Hal Ketchum has always been a bit of an enigma to me. Ketchum was pushing 40 when he became a country music star in the early ‘90s and his work seemed to have a bit more maturity/wisdom than much of the competition at that time. Yet, I was never interested in him enough to do anything more than listen to his hits. This was my first chance to see him in a live setting, to solve the Ketchum mystery.
First things first – the opening act was local singer/songwriter Ronnie Fauss. Fauss is foursquare in the Texas tradition with songs that are influenced by Townes Van Zandt, Jerry Jeff Walker, Lyle Lovett, and, most noticeably, “Guitar Town” era Steve Earle. There’s an intensity to his delivery that reminded me of a young, angry Robbie Fulks and he goes for the gutpunch on every song. He holds nothing back. He’s very good now and, if he can take the next step in moving beyond his influences to establishing a clear individual artistic identity, he has the skills to be a truly special talent. Of the countless opening acts I’ve seen over the past several years, he’s the most deserving to be a headliner in his own right.
Headliner Hal Ketchum is virtually unrecognizable from his radio star era – he’s much heavier now, his gray hair was pulled into a ponytail, and his movements have been limited from multiple sclerosis. This was a seated, acoustic trio performance with Kenny Grimes on guitar and Paul Glasse on mandolin. Ketchum lives in the Texas Hill Country and takes his Lone Star bonafides seriously, with a state tattoo on his left arm, songs about the Alamo and Texas skies, and stories about Bob Wills and George Jones and Guy Clark. He often told jokes between songs, not always the freshest (one I had heard from political commentator David Gergen many years ago), but carries himself with the confidence of a star and reminded the audience more than once that he’s a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Some of his best material of the night was from his newly released album I’m the Troubadour. The title track is a funky look at the lifestyle of a traveling musician, with a much stronger blues feel than his earlier work. The most emotional song of the night was a new tearjerker called “The Saddle,” a story about someone dying in war comforted by their childhood memories of the love of their grandfather and the boundless possibilities of youth. Ketchum noted, “That one is special” after he performed it and he was right.
Now, let’s move to the big problem. Besides those highlights and his take on “Small Town Saturday Night,” the majority of Ketchum’s material exists in a bell curve where everything sounds good, it’s well crafted folk influenced country music and Ketchum still has a strong voice, but there’s no emotional glue to his work. The music wafts by you, very little sticks. His 1993 hit “Hearts Are Gonna Roll” inspired some lively chair dancing from the female fans upfront, but it’s a pretty generic number. He did a hammy, Mariachi band influenced take of the Tom Jones hit “Delilah” for a crowd sing along. There’s are echoes of Springsteen in Ketchum’s music – the phrasing of “Long Way Down” isn’t unlike “Pink Cadillac” and “I Miss My Mary” has the blue collar fatalism that Bruce voiced on The River album. Those echoes are not nearly as powerful as the real deal.
Overall – a solid show from a guy whose potential never seemed to be fully realized, or perhaps a solid show from a guy who fully realized his potential, yet never reached consistent greatness. His failure to perform “Past the Point of Rescue,” his best song, left many attendees more frustrated than satisfied at the end of the night.
Grade – Ronnie Fauss, A-
Grade – Hal Ketchum, B
Hal Ketchum Setlist:
I’m the Troubadour
I Know Where Love Lives Awaiting Redemption
I Miss My Mary
New Mexican Rain
Five O’Clock World
The Saddle
Hearts Are Gonna Roll
In Front of the Alamo
Delilah
I Shall Remain
Sweet Loreen
Small Town Saturday Night
Encore:
Satisfied Mind
Long Way Down
