<--70's Artifact. A vinyl album. Had two "sides" each with 5 or 6 songs. Had to be "flipped" at end of side. Sold for 5 or 6 bucks.Loudon Wainwright III's show at the Horse Sunday night was another frank and uplifting chapter in the book of life through the unique Wainwright lens. We laughed we cried we clapped. He deemed it "family night" as one of his families was there in its totality; Loudon, Suzzy Roche, and daughter Lucy Wainwright Roche. Lucy did a knockout opening set and is no also-ran among the offspring that includes Rufus and Martha . Loudon and Lucy sang together sporadically throughout the night, and ex-wife and mom Suzzy Roche of The Roches joined them at the end for "When I'm At Your House" with gorgeous harmonies and plenty of irony. After a set-list driven start, it became clear that the Iron Horse was full of Loudon vets, and the requests were met graciously, one by one: his classics about Jesse Helms dictating artistic standards, skater Tonya Harding, the white trash dreamer who deserved it more than all the others. He remembered all the words to some admittedly dated songs, even my obnoxious blurted request, "The Swimming Song", so profound in its simplicity. It was an uplifting and exemplary look at a family that has transcended and reinvented itself in the years since the domestic split; a noble challenge for any family. Is it easier or more difficult when you have the option to work it out through music in public? Well, we're the benefactors as they try! It wasn't all shouted-out oldies though as Loudon did some songs from the new album "Strange Weirdos," more or less the soundtrack to the new horny-teen flick "Knocked Up." Throughout the night he jokingly plugged the fact that he was selling VINYL copies of some of his old classics....and he had a fresh Sharpie for the true geek-fans. Loudon propped his first two LP's on a music stand and said, "product placement, folks." Judging by the line after the show, there are still plenty of turntables spinnin' in the valley. Another magical musical night in our small Western Mass. haven.
