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BILLY BRAGG IN CONCERT:
British folk-punk icon and all-around agitator Billy Bragg has been rousing fans with his biting wit and galvanizing protest songs since the late '70s. The line between art and politics has never concerned Bragg – he's an outspoken left-wing activist, and he makes no apologies for using his music as a platform to share his message with a wider audience. In concert he keeps things simple, strumming his guitar and delivering songs like "Whose Side Are You On" and "Take Down the Union Jack" with a cheery attitude that belies their weighty themes. Bragg is a man with a message, but he's far cry from a humorless pedagogue – whether he's railing against fascism, promoting a multi-racial Britain, or simply singing a love song, he manages to do it all with a warmth, humor, and poetic sense that leaves ticket buyers wanting more.
BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:
Essex-born Stephen William "Billy" Bragg started writing poetry and playing guitar in his teens, but it wasn't until he saw The Clash perform at a 1978 Rock Against Racism event that he developed an interest in social causes. Merging his love of poetry with his newfound political passion, Bragg began penning protest songs and performing them on the streets of London. He managed to get a demo tape to an exec at Charisma Records, and in 1983 the label issued Bragg's debut album Life's a Riot with Spy Vs Spy. Featuring seven politically charged songs and clocking in at just over 15 minutes, the record wasn't expected to be a hit, but listeners loved it – the album cracked the Top 40 on the UK Albums Chart and ultimately went Gold. Bragg followed up with a string of Top 20 albums including Talking with the Taxman about Poetry (1986) and Workers Playtime (1988), the latter of which spawned the No. 1 hit "She's Leaving Home." Since then Bragg has remained both musically and politically prolific, supporting various leftist movements and releasing more than a dozen albums including 2016's Shine a Light, a collaboration with American folk hero Joe Henry.
Over the course of their career, Billy Bragg has played at venues such as the Buckhead Theater in Atlanta and have brought places like Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut to maximum capacity.
Seen BB many times over the years and he never disappoints. This was my first time at the Birchmere - a little distracting with the servers walking around during the show but all in all a great evening.
Thrilled to see a rare US performance from Billy Bragg. Set was full of witty, intelligent songs and commentary on current political issues. Always a pleasure!
Always a pleasure to see Him perform! Witty and intelligent commentary on contemporary world issues .
After over 30 years, Billy Bragg can still bash them out and bring tremendous soul to his love songs. He remains one of the great singer songwriters of the past quarter century and gives his all in live performance. Great banter with the crowd.
Billy Bragg and Joe Henry put on a heartfelt, spirited show as they took us on a journey through a slice of Americana. Like watching two great performers busking at a train depot!
This "show" was a big disappointment. There was mostly talking and taking breaks from the "performers"...... the music was secondary to their egos, and to the typical lame Seattle audience, including Dow and his posse.
Billy comes back to the Neptune and, as always, he's incredible. I liked the pace of the show and the fact that both Billy and Joe had their own 'mini-sets'.
I have seen billy bragg at least 3 times previously and loved his shows but this was awful and disapointing. 95% of the show was from his latest album of covers about trains and hobos and americana. If you like that album you'll love this. However if you want to see billy do billy's songs you are going to be very unhappy. I have been to hundreds of concerts and never seen a show so ignore old material and focus on one album like this.
Billy Bragg always presents and excellent show. He knows his folk music but has a bit of a punk flavor. Bragg is dedicated to Americana music, and clearly loves the country. Birchmire is general admission. You sit at tables, typically with strangers. The best seats are grabbed early, so get there early and enjoy a reasonable dinner.
Love both performers, great musicians in their own right and wonderful together. Loved the premise of the album: Tribute to American train songs. And recorded in old tratin stations. Recommend the album and seeing these guys in person!
I am always happy when I go to a show and the performance is better than expected. Billy Bragg has a great stage presence without even mentioning his balladeering. Truly an enjoyable evening!
Great solo show with Billy Bragg who played an excellent set - all my favorites. I most enjoyed his witty commentary & rabble rousing between songs; he's got a great sense of humor and is a dedicated agitator who inspires others to take action. Thanks to Billy for returning to Portland - please come back soon! And thank you to whomever was responsible for bringing him; good on ya!
The Big Nosed Bard of Barking delivered the perfect 20 song set. He is a political commentator and comedian with an arsenal of killer tunes dating back over 30 years - simply the best.
It was brilliant! Haven't seen Billy for ages and enjoyed him as much as I did years ago. Nice to see an event so well attended even if they were mostly old fogies. A night to remember and happy to hear a lot of the old songs from years past. Thanks to Billy and to whoever was smart enough to bring him here.
I'm a huge longtime fan of Billy Bragg (from 80's to now) and loved, loved, loved this show. The set list reflected the fan base in attendance -- a great mix of old and new. Billy's commentary between songs was witty, funny and from what I could tell from all around me; greatly enjoyed. His voice is so strong yet nuanced and emotive. Seeing him appear backed with the talented artists that make up this touring band in such an intimate venue was so great. He stayed around to meet and greet his fans too. Such a talented artist!! In my opinion, this show could not have been better.
Billy Bragg brought his voice and power to the Birchmere, playing classics and new music. And excellent show by a great showman.
There's always something nice about a Billy Bragg concert, but this one was pretty sleepy. He played a buch of songs from his new record which is kind of down tempo. It was perfectly nice and all, but I can't imagine anybody left thinking that it was really fun or great.
First time seeing him and his refreshing honesty about what it means to be a part of humanity. What a wonderful human being. Wish I knew more of them!
I have to say that I was very disappointed with the concert -- I didn't go in with high expectations but was hoping to leave the evening inspired or enlightened and I left feeling frustrated and disappointed. I obviously knew Billy Bragg was politically outspoken (which I appreciate and is one of the things I love about him) but I didn't think that 70% of the concert would be preaching whilst the remainder was music. While it is great to be politically outspoken, it shouldn't be the lead act at a concert.
Great show. First time seeing Billy Bragg. I was surprised that he played with a full band. I was sort of expecting a solo show. I liked him playing some solo electric guitar songs from his back catalog. Kim Churchill was a bonus. It is nice when the warm up act does not bore you to tears.
