To see Richard Buckner perform live is an honest treat. I have had the opportunity to see him previously, performing live with his full band in Austin, Texas. In fact, my very first exposure to what would become one of my favorite songwriters was in a live venue on Sixth Avenue during one fateful South By Southwest. To hear the sounds that Buckner and his band were pulling from their instruments struck a chord within me, and I was immediately enthralled by the man's honest songs and heartfelt delivery. I was an immediate fan. I was a bit disappointed to hear that Buckner was touring without his band, as I was hoping for another night of raucous sonic boundary-pushing, but was anxious to hear some songs acoustic and stripped down to the raw heart that I had already discovered within the records. There are very few musicians that I could honestly say perform just as well in a solo acoustic atmosphere as they do with a full band, but Richard Buckner would be one of them.

To see one of the greatest storytellers of my generation in a small club with nothing but two acoustic guitars and numerous delay/sampler pedals was an amazing experience. Once Buckner took the stage, there was never a moment of silence. All songs that he performed were either run together into a medley or the space between songs was filled with textural build-ups with the sampling pedals. His use of the ubiquitous E-bow on the 12 string was phenomenal and created more moody texture than many guitarists can conjure from a rack of effects units. Buckner's guitar playing is deliberate and powerful as he wrestles his songs from the necks of the guitar. It continues to amaze me how a terribly crappy sounding guitar can be made to sound intensely beautiful in the right hands on the right songs. Buckner's experimenting with samplers and building sounds upon sounds upon sounds shows how remarkably advanced he has become as a performer, and easily demonstrates his proficiency at interweaving brief musical vignettes of his own songs together.

The introduction of many new songs during the set was a welcome treat, as well. Scattered among the older favorites like "Fater", "Ed's Song", and a staggeringly aggressive and brilliant "A Chance Counsel", were new, developing songs that show tremendous growth in the talents of Richard Buckner as a songwriter. Taking his place among the elite of the incredible realist poets of all time, Buckner continues to compose prose that lays bare the broken human spirit, and sometimes redeems that same shattered heart. His stories grow more immediate and poetically intriguing, layering thick strata of vivid imagery to form complex lyrical treasures. His use of craftily chosen words, rhyme, arrangement, and phrasing continues to evolve and mature to a truly marvelous level.

Coming away from a night of acoustic music with Richard Buckner can be a life changing experience. To hear so many songs run into a seamless throng of poetic mastery can be inspiring and not a little unsettling. The intensity of Richard Buckner the performer counterbalances the easygoing and good-natured soul that he is off stage. If one show can bring so much power and intimacy to a room, what must it be like to be on tour with the man? Or to be a part of his daily life? Magical.

-David DeVoe

Richard Buckner
Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO
August 6, 2005
www.richardbuckner.com

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