well, that ends now. Harley's latest disk The Best Candy in the Whole World and Other Stories, out this week, is a disk of four stories (with a song mixed in for good measure). It features Harley's typical sense of impish humor, vocal stylings, and, most of all, humanity. In a couple different stories, Harley uses the phrase, "his/her heart went out to her/him," a lovely phrase that underscores Harley's approach to telling stories. When he's getting at the heart (pun intended) of familial or larger rivalries, Harley always sees the person underneath. There may be heroes and there may be villains in his stories, but they're almost never entirely so. All of which makes the collection sound a little dull, which it's not. The stories (some original, some borrowed) are funny and imaginative. You can see the ending of the title track coming perhaps a minute or two before the actual ending, which is both neatly wrapped up and open-ended. You think you see the ending of the "Jack and the Singing Leaves," about ten minutes into the 25-minute story, but then Harley acknowledges what you're thinking (in the context of the story) and then takes it in a somewhat different direction. The stories will be most enjoyed by kids ages 4 through 9. You can hear samples here. Bill Harley's albums of stories are usually good an hour's worth of silent attention broken by the occasional giggle or guffaw, and The Best Candy in the Whole World is no exception. Recommended. Disclosure: I received a copy of the album for possible review from Harley's PR folks.

Share: "Down in the Backpack" - Bill Harley

Most Bill Harley material is good stuff, so even a random free track from him would have a good chance of getting mentioned here. But "Down in the Backpack"? One of Harley's most well-known songs? Almost guaranteed to get a grin out of your 7-year-old? (And probably you, too?) Just go here, where "Down in the Backpack," the title track from Harley's 2001 album, is free 'til the end of the month.

Kindiefest 2010: Bill Harley

Everything I so enjoy about Bill Harley is wrapped up in this picture. The Kindiefest panel that I'd moderated that included the amazing group of Bill, Suni Paz, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Kathy O'Connell had wrapped up some time before. I found myself talking with Bill near the exit and looked down at the garbage can just outside the window and saw my name card -- and just my card -- discarded on the top. "Aw, man!," I said, jokingly, and decided I needed to get a picture of the proof of my impermanence. At which point Harley said, "No, wait -- I need to get my card out and in the picture." We then ran outside like a couple of giddy 7-year-old boys, he found his own card in the trash, arranged it artfully on top, and then I took the picture. It's that ability to see the absurdity and humor in the day-to-day life of us all that makes Harley such a beloved performer. He's a hard worker (he said at the panel that he sets aside an hour or two each day to write), but it's that essential humanity (honoring the child, as he said) that's given him such a long career, I think. On Sunday, Harley performed at the public showcase. It was a fun set, though I was a bit distracted because I had to leave for the airport and so spent part of the set saying my last goodbyes. But I had fun, as did the rest of the crowd. Harley also let his friend Keith Munslow, who backed Harley up on keyboards, do a song of his own. Good stuff all around. Maybe that Bill Harley placecard's on eBay by now... Bill Harley (w/ Keith Munslow) - "Everybody's a Baby About Something" (Live @ Kindiefest 2010) [YouTube] (my favorite part of this -- also generally indicative of Harley -- is that he teaches the crowd to whine. In harmony.

More pictures (of the actual Bill Harley) after the jump.

Video: "You're Not the Boss of Me" - Bill Harley

This isn't really a video per se -- it's Bill Harley staring into the camera telling a story. That's good enough, though, because although Harley's storytelling needs no visual accompaniment, Harley's facial expressions are a sweet bonus. This is "You're Not the Boss of Me," collected on Harley's Play it Again disk in which lessons are learned (and promptly forgotten). Bill Harley - "You're Not the Boss of Me" [YouTube]

Why I'm Going to Kindiefest 2010

When I mentioned previously that registration for Kindiefest was open, I wasn't 100% sure that I was going myself. I mean, I had lots of fun last year, and this year promises to be even better (more panels, a keynote, a chance to hear 14 different artists playing live). But it's a really long flight from Phoenix, and a weekend away from the family essentially working. Having said all that, I'm going. And now the panel I was asked to moderate is starting to take shape, I might've been willing to go to Brooklyn for that experience alone. The panel "Old School Meets New School," will talk about the generations of family musicians -- those who've been doing it for 3 years and those who've been doing it for 30 -- and their perspectives on making music for families in today's world. At the moment, the panel includes Elizabeth Mitchell, Suni Paz, and Bill Harley. Not to mention Kids Corner's Kathy O'Connell. (And I don't think the panel's quite complete.) Yeah. You read that right. My chief goal in being moderator will be shutting up and not getting in the way. Anyway, earlybird registration for the conference ends next Monday, so if you haven't seen the burgeoning list of speakers and artists, I encourage you to do so. See you in Brooklyn.