© 1992 Contemporary Christian Music
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"with human beings!" shouted someone in the packed house.
"That's what I meant to say," said Cockburn.
Beginning the evening with an uptempo, electrically-oriented tune from Inner City Front, Cockburn and band proved that one does not have to seek the level of lowest common denominator musically or lyrically to insure that ears listen. Confidently and poetically singing one true-to-life phrase after another into the microphone, he appeared as one who has successfully integrated art, communication and the appreciation for that was evident from five hundred whistling mouths and one thousand clapping hands.
His music was brought to life by the band, featuring electric violin, saxophone and flute, mandolin and half-size guitar in addition to the rhythm section. Bruce's primary instrument was a silver Stratocaster, with all too brief interludes on his cutaway Takamine acoustic. Most of the material was taken from his last three albums, Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws, Humans, and Inner City Front, although the evening was seasoned with several new tunes. Upon introducing one new song, Cockburn tuned his guitar intently. "This isn't it (the new song)," he explained. "I didn't want you to think I was going abstract on you."
Bruce Cockburn is at times somewhat abstract because he dares to delve into philosophical matters. But such matters are indeed at the root of our nature, and he paints a complete picture of humanity as a result. As he gave the title of one such song, "Civilization and its Discontents," a member of the audience shouted, "Oh wow, Philosophy 102." But by the end, everyone knew that Cockburn's intent was far from hypothetical. Singing of the lostness of the human race, Cockburn adds:
"Even though I know who loves me, I'm not that much less lost."
Comfortable not only sharing his art but airing a few opinions as well, he commented briefly on the political move to the right in America and in his native Canada, admitting how disappointed he is that conservativism is sometimes confused with Christianity.
"I'm inclined to be a religious person," he said. "But I want to make sure you know that I don't have to answer for those guys."
He dedicated his song, "Justice" ("Everybody loves to see justice done on somebody else.. .") to Jerry Falwell. Cockburn has the courage to make statements without mincing words or condescending.
If you measure the success of a concert from how packed the house is, how well the band played, how good the response was (there were three encores), then Bruce Cockburn's appearance at the Roxy was a success. If you measure success by honesty and communication, it was, again, a success.