Tom Paxton’s Style Hit at SPAC

by Marilyn Nason, The Post-Star, August 31, 1971

Tom Paxton made a return visit to Saratoga Performing Arts Center last night with nearly 8,000 attending.

His droll, quiet, often biting style of singing was in the typical vein of this perennial folksinging favorite. Paxton got his early start at Saratoga’s own Caffe Lena several years ago. Long acclaimed as a top folksinger-satirist with more than 200 compositions to his credit, he entertained for well over an hour, backed by three musicians.

Socially Significant

He possesses a deep clear voice, which often deliberately goes slightly off key to dramatize some of his lyrics, chronicles of some socially significant event, or simply dry humor. Paxton has effectively used this vocal trick for years and it never ceases to please.

His songs range from the humorous to slightly baudy, political and even a touch of country western. Particularly enjoyable was a satire of an expensive gaudy funeral at Forest Lawn, which drew great applause.

Mad Dash

As Paxton started his performance, the largely lawn crowd made its usual mad dash into the theater, running down the aisles, leaping over the seats. He watched for a minute, then suggested, “Let’s do it quietly.” His words were instantly obeyed.

For the remainder of his half of the show, the crowd remained largely quiet and attentive.

Once Poco, the five-man hard rock group opened the second half, the quiet ceased both onstage and in the audience. In fact, for most of their numbers the audience stood up on the seats although there appeared to be no obvious visibility problem. Severa! times cries of “sit down” rang through the theater but to little avail.

As for Poco, frankly, they are just about like every other hard rock group ever at SPAC. They work hard, are too loud, appear to be pretty heavily entrenched in the hard rock vein. When they settled down to some country western tunes, they were quite good with a distinctive sound and beat.

They certainly are not in the Blood, Sweat and Tears and Chicago category by any means, but then few are.

Smell of Pot

The smell of pot was about as strong last night as it has been all season both in the theater and on the lawn. Apparently, Spa Reservation officials and law enforcement personnel have no intention, after several years of this now commonplace occurrence, of trying to curb it for these types of specials.

Tonight it will be Bread at 8:30 as SPAC specials go on through Sept. 19.