It’s pronounced “COE-burn”.

Regarding Widdershin’s comment on the prior page: OK, The “ck” is silent. Live with it.

We made it with comfortable time to spare to the Bruce Cockburn concert last night. I’ve long known of Cockburn, and a few songs of his make my personal all-time favorites list.

I don’t go to many concerts. If I do attend one, it’s because I’m hoping to hear familiar music in a new way, or to hear new music. Last night I got both. Cockburn’s music is not comfortable to listen to. Even if the melody is soft, the words have knife-edges that slash through inequities and current events.

It’s ironic that Cockburn hails from Canada, since his music deals heavily with US events and policies. Perhaps it’s the distance that gives him the perspective, though. Regardless of what your politics are, his songs are designed to make you think, to make you squirm a bit. Anyone who can listen to some of his lyrics and not flinch is destined to vote straight Republican for the rest of their lives. [Don’t get the idea that I vote straight Democrat because I said that; it’s my opinion that anyone who votes “straight” any party without looking into the politicians and issues should have a separate circle in purgatory reserved for them.)

If you want to learn more about Bruce Cockburn, a fine site to start at is The Cockburn Project.

A partial play list of what he sang last night, in no particular order:

Lovers in a Dangerous Time (opening number)
Tried and Tested
Mighty Trucks
Put it in Your Heart
Trickle Down
Night Train
Tell the Universe (a new, and I believe as yet unrecorded song)
All our Dark Tomorrows (which he introduced with the line: “Somewhere in Texas a village is missing its idiot”.)
Call it Democracy
Pacing the Cage

I did think it a bit strange that Cockburn had two electric guitars on stage with him along with the four acoustic guitars (and a really neat little Guatemalan stringed instrument called a charango), but he never used them. Julie Wolf accompanied him on stage on keyboard, accordion, and some “mouth tube keyboard thingy”. Julie was perhaps the happiest discovery of the night for me. She had a beautiful voice that would stand very well on its own, and yet blended wonderfully with Cockburn’s harsher, borderline smoker’s voice. And before any of you make a single crack about the accordion … seeing her play the instrument will bury any last thoughts you might have about Lawrence Welk.

The couple we went with had not been familiar with Cockburn before the concert, but I think they left as converts. I know I’m committed to searching out a few more of his CD’s when I have the ready cash for them.

My only regret? He didn’t do “Rocket Launcher”. I’m sure he’s sick to death of that song, but it would have been nice to see it done live.