REVIEW: Kinky Friedman at Bethlehem’s Godfrey Daniels shows off … – Allentown Morning Call

Singer Kinky Friedman is best known for his biting 1970s songs of social satire, and the sold-out audience at Bethlehems Godfrey Daniels was treated to that during Friedmans concert Wednesday.

But the big surprise was that, between those songs and spates of uproarious, politically incorrect humor in the 85-minute show, Friedman wove wonderful songs that illuminated his 72-year-old life in perfectly traditional country, folk and Americana styles. And also showed how musically gifted Friedman is.

That was especially true of the four songs Friedman played from his upcoming first disc of new material in more than 40 years, Resurrected. Rather than jokey, they were insightful, contemplative commentaries on a waning life.

Me and My Guitar was a study on a musicians life. Saying Goodbye, played as a guitar duo with Joe Cirotti, was a bittersweet rumination on life.

Even the lightheartedly titled new Jesus in Pajamas was, far more than satire, a statement on how to treat the least among us. And Friedman gave it gravitas, with his raspy, slightly gravelly voice.

Friedman, dressed in all black with his signature black cowboy hat, just as he did when he was part of Bob Dylans Rolling Thunder Revue tour or playing on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s, served notice early what the 12-song show would be like.

He opened, solo on acoustic guitar, with a straight-forward reading of Woody Guthries Pretty Boy Floyd itself a stinging commentary on what constitutes an outlaw: Some will rob you with a six-gun, and some with a fountain pen.

And his second song, his 1973 tune Sold American, was equally serious sung soft and sad, with its lesson of fleeting fortunes perhaps even more true today than it was almost 45 years ago.

That and other older songs Friedman did showed how insightful his older songs were. His 1976 song Lady Yesterday was surprisingly sweet and nostalgic probably more applicable to Friedmans present age than the 32-year-old who wrote it all that time ago.

Even a mid-set singsong reading he did, Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis, while softly accompanied by Cirotti, had a serious streak to its silliness.

All of that is not to say Friedmans show was a dour affair. Quite the opposite, it was consistently laugh-out-loud funny, starting after the second song, when Friedman a famously failed candidate for governor of Texas explained the meaning of politics: Poly, meaning more than one and tics, which are blood-sucking insects.

His between-song jokes were frequent nine minutes of material early in the show and frequently blue, but always with a reserved, intelligent delivery. The more sophisticated the crowd, the better that works, Friedman said. Some of the best were ribald doctor jokes he said were from friend Willie Nelson.

Material suited for general readership included the fact that he connected with Canadian singer Ann Murry who sold 55 million records and loved his new material after she retired. And a stab at evangelicals who use references to Gods will to escape responsibility for good or bad.

In that vein Friedman said he thinks Jesus wants a skinny guy traveling around the country irritating people.

And far from all of Friedmans songs were serious.

He played his politically incorrect even more so today huts Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed, with an audience member playing kazoo (We should take you on the fking road, he told the man) and They Aint Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore, which he introduced by telling a politically incorrect joke about where the phrase Jesus Loves You isnt comforting.

Political correctness has infested everything, Friedman said. Ive done my part.

His cover of Warren Zevons My Sh-ts Fked Up was as humorous as it was ominous, which is the point of the song.

Friedman even auctioned off bottles of his Man in Black tequila, with other memorabilia, to the audience (he got sales of $350 from three people) with proceeds going to his Utopia Rescue Ranch animal shelter in Texas.

But Friedman regrettably skipped his biggest hit, Ahole from El Paso, his wildly racist parody of Merle Haggards Okie From Muskogee.

And he wound down his show with serious, full-band covers of Johnny Cashs Pickin Time and Tom Paxtons Ramblin Boy, both well done, and his new Zoey, a sweet love song.

And they showed that, for all his talent with humor, Friedman is perhaps even more talented musically.

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REVIEW: Kinky Friedman at Bethlehem's Godfrey Daniels shows off ... - Allentown Morning Call