Ferron Captivates Audience

by Birdie MacLennan
After a half decade's hiatus, Cana-
dian singer-songwriter Ferron is back.

Sportinganew haircut,anelegant gray
suit coat, a moody guitar (was it the weather
or the sound system?), and her recently
acquired "resident alien" status, Ferron
captivatedapacked audience at Montpelier
City Hall for a two hour solo performance
on the evening of November 18.

Over the years, Ferron has become
known as a troubadour, poet, visionary, and
guiding light in many a heart. Her albums,
Testimony and Shadows On a Dime (re-
leased in 1980 and 1984 respectively) and
subsequent concert tours propelled her to
the forefront of the women's music scene.
She sings from the heart, taking the bitter
and the sweet of life's experiences, of love's
losses, and crafts the ordinary into the pro-
found. As one reviewer put it, her lyrics are
"intense, psychological, and compelling."

Even so, Ferron's affable stage pres-
ence and upbeat countenance offset the
weighty ambiance of her lyrics. In Montpe-
lier, her songs were interspersed with
chatty, light-hearted dialogue as she told
stories, asked questions, and solicited re-
sponses.

The audience, a hefty percentage of
them spirited lesbians, joined in for some
playful banter and lively accompaniments
on many old favorites. Indeed, Montpelier
was bestowed with the honor of giving the
best-ever audience rendition of clapping to
the tune, "Rosalee."

Although much of the performance
consisted of older material, many of the
songs seemed to take on new meaning with
the passage of time. "Ain't Life a Brook"
was prefaced with, "I've been on every side
of this song since I wrote it, and now when
I sing it I don't know whether to be guilty or
pissed off."

Alluding to events in Tianamen
Square and the current political climate in
the Middle East, it was noted that there
appears to be acontining appropriateness to
the lyrics of "It Won't Take Long:"

"And beware you sagging diplomats
for you will not hear one gun/And though
our homes be torn and ransacked we will
not be undone/For as we let ourselves be
bought, we're gonna let ourselves be free]
And if you think we stand alone, look again
and you will see ..."

While there's more to many of these
older tunes that could be written or philoso-

phized about, there's newer times to chew
our cuds on. From her recently released
album, Phantom Center (on Chameleon
Records and now available at most record
stores), Ferron presented us more of the
stuff that many of us have been waiting for.
There was the philosophical, "Higher Wis-
dom," and the harmonious (with help from
an exquisite audience chorus) "Inside
Track" and "Harmless Love." Also new
from this recording were "Sunken City"
and "Heart of Destruction," which, al-
though lyrically powerful in and of them-
selves, were presented with piped-in music
intended to replicate the "cooler and big-
ger" sounds of the musicians‘ accompani-
ments on the album.

It was awkward to try to get into these
tunes without seeing a band behind her 
though we did get a sense of the techno-
direction her sound is taking these days. In
another place and time, one might catch
Ferron live with her band, as she announced
that she is touring with them to some ven-
ues. However, two encores amidst the
standing ovations that ended this concert
would seem to indicate that Ferron's grace,
charm, poetic and visionary eloquence
stand quite well on their own.

On a closing note, credit and applause
must be given to Brattleboro's Queen's Run
Concerts for sponsoring Ferron (along with
Holly Near, Tret Fure, and Cris William-
son) as part of the November Women's
Music Series. They've been doing a great
job of bringing performances to us through-
out the state. And word has it that we can
look forward to more great shows that they
will be sponsoring in the months ahead.
Watch for Casselberry- DuPree in Febru-
ary, and Melanie Monsour in the spring!

Phili
Men

Roberts, M.S.
Health Counselor

 

- 

December 1990

 

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