Richard Thompson One-Man Guitar Army Shocks, Awes the Belcourt

Call it a crime against music and a treat for the audience – Richard Thompson played the 400-seat Belcourt Theatre Thursday evening. He deserved a much larger venue, but the Belcourt provided an intimate experience rare for artists of his strata.

Armed just with his acoustic guitar, Thompson’s technique at times gave the impression of two or three guitars going at once.

Low-key, Thompson strode onto his stage in trademark beret, the only part of his appearance not to scream “Everyman.” Thompson is the workingman’s guitar god, a man of unearthly guitar talent and songwriting prowess who never earned more than a flong with the mainstream.

He went straight into I Feel So Good, stripped of the Celtic vibe that drive’s the studio version. Solo, the song still pulsed with energy. Besides, who doesn’t love a song declaring, “I feel so good I’m gonna break somebody’s heart tonight”?

He cracked out with Put ‘Er There, Pal, previously a slow-burn rocker on You? Me? Us?, preserving all its sarcastic aggression in its new form.

Sunset Song, a stark beauty from 2007’s Sweet Warrior. Thompson speaks to a lover of his need to move on, while the simple melody propels it through the harshest words. There were highlights expected, but this was the one song I needed to hear, and he delivered wonderfully.

His Iraq War song, Dad’s Gonna Kill Me, harrowingly depicts a soldier just trying to live through another day. Using soldier slang (Dad is short for Baghdad), he avoids the trappings that snare most modern war songs.

I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight sounded out of place with Thompson’s voice; it lacked the earnest, fragile nature of ex-wife Linda Thompson’s performance on the original. Those newer to Thompson would not notice the difference.

He didn’t keep the audience waiting for 1952 Vincent Black Lightning, his black ode to rare motorcycles, crime and love forged as a result.

Thompson’s self-effacing, jokey nature emerged quickly during the 90-minute set. He comes off as slight uncomfortable off-the-cuff, but firmly in control when immersed in song.

Don’t ask for a setlist - the end of the show is hazy for all the wrong reasons.

As penance, I’ve burrowed into his recent albums, discovering them to be much more textured and rich than I initially believed.

Abandoned by the major label machine, Thompson crafted The Old Kit Bag and Front Parlour Ballads without their influence. He infuses a timeless quality both of those sets. He avoids the overproduction thick on his last studio efforts, giving his guitarwork more breathing room. His 21^st century output proves he needs only the simplest of setups to rock it out.

Ever industrious, Thompson will soon premier the performance piece Cabaret of Souls (not to be confused with Carnival of Souls, the last album by KISS before they returned to makeup in the 1990s). Caberet will feature five vocalists, a string orchestra and a rhythm section.

Given my performance during the solo Nashville show, I feel obligated to support his ambitious production.