Guy Clark

When Thoreau said that most men will lead lives of quiet desperation, going to the grave with the song still in them, it’s obvious that he never met someone like Guy Clark, a troubadour who’s been penning odes of quiet desperation for over thirty years and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. His work has been charted by a who’s who of country’s greatest, including Johnny Cash, Ricky Skaggs, Lyle Lovett and others, who each credit the South Texas native with bringing the same meticulous craftsmanship to his songwriting that he reserves for the flamenco guitars he builds in his workshop. Clark’s wispy tales of woe and of the haggard, proletarian characters populating his life come across as an acoustically-scored loop of NPR storycore. Doesn’t hurt that Clark has vocals to match. His oaky, worn-leather voice is soothing, like slipping into an old pair of comfortable shoes.
Sat., March 1, 8 p.m., 2008