Concert Review: Chuck Prophet

by Joerg Kliewe

With 10 degrees outside, California singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet may have thought he'd landed in Frostbite Falls rather than Europe for his new tour. Recently signed by a German management firm, Prophet delivered his goods on tour during one of the coldest winters Europe's experienced in many years. I met him near the end of the trail of his Stinking Badges Tour in Dortmund, Germany.

Chuck needed to be full of spit and grit to get through a tough tour schedule that had him playing seventeen straight solo shows in a row. And the meaning of solo should be taken literally. He did it alone with no road manager, no roadie support - accompanied only by his guitar and stuffed backpack.

Travelling by train, Chuck slung his backpack over his shoulders and pushed a cart full of gear through crowds as he roamed around England, Germany, and Switzerland.

Back in the United States, Chuck made a reputation for himself while a member of Green on Red, and after releasing seven solo albums from 1990 to 2004. During that time he'd also worked in some collaborative sessions with Cake, Penelope Houston, Jewel, Bob Nuewirth, Jonathan Richman and Warren Zevon.

Quite a few well known artists have recorded his songs including Heart, Solomon Burke and Kim Carnes. In any event, Chuck Prophet is not a household name and he's playing more intimate venues in out of the way towns that aren't considered rock 'n roll meccas.

Chuck matter of factly explained his unusual one man band deal with, "Aimee Mann asked me to be the opening act for her next tour and she wanted me to play solo because she is going to play solo too. But, I really like to try new things and what was planned to be an acoustic set at first became electric after I had messed around with a drum machine."

So, Europe got the first glimpse of a premiere solo deal that will be rolling through the U.S. a month later.

Standing alone on an understated stage, one might expect someone like Prophet to be surrounded with a small herd of guitars. Not the case here. Chuck kept his troubadour stint simple with a single instrument.

His guitar was an old Harmony that he liberated off a wall of a restaurant he once visited, offering it an escape that it could have only conjured up in well worn dreams or maybe, in this case, old memories.

"If it would get stolen or ruined during this tour it wouldn't be a big loss I guess. Hey, it was autographed by Roy Clark!" Prophet grinned.

Purists might expect someone of Prophet's caliber to be plugged into an older vintage tube amp. Instead, he was wired to a POD amp modeler. The presets were all humorously calibrated and assigned names like J.J. Cale, Link Wray and Dick Dale. When he revved up his rig the sound was rich and sparkling, with enough twang to fill a corral.

"I didn't even pack heavy cable cause I'm travelling all by myself with just this backpack!" he offered up as much as an excuse as an explanation for his minimal presentation of gear.

While the lack of specialty guitars, amps and effects pedals might prove menacing to some guitarists, Prophet took his barren arsenal in stride and his performance seemed to be inspired by it with his singular guitar work transcending toward an aching simplicity.

"I've played in places where people have never heard of me, but even if the audience doesn't get the lyrics or the spirit of the song completely, I do. And I like being in the groove and doing my thing."

A bit of self-conscious humor had Prophet repairing his trusty old axe with a wad a duct tape before stepping into songs from his two most recent albums, Age of Miracles and No Other Love.

Groove he did as he slid into new or impromptu versions of songs like "Summertime Thing", "Bow Down and Pray to Every Woman I See", and a new song recently released by Kim Carnes that proved to be a centerpiece to his set, "Just to See You Smile".

The audience warmed up to Prophet and everyone appeared to be into his thing with some even offering him cigarettes and booze between songs. He opened up his life a bit telling funny little stories about his childhood and bits about life on the road.

He even gently chided his audience with, "Are you too cool to clap?" before he began and, of course, staccato clapping turned rhythmic as his songs clipped along.

Out of some surf closet came Prophet's encore with a surge of Dick Dale tunes.

Ninety minutes of solo guitar work from some guitarists serve all the main ingredients for a slow death by bordeom. Not this set. Prophet had 'em all hanging on to the running boards and left everyone clinging to the thought of a return visit.

After the show, I asked him about his next project. He smiled and admitted, "I really don't know. I simply want to keep interested in everything new!"

This solo thing of Prophet's is gifted with a touch of magic. All offered up by a humble guy who is not only a brilliant guitarist and performer, but one who's dedicated to his craft 100 percent. Still, a few of us in the audience wondered if this troupe of one was the best way to introduce such a remarkable talent to the Continent.

Folks in the U.S. will do well to find out where Aimee Mann and Chuck Prophet will be touring stateside in February. "Walk, Don't Run" to the nearest show and experience the truth laid bare when Prophet strums his old duct-tapped Harmony and breathes life into some small spun words that loom large.

Related Links:
Chuck Prophet
Aimee Mann