There's something about an outdoor live show that just doesn't sound or feel like anything else. Put that show in New York's Central Park, and now you've got a unique feel, a sound, an overall singular experience not quite like any other. New York's own Jefferson Thomas has hosted an artist residency series in the park for the last two years now, and no one is more awestruck at the experience than the indie/twang/alt-rock singer-songwriter himself. Jefferson Thomas Live is his attempt to capture it. And more.
'You do clubs, there's a certain energy, and I like that. You do concerts, there's that 'huge' thing, which is cool, too. You do acoustic listening rooms, there's a purity and an intimacy there. The first time I did Central Park, it was all three. I was so ready for this 'huge' concert vibe, and it blew me away how wrong I was. Suddenly, it wasn't about how much ass you and the band are kicking; there's this vast frigging CITY out there. They gather around you, and there's this whole community just buzzing, and if you try too hard to be the happening thing, you actually lose them. It's like a Zen thing - if you try to dictate to them, you won't get much out of it, but if you let them lead you, they'll pull a show out of you that you never knew you had in you. What I love about the Central Park recordings is that we managed to capture it all; lots of people listening, some people actually not listening, kids running around, skateboard dudes wiping out, dogs barking, weddings going by - it's all there.
'What also is there is some fine rocking by Thomas and his band. The lazy boogie of 'Rocket Rider' stretches out past the six-minute mark with a full swing breakdown, achieving jam-band proportions. 'Mary's Night Out' exudes a cannabis-tinged swagger that would make Tom Petty proud. 'Dusty', a rustic, swampy acoustic trip on 2005's Come Alive album, gets downright noisy and nasty here. A daring a capella rendering of Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come' closes out the Central Park segment, and shows that Thomas doesn't necessarily need a guitar to hide behind.
But the best part about Jefferson Thomas Live might be six tracks in, where the setting changes to solo acoustic performances in smaller venues from stops in Phoenix and Los Angeles during Thomas' summer tour of 2006. 'Snake' was probably conceived as a heavy Soundgarden-esque rocker, but we'll never know, because Thomas' restrained, fingerpicked treatment delivers the cautionary tale of addiction just fine. 'Gold' is Thomas burned out and rejuvenated all at once, and 'Mrs. Sherwood' could be his Dylan moment.
The album closes with two new studio offerings, 'Thursday's Girl' and 'Grand Central Station', both tightly-written and produced with enough modesty to leave us waiting for the next studio release. But if only we'd had live renderings of these as well.
Live albums are always a dangerous nut to crack, especially for someone who isn't exactly a household name. But with a healthy dose of restraint and modesty, Jefferson Thomas Live works just fine.
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