Sat 12/28 @ 8PM
There was a period in the late ’70s and early ’80s when it seemed like a new singer-songwriter with a knack for telling story came out every month, touted as “the new Dylan.”
When Steve Forbert’s debut Alive on Arrival came out in 1978, he joined the parade, especially after his follow-up, 1979’s Jackrabbit Slim cemented his reputation for crafting a fresh, personal song that didn’t hit you over the head.
Unlike the blue-collar rust-belt prophets taking the Springsteen path, Forbert was an unlikely candidate for the role. Out of Mississippi, the boyish singer with the curly, sandy hair had a lighter touch. His only chart hit, 1980’s “Romeo’s Song,” bounced playfully like a country stream tumbling over rocks.
By the mid ’80s, his nomination as a potential “next big thing” had been withdrawn, along with his opportunities to record, sidelined by a record company dispute. But his career has continued to tick along steadily, with more records, more touring, more songs. Rosanne Cash, Marty Stuart, and Keith Urban, among others, have covered his tunes. His latest album, last year’s Over You, is his 15th.
He’ll be at the Beachland Tavern with singer-songwriter Clarence Bucaro, a former Clevelander now based in Brooklyn. His sixth and latest album, Dreaming From the Heart of New York, continues to show how affectingly he’s utilized influences like Jackson Browne and Van Morrison.
Tickets are $20.