Concert review/photos: Suzanne Vega @ Two Rivers Theater
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
One of the finest songwriters in the game showcased new and old favorites.
[3/20] On Thursday in Red Bank, NJ, Suzanne Vega, one of the finest songwriters in the game, showcased her new Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles along with some of her brilliant back catalog. Playing to the packed Two Rivers Theater, a glorious venue with an intimacy that complements Vega’s songcraft, she and guitarist Gerry Leonard, who produced the new record, wove many tales of the heart, mind and spirit.
Wearing a black top hat to step into Marlene Dietrich’s shoes for the Dietrich-inspired opener “Marlene on the Wall,” Vega waltzed through her past and present with grace and ease. New songs like “Crack in the Wall” and “Don’t Uncork What You Can’t Contain” held their own with older pieces like “Caramel” and “Left of Center.” And Vega’s banter was quite valuable, as she went into the romance that inspired her 18-year-old self to write “Gypsy.”
The whole set seemed to lead right up to the final three songs of the main set, beginning with the powerhouse simplicity of “I Never Wear White” from Queen of Pentacles. The song should be a hit, with its spare verse — “Black is the truth / of my situation / And for those of my station / in life / All other colors / lie” — and Leonard’s phenomenal guitar work. Following up that with the quintessential “Luka” and “Tom’s Diner” packed a musical wallop; Vega can still stir listeners’ emotions and thoughts.
You can be moved, too, when Suzanne Vega visits World Café Live on Mon., May 5.
More reviews and photos by Chris Sikich:
