TEDDY THOMPSON
WednesDAY, 2 October 2024 | DOORS AT 19:30, MUSIC FROM 20:00
This one’s gonna be special.
The facile way to identify Teddy Thompson is the way we’ve heard a thousand times: “He’s rock and folk music royalty, the son of Richard and Linda Thompson.” But this is more a feeble, genetic explanation of his astonishing musical talent than any sort of credential. Teddy doesn’t need credentials. He’s simply one of the most gifted songwriters you’ve ever heard, who delivers one breathtakingly beautiful vocal performance after another. His recordings are smart and bold, exploring traditional avenues of boy-with-guitar storytelling as well as taking deep dives into Americana and country music. But it’s Teddy’s live performances that are utterly unforgettable. And it’s rare to get to hear him in a room like Notional Space.
About Teddy
Called “one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of his generation,” by The New York Times, “ Thompson sings with his own voice, a powerfully understated, emotional, echoey croon,” (The Guardian) that reflects his iconoclastic influences from early ’50s rock and roll to popular music of the ’80s. Teddy is the son of the British musical dynasty Linda and Richard Thompson. “Who do I sound like? I think I sound like myself,” Thompson says, “There’s a strong element of British folky in me, it’s in the blood, and I heard the wonderful music of my parents around me as a young child. Then there was the 1950’s American pop and country that I fell in love with, plus the 80’s pop music that was in the charts at the time.” From a young age, Sam Cooke (with The Soul Stirers!), Hank Williams, Chuck Berry, and the Everly Brothers made up the bulk of his listening, along with select contemporary tunes heard on Top of The Pops. A-ha, Culture Club, Wham!“ After releasing his self-titled debut in 2000, Thompson went on tour as part of Roseanne Cash’s band. Since then he’s released eight albums, collaborated with good friends Martha and Rufus Wainwright, contributed to numerous tribute projects, and produced albums for Americana singer-songwriters Allison Moorer and Shelby Lynn, Dori Freeman, Roseanne Reid as well as his mother, Linda Thompson.
His latest album, My Love Of Country, isn’t the first time that Teddy Thompson has chosen to commit to his love of country music. He took his first deep dive into classical country back in 2007, with his album Up Front And Down Low. My Love of Country picks up just about where Up Front left off as a tribute to classic country music, showcasing his deep admiration for the genre.
Says Teddy about the latest album:
“The goal was to do it in the way that country records I love – mostly from the 60s – were made. Everything was mapped out, with charts and string parts in place. The musicians came in, and we cut the songs the way we did back then. We just blazed through them. These are all songs that I’ve known and loved for years. That’s the real key, having them in your body for a long time, decades, really. I didn’t really have to think at all about how to sing them, I just honoured the originals. In my favourite era of music, it was all about the song. Most of the classics that I know and love were recorded by dozens and dozens of people. And it was all in the service of the song. I grew up with that being the most important thing. For this record, that was a huge part of it. I just want people to hear these songs.”
Ticketing
Cost: $35 per person in advance, $40 at the door. 100% of the proceeds go to the artist.
Advance Ticketing: The easy way: e-transfer to myoldcrow@yahoo.ca, with your name, e-mail address, phone number, and number of tickets in the comments section of the transfer. The hard way: mail a cheque payable to “Doug O’Neil” to 243 East 22nd St North Vancouver, V7L3C5, with a note including your name, e-mail address, phone number, and number of tickets.
RECOMMENDED RSVP: We expect every seat to be full for this show; and it is possible that not everyone who wants to attend will be able to. If you do not purchase an advance ticket, you must RSVP for the show. Priority will be given to those who have purchased advanced tickets, then to those who have successfully RSVP’d, and then to those who tried to register an RSVP but were placed on the waitlist. As advanced ticket sales come in, you might find your confirmed RSVP bumped to the waitlist. The best way to ensure getting a ticket is to purchase it in advance.