Tonight is your opportunity to see Nick Lowe in the intimate environs of Delmar Hall for free!

The skeptical cardiologist is elated to see live musical concerts returning to St. Louis.

Many concerts that I had tickets for during the height (I hope) of the pandemic were canceled and rescheduled. One of these cancellations was of Nick Lowe performing at Delmar Hall.

A friend of mine (who died last year) was a huge fan of Lowe and turned me on to his work with Rockpile around the time that Lowe’s re-recording of “Cruel to Be Kind” became a minor hit in the US in 1979.

I did not know this but Wikipedia notes some fascinating details related to the accompanying video:

The video to the song was one of the first music videos aired on MTV, and is a combination of actual footage of Lowe’s wedding to Carlene Carter, as well as a humorous re-enactment of the wedding, featuring Carter as herself, Dave Edmunds as their limo driver,Terry Williams as the photographer, Billy Bremner as the baker, and Jake Riviera (Nick’s manager at the time) as the best man. The wedding took place on August 18, 1979, at the Tropicana Motel in West Hollywood. All family stayed there for the wedding and reception (also featured in the video). Filming for the video took so long that Lowe was actually late to the wedding.

Since then he has continued to write songs and perform below the radar. He’s mostly known as a songwriter and he wrote one of my favorite Elvis Costello songs “What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding.”

Other songs you might know (per Wikipedia)

Songwriter

Lowe’s best-known songs include his own hits:

• “So It Goes” – first song on the Stiff Records label
• “I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass” – his biggest UK hit
• “Cruel to Be Kind” – his biggest US hit

He also wrote songs most famous for their cover versions:

• “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” – famously covered by Elvis Costello
• “I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock ’n’ Roll)” – a hit for Rockpile bandmate Dave Edmunds
• “The Beast in Me” – covered by stepfather-in-law Johnny Cash

Some songs were written or co-written for albums he produced:

• “Milk and Alcohol” and “That’s It, I Quit” – Dr. Feelgood
• “(I Live on a) Battlefield” and “I Need You” – Paul Carrack

Lowe also wrote a number of songs with clever wordplay that qualify as “novelties“, among them:

• “Bay City Rollers We Love You” – recorded as “Terry Modern” of “The Tartan Horde”
• “I Love My Label” – paean to the United Artists label, released on Stiff Records
• “All Men Are Liars“
• “Half a Boy and Half a Man”

In any event Nick is playing tonight at the 750 person maximum Delmar Hall venue in the Delmar Loop here in St. Louis and I have an extra ticket I am looking to give away.

Perhaps this description on the Delmar Hall website will entice you

Nick Lowe has made his mark as a producer (Elvis Costello-Graham Parker-Pretenders-The Damned), songwriter of at least three songs you know by heart, short-lived career as a pop star, and a lengthy term as a musicians’ musician. But in his current ‘second act’ as a silver-haired, tender-hearted but sharp-tongued singer-songwriter, he has no equal.

Starting with 1995′s ‘The Impossible Bird’ through to 2011′s ‘The Old Magic,’ Nick has turned out a fantastic string of albums, each one devised in his West London home, and recorded with a core of musicians who possess the same veteran savvy. Lowe brings wit and understated excellence to every performance, leading Ben Ratliff of the New York Times to describe his live show as “elegant and nearly devastating.”

He’s playing with a band I had not heard of “Los Straitjackets”

Email me at drp@theskepticalcardiologist.com if you are interested in the ticket.

Kindlyyetcruel,

-ACP

N.B Like most music venues these days, Delmar Hall (and the Pageant next door) are enforcing COVID-19 restrictions.

Ticketed admission to both The Pageant and Delmar Hall will require proof of FULL COVID-19 Vaccination or a Negative COVID-19 Diagnostic Test within the previous 72 hours regardless of customer age.  While we believe that most of our patrons are already vaccinated, our continuing goal is to provide as safe an environment as practically possible. Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or a Professionally Administered (physician, clinic, pharmacy, etc.) Negative COVID-19 Diagnostic Test can be a physical paper copy or a snapshot on your mobile device, along with a matching photo ID, to display upon admission.  At-home tests will not be accepted.

Additionally, face masks will still be needed to enter either of our venues. Effective face coverings must completely cover the nose and mouth and must be worn at all times unless actively consuming food or beverage. Face shields, gaiters and bandanas are not acceptable as primary face coverings. If needed, customer face masks are available to purchase for $1.00 each.