Friday, February 16, 2018 A5 Bruce Cockburn headlines the...
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Bruce Cockburn headlines the Wheeler on Saturday B ruce Cockburn has married his art with activism for more than 50 years as a musician, holding up a mirror to the ills of society and holding nothing back. This singing poet of outrage and wry humor’s best-known songs — 1984’s “If I Had a Rocket Launch- er,” about Guatemalan refugees and 1979’s “Wondering Where the Lions Are,” about the threat of nu- clear extinction — are as relevant as ever today. Over the decades — and 33 albums — Cockburn has used his guitar and his voice in the social justice tradition of folk music. The prolific legendary Canadi- an singer and songwriter, now 72 and living in San Francisco, is still on his mission and speaking truth to power. But don’t expect him to expel any creative energy on the current occupant of the White House. “I’m not interested in writing about Donald Trump,” Cockburn said in a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Santa Cruz, California. “The whole world is writing about Donald Trump. He lives for attention, and I prefer not to give it to him.” But the milieu of this divided, dark moment in American history is certainly present throughout his new album “Bone on Bone.” On the standout song “Cafe Society,” for instance, Cockburn offers a grim snapshot of chit-chat in a Peet’s coffee shop: “Talk about the tsunamis and the crazies with their guns/And crazy-ass policemen shooting everything that runs.” Cockburn calls it “an apprecia- tion of community, which I think is something we don’t get enough of.” On “States I’m In,” a play on words, he offers a poetic depiction of the lonely state and the spiritual malaise of contemporary life in these United States. “In some way it’s a summation of my personal history,” he said, “but it’s in the context of what we’re in now.” “States I’m In” was inspired, Cockburn said, by writing his memoir. Published in 2014 as “Rumors of Glory,” the book led to a rare break from songwriting for Cockburn and a long (for him) six years between albums. As he worked on the book, he thought it might be the end of his songwrit- ing days. “It wasn’t so much that it made songwriting harder, but all the ideas and energy that would have gone into the songs were go- ing into the book,” he explained. “When I was finished, it had been a long time since I’d written a song — much longer than any dry spell I’d experienced before that.” The prose writing and the pro- motion and the book tour shook up Cockburn’s long-held creative routines. “I wasn’t sure if there were going to be any more songs after that,” he said. “Sometimes life changes and you’re invited to go in new direc- tions. I didn’t know if that would be one of those times.” Thankfully for his loyal fans, new songs started coming to Cockburn soon after the noise around the book quieted. The result is “Bone on Bone” and a tour that brings Cockburn back to the Wheeler Opera House on Saturday night. On the tour, he’s playing materi- al from the new record alongside songs from throughout his career, with a full band behind him. The bigger, harder rocking band is new for Aspen. Cockburn has made regular stops here since 2003, but has mostly performed in a solo acoustic setup or with a trio. Despite his arthritic hands, Cockburn still works magic on six- and 12-string guitars. Looking ahead, he’s hoping to put together another album of instrumental music, following up 2005’s all-in- strumental “Speechless” (the title track on “Bone on Bone” also is a classic instrumental folk-jazz fusion) and he hopes to do a covers record at some point. Cockburn said he’s not much en- gaged with the current landscape of the music industry — he has a 6-year-old daughter and “since she was born I haven’t paid much attention to anything but being a dad.” But from what he picks up about the scene while playing at folk festivals, he observes a new generation of singers and song- writers carrying on his legacy of political songwriting and sees cre- ative communities dividing along ideological lines. “I see the polarization that is the main problem today in American life is also present in the music world,” he said. “So if you hang out around folkies, you’re going to hear a lot of political stuff. If you’re hanging out around country musicians, you’re not going to hear much and if you do it’ll be on the other side.” [email protected] Andrew Travers The Aspen Times Bruce Cockburn will play the Wheeler Opera House on Saturday. COURTESY PHOTO IF YOU GO … Who: Bruce Cockburn Where: Wheeler Opera House When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. How much: $45 Tickets: Wheeler box office; www.aspenshowtix.com Bob Starodoj 970.920.7367 [email protected] 514 East Hyman Ave, Aspen | 970.925.7000 | www.masonmorse.com NEW CASTLE Developer Friendly Environment Great development potential for 32-45 units of multi-family residential or residential/commercial/shop combination. Located across from Lakota �anyon Golf �ourse and ne�t to the new �re station this parcel is development ready! High demand for both rental and sale units. Sketch Plan for 45 units, Soils Engineering and Phase 1 Environmental Study completed. ��ered for �450,000 �eb �d��A�14�206 430 W MAIN ST 925-8940 ASPENCLUBSPORTSMEDICINE.COM Good Luck in PyeongChang, Torin and Alex! We are rooting for you! From, your team at the Aspen Club Sports Medicine Institute Photo credit: Jesse Hoffman ellina restaurant + bar Open Nightly at 5:30pm www.ellinaaspen.com | 970.925.2976430 | East Hyman Ave., Aspen The Aspen Times | Friday, February 16, 2018 | A5
Transcript of Friday, February 16, 2018 A5 Bruce Cockburn headlines the...
Bruce Cockburn headlines the Wheeler on Saturday
Bruce Cockburn has married his art with activism for more than 50 years as a musician, holding up a
mirror to the ills of society and holding nothing back.
This singing poet of outrage and wry humor’s best-known songs — 1984’s “If I Had a Rocket Launch-er,” about Guatemalan refugees and 1979’s “Wondering Where the Lions Are,” about the threat of nu-clear extinction — are as relevant as ever today. Over the decades — and 33 albums — Cockburn has used his guitar and his voice in the social justice tradition of folk music.
The prolific legendary Canadi-an singer and songwriter, now 72 and living in San Francisco, is still on his mission and speaking truth to power. But don’t expect him to expel any creative energy on the current occupant of the White House.
“I’m not interested in writing about Donald Trump,” Cockburn said in a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Santa Cruz, California. “The whole world is writing about Donald Trump. He lives for attention, and I prefer not to give it to him.”
But the milieu of this divided, dark moment in American history is certainly present throughout his new album “Bone on Bone.” On the standout song “Cafe Society,”
for instance, Cockburn offers a grim snapshot of chit-chat in a Peet’s coffee shop: “Talk about the tsunamis and the crazies with their guns/And crazy-ass policemen shooting everything that runs.”
Cockburn calls it “an apprecia-tion of community, which I think is something we don’t get enough of.”
On “States I’m In,” a play on words, he offers a poetic depiction of the lonely state and the spiritual malaise of contemporary life in these United States.
“In some way it’s a summation of my personal history,” he said, “but it’s in the context of what we’re in now.”
“States I’m In” was inspired, Cockburn said, by writing his memoir. Published in 2014 as “Rumors of Glory,” the book led to a rare break from songwriting for Cockburn and a long (for him) six years between albums. As he worked on the book, he thought it might be the end of his songwrit-ing days.
“It wasn’t so much that it made songwriting harder, but all the ideas and energy that would have gone into the songs were go-ing into the book,” he explained. “When I was finished, it had been a long time since I’d written a song — much longer than any dry spell I’d experienced before that.”
The prose writing and the pro-motion and the book tour shook up Cockburn’s long-held creative routines.
“I wasn’t sure if there were going to be any more songs after that,” he said. “Sometimes life changes and you’re invited to go in new direc-tions. I didn’t know if that would be one of those times.”
Thankfully for his loyal fans, new songs started coming to Cockburn soon after the noise around the book quieted. The result is “Bone on Bone” and a tour that brings Cockburn back to the Wheeler Opera House on Saturday night.
On the tour, he’s playing materi-al from the new record alongside songs from throughout his career, with a full band behind him. The bigger, harder rocking band is new for Aspen. Cockburn has made regular stops here since 2003, but has mostly performed in a solo acoustic setup or with a trio.
Despite his arthritic hands, Cockburn still works magic on six- and 12-string guitars. Looking ahead, he’s hoping to put together another album of instrumental
music, following up 2005’s all-in-strumental “Speechless” (the title track on “Bone on Bone” also is a classic instrumental folk-jazz fusion) and he hopes to do a covers record at some point.
Cockburn said he’s not much en-gaged with the current landscape of the music industry — he has a 6-year-old daughter and “since she was born I haven’t paid much attention to anything but being a dad.”
But from what he picks up about the scene while playing at folk festivals, he observes a new generation of singers and song-writers carrying on his legacy of political songwriting and sees cre-ative communities dividing along ideological lines.
“I see the polarization that is the main problem today in American life is also present in the music world,” he said. “So if you hang out around folkies, you’re going to hear a lot of political stuff. If you’re hanging out around country musicians, you’re not going to hear much and if you do it’ll be on the other side.”
Andrew TraversThe Aspen Times
Bruce Cockburn will play the Wheeler Opera House on Saturday.COURTESY PHOTO
IF YOU GO …Who: Bruce CockburnWhere: Wheeler Opera HouseWhen: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.How much: $45Tickets: Wheeler box office; www.aspenshowtix.com
Bob Starodoj970.920.7367
514 East Hyman Ave, Aspen | 970.925.7000 | www.masonmorse.com
NEW CASTLEDeveloper Friendly EnvironmentGreat development potential for 32-45 units of multi-family residentialor residential/commercial/shop combination. Located across fromLakota �anyon Golf �ourse and ne�t to the new �re station this parcel isdevelopment ready! High demand for both rental and sale units. SketchPlan for 45 units, Soils Engineering and Phase 1 Environmental Studycompleted. ��ered for �450,000 �eb �d�� A�14�206
RENOWNED THERAPISTS, REMARKABLE RESULTS.CHIROPRACTIC AND PHYSICAL THERAPY
Same day appointments. No doctor referral needed.
Pete Scher, Chiropractor
430 W MAIN ST 925-8940 ASPENCLUBSPORTSMEDICINE.COM
RENOWNED THERAPISTS, REMARKABLE RESULTS.CHIROPRACTIC AND PHYSICAL THERAPY
Same day appointments. No doctor referral needed.
Pete Scher, Chiropractor
430 W MAIN ST 925-8940 ASPENCLUBSPORTSMEDICINE.COM
Good Luck in PyeongChang, Torin and Alex!We are rooting for you!
From, your team at the Aspen Club Sports Medicine Institute
Photo credit: Jesse Hoffman
www.ellinaaspen.com | 970.925.2976430 East Hyman Ave., Aspen
OPEN FOR THE SUMMER SEASON!
Enjoy cocktails & dinneron our patio! Open daily at 5:30pm
ellina restaurant + bar
Open Nightly at 5:30pm
www.ellinaaspen.com | 970.925.2976430 | East Hyman Ave., Aspen
The Aspen Times | Friday, February 16, 2018 | A5
