Enough of Graham Parker’s Gifts to Go Around

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — How can a concert be sad and uplifting at the same time?

Graham Parker’s show Thursday at the Coach House managed it.

It was sad to watch this undeniably gifted but now gray-haired and all-but-forgotten performer, who once appeared on the verge of big things, playing for an embarrassingly small turnout of 50 or so.

Yet it was inspirational to see him do so as if there were 5,000 screaming fans in attendance, oblivious to all but his art.

The ardent Parker fans, however few in number, knew all his songs, sang the lyrics with him, even memorized his body language and mimicked it as he performed.

His performance made it easy--even to those of us who feel that his impact has been more intellectual than emotional--to understand why so many have felt so strongly about Parker in the 20 years since he first emerged on the British pub-rock scene.

Parker concentrated on material from his latest album, “Acid Bubblegum,” but reached back for such favorites as “Local Girls,” “Fool’s Gold,” “Don’t Let It Break You Down” and “Soul Shoes.”

Fans greeted the new songs as enthusiastically as the old--in fact, it seemed as if one particularly excitable table of young women might break into a pogo dance at any moment.

Throughout, his many virtues were obvious--the biting intelligence, the impassioned vocals, the earnest song craft. Parker is an exceedingly bright guy--maybe too much so for his own good.

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There’s always been something almost professorial about him, as opposed to the earthy-sweaty qualities of the best R&B; singers who inspired him. Must be that British thing.

There also was tremendous irony at work. Parker is being backed by the Figgs, a potent but throwbackish skinny-tie band that also opens shows for him on this tour. But while Parker is now recording with the small independent Razor & Tie label, the Figgs are signed with one of the majors, Capitol Records.

It’s a case of reputation taking precedence over reality. No matter--these energetic baby faces did a great job of rocking out on Parker’s songs, the show getting hotter and louder as the evening progressed.