A Joyous Evening of Song With Paul Kelly and Dan Kelly Los Angeles CA October 07 2024 words by Howie David Photos by A Rood Photo
Paul Kelly has been performing music for about 50 years, and has been one of Australia’s greatest gifts to the art of songwriting since sometime in the 1980s.
Though far less well-known in the US than elsewhere, he’s enjoyed legendary status in his native country for a long time. He’s recognized as one of the country’s finest singer-songwriters, and has collaborated with numerous artists of similar stature, primarily in that context, but also as an actor, and composer for film and television. While his lyrics often portray an obvious Australian perspective, his themes are always universal, and his audience is international.
For the uninitiated who might be curious about his extraordinary career, a few minutes with his Wikipedia page is recommended – it’s quite a stunning story.
Check out the full gallery of photos from this night here.
Last night, he played the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, accompanied by Dan Kelly, his nephew, and frequent band-mate and collaborator, with whom he’s been professionally associated for over twenty years. This was their first appearance here since well before the pandemic, and the full-house crowd was hungry for the show.
It should be noted that a new Paul Kelly album entitled “Fever Longing Still” is being readied for release later this year. The show did include a few of its new songs, but primarily featured a fine selection of gems from throughout his lengthy career.
Dan Kelly started, with an opening solo set of his own songs, using only an electronic keyboard and his voice. His writing is original, moody, and personal, not suggesting any obvious influences, but compelling for both melodic and (especially) harmonic choices. His vocal style is clear, with an appealing tone, and technically very skilled, but without unnecessary acrobatics or other pretense. His banter and interaction with the crowd was humble and funny; it’s clear that talent runs through the greater Kelly family.
After a brief intermission, Dan, switching to guitar and mandolin, returned to the stage with his uncle Paul, to a very warm reception. They quickly launched into “Letter In The Rain”, from the 2017 release “Life Is Fine”, and from the first moment, it was clear that Paul was in excellent spirits and having a great deal of fun – replete with dance moves, beaming, and flawless playing and singing.
The set continued with a long string of wonderful songs, including “Before Too Long”, “Stumbling Block”, “When I First Met Your Ma”, “Everything’s Turning to White”, “To Her Door”, and many others. One special highlight was 1989’s “Dumb Things”, which is probably the closest that Paul Kelly has come to a hit record in the US, assisted by its video, which was popular on MTV at the time. The closer was the crowd favorite “How to Make Gravy”, his “Christmas song”, and the final encore was “Careless”, which opens with the following lines, demonstrating his extraordinary ability as a lyricist:
“How many cabs in New York City?
How many angels on a pin?
How many notes in a saxophone?
How many tears in a bottle of gin?
How many times did you call my name?
Knock at the door but you couldn’t get in?”
And with that, a fine evening ended.
It has always been a thrill to hear Paul Kelly live, whether solo or with a full band. But his obvious joy, good humor, and polished performance at the Teragram might have been exceptional – with only two voices, two guitars, and an occasional touch of mandolin or keyboard.
Now approaching age 70, Paul Kelly is at the top of his game, enjoying himself greatly, and his show at the Teragram was intimate and uplifting. This is a short tour – he’ll be playing Austin City Limits on October 11, and Le Poisson Rouge in New York City on October 14. We enthusiastically recommend those shows to anyone lucky enough to be able to attend.
Check out the full gallery of photos from this night here.
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