Frank Turner- Bowery Ballroom - November 3, 2011

Inheritor of the “everyman” troubadour crown once worn by Dylan, Springsteen, Strummer and Billy Bragg, Frank Turner and his 4 piece “Sleeping Souls” band turned in an inspiring 90 minute singalong at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom. It must be quite the rush from sleeping on friends couches to appearance on Jimmy Kimmel and the swank tour bus he now travels in. Good for him!

His “journey” from singer of “post hardcore” screamo band Million Dead to folk-punk troubadour (though the crowd would not have been out of place at a Dave Matthews concert) complete, Turner and his band kicked absolute ass. The guy has definite punk credit (having released acoustic versions of Bad Brains (“Pay To Cum”), Black Flag “Fix Me”) and NOFX (“The Desperation’s Gone).; though I have severe doubts whether 99% of his demographic woulda been able to name any of those bands .

The intoxicating thing about Frank Turner is his commitment and passion. His lyrics avow his philosophy that rock can save us, and his heartfelt singing makes you buy into what he’s preaching.

Focusing largely on his new album England Keep My Bones, Frank Turner had a sold out crowd engaged with every song .

Here’s a couple of examples of the type of religion he’s testifying for:

“Eulogy”

Not everyone grows up to be an astronaut,
not everyone was born to be a king,
not everyone can be Freddie Mercury,
but everyone can raise their glass and sing.

and as Turner sings in “I Still Believe” :

Now who’d have thought that after all,
Something as simple as rock ‘n’ roll would save us all.
And who’d have thought that after all, it was rock ‘n’ roll.

And I still believe the saints.
Yeah, in Jerry Lee and in Johnny and all the greats.

And I still believe in the sound,
That has the power to raise a temple and tear it down.

And I still believe in the need,
For guitars and drums and desperate poetry.

The songs range from plaintive acoustic guitar (“Wessex Boy”) to more poppy New Pornographers style (“I Am Disappeared)” to a cappela old tyme assertions (“English Curse”).

One particularly heartwarming moment was the audience call and response for “Glory Hallelujah” with the call and response:

There is no God,
So clap your hands together,
There is no God,
No heaven and no hell.
There is no God,
We’re all in this together,
There is no God,
So ring that victory bell

Punk rock!

As an encore, Turner announced he’s been playing “regional” favorites and did Springsteen’s “Thunder Road”. Of course he did.

Setlist: Eulogy, Try This At Home, I Still Believe, One Foot Before The Other, I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous, I Am Disappeared, Love Ire and Song, Polaroid Picture, Substitute, English Curse, Dan’s Song, Sons of Liberty, Peggy Sang the Blues, If Ever I Stray, Glory Hallelujah, Long Live the Queen, The Road, Somebody To Love (Queen cover),

Encore: Thunder Road (Bruce Springsteen cover), The Ballad Of Me And My Friends, Photosynthesis