I didnt go, but I saw a review the KC Star other day... [
www.kansascity.com]
Concert Review
Ian McLagan offers a lively career retrospectiveJuly 7
By BILL BROWNLEE
Special to The KC Star
Midway through his lively performance Saturday at Danny's Bar & Grill in Lenexa, Ian McLagan was startled when he noticed the live video projection behind the stage. Jon Notarthomas, McLagan's sole accompanist, attempted to explain the concept to the diminutive rock and roll veteran.
"They have smaller scale version of you on the wall," Notarthomas said.
"That's hardly possible," McLagan exclaimed.
McLagan, 68, may be small in stature, but he demonstrated why he's a musical giant for a meager but appreciative audience of about 50. A richly detailed story about how he joined the Small Faces in 1965 was one of many ingratiating tales McLagan related. Upon his first meeting with his similarly-sized band mates, McLagan said he realized that "I'd just found my brothers." The London-based band quickly evolved from a slight pop act into worthy rivals of the Who.
McLagan chose to perform only one song by the Small Faces, the ebullient ditty "Get Yourself Together." Following a few changes in personnel, the band was renamed the Faces in 1969. The four Faces selections revived by McLagan served as vital reminders of the band's short-lived brilliance. The randy "You're So Rude" recalled the Faces' rambunctious sensibility. Tender readings of the emotionally wrenching "Debris" and the bittersweet "Glad and Sorry" had a few longtime fans fighting back tears.
Following the dissolution of the Faces, McLagan worked as a session musician and launched an inconspicuous solo career. A few of McLagan's recent songs were just as powerful as his more heralded work. He described the stunning "A Little Black Number," the lament of a young widow, as "dark but well-intentioned." "Hello Old Friend" combined the charm associated with British music halls with the boozy barroom swagger that permeates much of his work.
The song exposed the slight deterioration of McLagan's vocal range. He sang with an ingratiating and remarkably expressive rasp. Complemented by Notarthomas' contributions on bass and guitar, McLagan's keyboard work remained impressive. His blues-based playing reflected his wry wit. He joked about his insistence on loading the set list with unfamiliar material — "here's another one you won't know"— before playing a new song during his one-hour-and-forty-minute appearance.
Steve Marriott, the powerhouse vocalist for the Small Faces, died in 1991. Rod Stewart of the Faces has recast himself as a crooner. Yet even for an audience of 50, McLagan remains fiercely determined to performing the rock and roll he so clearly loves with steadfast exuberance.
APPROXIMATE SET LIST
Hello Old Friend, It's Been a Long Time, Little Girl, A Little Black Number, Warm Rain, Never Say Never, I'm Your Baby Now, Mean Old World, Get Yourself Together, Trapped, Don't Say Nothing, We've Got Nothing In Common, Sha La La La, An Innocent Man, Glad and Sorry, I Will Follow, Debris, You're So Rude, Cindy Incidentally
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