British folk-rock icon Richard Thompson brings tour to the Bay Area
Brilliant British songwriter and guitarist Richard Thompson brings his current full-band tour to the Bay Area starting Wednesday, playing dates in Grass Valley, Napa and San Francisco.
For a musician blessed with such remarkable talents, British folk-rock giant Richard Thompson remains far from a household name beyond his passionate cult of fans. One of the founders of pioneering U.K. folk-rock outfit Fairport Convention when he was in his late teens, Thompson helped shape the group's electrified mix of Dylan covers, scintillating acoustic originals, and traditional English and Celtic folk tunes on influential albums like Unhalfbricking and Leige & Leif prior to his departure from the band in 1971.
In the decades since, Thompson proved himself to be a master of many trades. After his quirky 1972 solo debut Henry the Human Fly reportedly became one of the worst-selling albums ever for Warner Bros. (the eccentric effort would later be hailed for its fearless experimental slant), he would release a string of brilliant records with then-wife Linda Thompson. From the timeless 1974 classic I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight through to their heartbreaking 1982 swan song Shoot Out the Lights -- a recording that still stands as one of the most vivid breakup albums ever made -- the pair created a remarkable body of work.
Thompson would go on to a fruitful solo career, sharpening his already prodigious gifts as an evocative songwriter, darkly comical lyricist and one of the most blazing guitarists on the planet. Unlike many of his '60s-era contemporaries, he has consistently produced new songs that stand with his best work, whether performing more delicate solo acoustic versions of his tunes or rocking out with an electric band.
Thompson also established his own Beeswing Records, which has released steady stream of live recordings from many of his tours since the early 2000s, including the guitarist's entertaining 1,000 Years of Popular Music that found him performing material ranging from the earliest known English-language songs and a medieval Italian dance tune to more contemporary songs made famous by the Who, the Beatles, Abba, Prince and even Britney Spears.
Like all musicians, the guitarist was forced to make due with livestreamed performances during much of the pandemic shutdown, though he did issue an archival live recording from 1986 and a compilation of his recordings with Linda Thompson during the first year of COVID in 2020. In 2021, the songwriter released the folk-oriented Serpent's Tears EP as well as a memoir covering the early years of his career entitled Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice 1967-1975.
Thompson's latest effort Ship to Shore -- his first studio album of new material in six year -- marks another collection of evocative character studies and ruminations on love lost that stands sturdily alongside the best work of his more recent albums. Finally back on the road with his latest full-band tour, the guitarist will perform a run of local shows including a Wednesday night concert at the Grass Valley Center for the Arts, a performance at the Uptown Theatre in Napa Thursday and headlining the Fillmore in San Francisco Friday night. Noted Canadian folk/roots group Kacy & Clayton opens the shows.
Richard Thompson
Wednesday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m. $55-$105
Grass Valley Center for the Arts
Thursday, Nov. 7, 8 p.m. $61
Uptown Theatre
Friday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m. $53
The Fillmore