Kinky Friedman Brings Texas Half-Truths and Plenty of Laughs to Toronto (August 15, 2014)

Kinky Friedman
Hugh’s Room
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Friday, August 15, 2014

Tequila, tall tales, and a stogie thick enough to last the night, that’s what Texan troubadour Kinky Friedman brought to Hogtown. 

Pacing the sidewalk outside Hugh’s Room, a couple of hours before the show, the songwriter (dressed ten-gallon hat to heel in black) looked like a cowboy in search of his horse. Speaking to him at the bar found a tired soul in need of a rest or maybe just some liquid energy.

After settling his nerves with a couple tequila shots, on the last night of his fortnight Victory Tour, Friedman, 69, gave Toronto fans a sweet treat better than honey on Texas Toast. Most knew the one-liners the Texas legend dropped during his two-hour set, but everyone still laughed, showing Friedmans’ songs — and his sometimes sordid, off-colored stories — never grow old.  

Stories of Nelson Mandela listening to Friedman’s tunes in prison were interspersed with memories of Nashville writing sessions and anecdotes from his failed bid for Texas Governor. The evening even included a reading from one of his books. The sexagenarian Friedman showed four decades on, he’s still relevant and his songs still resonate. 

Classics penned decades ago all drew applause, guffaws and admiration, including: “Proud to be an Asshole from El Paso,” “Ol’ Ben Lucas,” “Ride Em Jewboy,” and “They Ain’t Makin’ Jews Like Jesus Anymore.” For those not in the know, while these titles sound offensive, the lyrics are laced with candid social and political commentary about The Holocaust. One of the night’s highlights was the self-titled song from his 1973 debut: Sold American.  

Like any Friedman show, the serious was mixed with the silly: case in point the funny, sing-a-long, “Waitret, Please, Waitret.” that he dedicated to Bill Clinton.

After his set, the “Kinkster” posed for pictures and signed CDs for the faithful fans who remained, many of whom have followed his weird, merry, and always entertaining, 40-year musical journey. Long may this jolly “Jew boy” ramble on.