When you think about folk-Americana artist Tom Rush’s song “No Regrets,” on his classic 1968 album “The Circle Game,” it’s tough not to recall the Oscar Wilde quote about life imitating art.
It’s been 50 years since Rush, then a young English Literature student at Harvard University, began playing Cambridge-area coffeehouses and clubs including the renowned Club 47 (where he’ll play Wednesday, March 28 in celebration of his Golden Anniversary. Check herefor details). He introduced the songs of a few friends- James Taylor, Jackson Browne, and Joni Mitchell – in his concerts and when they were guests on the “The Circle Game.” Yet he has no regrets, really, about the path he took with music that led him to modest success.
“I heard [a well-known singer] doing an interview. It was odd to hear her sounding kind of embittered that things weren’t going as well as they used to,” he said. “For me, things have never gone that well. I don’t have much to be bitter about, though. I never got the huge recognition that some of my friends and colleagues got. That was, at times, frustrating, but I’ve made a very good living doing what I want to do. I really have very little to complain about.”
In fact, Rush has a lot of fun in dishing out plenty of self deprecating humor, including showing slides of his younger self to concert audiences. He plays plenty of fan favorites during his shows but also steers clear of others, including the much-loved “Driving Wheel.” The reason is one of quality. If he had a band, it would sound better than it does when he plays solo. And watching how near-capacity audiences respond to his shows – even just his meet-and-greet presence – it’s clear they’re satisfied.
“One of the things people want to tell me about is when they first heard me or last heard me. They’ll say ‘I haven’t heard you since 1972 or 1987,’” he said with a chuckle. “I must have really sucked or they would have come back sooner!?
Perhaps that’s why Rush’s concerts are such a joy, veering from fan favorite tunes to tongue-in-cheek songs such as “The Remember Song,” about the loss of memory as one ages.
“People come to my shows to hear the songs they know. I am very flattered and grateful,” he said “And my [fans] are very tolerant when I do songs they’re not familiar with. A lot of [other musicians] don’t want to do the old stuff but I don’t mind. I don’t want to become a nostalgia act, but I will scratch that itch.”
Check out Rush’s most recent music and his upcoming tour dates on his website.
Note: Part of this article is reprinted with permission from the Washington Examiner Newspaper.
