Richard Thompson: Ship to Shore Tour - Full Band Show

No upcoming concerts for richard-thompson

Other Upcoming Shows

Max Fosh – Loophole

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Nov 13th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$45

Steve Treviño: The Good Life Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Nov 14th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $59

Kathleen Madigan: The Potluck Party

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 15th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 16th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$36.75 - $61.75

An Evening with Railroad Earth

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 17th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Partly seated
PRICE:
$35 - $39.50

Dinosaur Live

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Nov 20th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$34 - $65

Michael Rapaport

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Nov 21st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

Whitney Cummings: Big Baby

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 22nd - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 22nd - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $59

Ryan Hamilton

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 23rd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$25 - $35

Anubhav Singh Bassi

Ages 16+ | Performed in Hindi

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Nov 24th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$37 - $82

Justin Hayward: Blue World Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Nov 27th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$55 - $189

Chris Botti

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Nov 29th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Nov 30th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$59 - $89

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 1st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$60 - $95

Unsubscribe Podcast Live

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Dec 5th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$28 - $32

Jimmy O. Yang: Big & Tall Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 6th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 6th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$48 - $98

David Lucas

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Dec 7th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $40

Who Are You? by Rahul Subramanian

Age Restriction: 16+

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 8th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $50

Symphony North

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Tue Dec 10th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$40 - $65

Hot Tuna (Acoustic)

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Dec 11th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$60 - $80

Morgan Jay: Aphrodesia Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Dec 12th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Dec 12th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 13th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 13th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$36.50 - $56.50

Godfrey

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Dec 14th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$26 - $35

Matt Rogers: The Prince of Christmas Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 15th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$45

Girls Gotta Eat: No Crumbs Tour

Tickets on sale now!

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 20th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Dec 20th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Dec 21st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$44.50 - $77

Sammy Obeid

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 22nd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $89

Big Jay Oakerson

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Dec 28th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

Bob Marley Comedian

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 29th - 5:30PM Doors Open - 4:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Dec 29th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$46.50

Money for Couples Live: An evening with Ramit Sethi

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Jan 2nd - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$40 - $100

‘All You Need Is Love’: All-Star Celebration of The Beatles

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Tue Jan 14th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$40 - $64

Russell Peters: RELAX World Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Jan 15th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$59 - $229

Tech Roast: Touring Machine

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Jan 16th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$47 - $117

Kate Pierson

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Jan 17th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$40 - $65

Tracy Morgan

Rescheduled from 10/12 to 1/18. All tickets honored.

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Jan 18th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$69

Christopher Titus

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Jan 19th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

Monét X Change: Life Be Lifin’

Rescheduled from 5/14 to 1/24

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Jan 24th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$38 - $48

Sarah Silverman: Postmortem

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Jan 25th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Jan 25th - 9:45PM Doors Open - 8:45 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$59 - $89

Earthquake

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Jan 31st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$40

Chris Fleming

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 7th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 7th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $59

Eddie Griffin

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Feb 8th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $50

Kelsey McKinney

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Feb 12th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
PRICE:
$16.50 - $40

Gals on the Go Podcast: Who Is She? Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Tue Sep 17th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$37 - $100

Andrew Santino: Freeze Peach Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 14th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 14th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Feb 15th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$49 - $69.50

Tom Segura @ TD Garden

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 14th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$44.50 - $104.50

Jordan Jensen

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Feb 16th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$27

Jimmy Cash

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Feb 20th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$27 - $37

Kelsey Cook

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 21st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$38 - $48

Ginger Billy

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Feb 22nd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $100

Adam Conover: The Nihilism Pivot Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Feb 23rd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

HYPROV: Improv under Hypnosis

Starring Colin Mochrie (of Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and Asad Mecci (World Renowned Hypnotist)

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Feb 28th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

How Not to be Famous: A Conversation with Richard Kind

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Mar 2nd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $99

Maria Bamford

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Mar 6th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

Kev Herrera

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Mar 7th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$33 - $43

#IMOMSOHARD: The Flashback Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Mar 8th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$49 - $144

David Nihill: Shelf Help Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sun Mar 9th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$29 - $59

Margaret Cho Live

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Mar 14th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $50

Phil Hanley Spellbound Tour

Each ticket includes "Spellbound" Book!

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Mar 15th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Astronomy Bizarre

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Mar 20th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$49 - $250

Anthony Rodia: Laugh Till It Hurts Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Mar 21st - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$40 - $80

Trae Crowder

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Mar 22nd - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$35 - $45

A Nightmare with Casey Sherman

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Mar 26th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$30 - $55

Gaelic Storm: Roll Out the Barrel Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Thu Mar 27th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$40 - $65

Becky Robinson: Members Only Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Apr 4th - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Apr 5th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Apr 5th - 10:00 PM Doors Open - 9:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$37 - $70

JOHNNYSWIM: The WHEN THE WAR IS OVER Tour

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Fri Apr 11th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$42 - $297

Joe List

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Apr 19th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$33 - $43

Jarlath Regan: In Bits

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Wed Apr 23rd - 7:30PM Doors Open - 6:30 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$42

Jessica Kirson

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat Apr 26th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39.50 - $49.50

Larkin Poe

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Mon May 12th - 8:00PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM
Openers: Amythyst Kiah
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$37 - $50

CANCELLED – Christina P: Old Yeller Tour

This show is cancelled. Ticket purchasers will be refunded automatically.

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat May 17th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
PRICE:
$39

Jess Hilarious

The Wilbur Theatre Located at
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA.
Phone: 617-248-9700
Sat May 24th - 7:00PM Doors Open - 6:00 PM
SEAT TYPE: Fully seated
PRICE:
$39 - $49

Bio

“To be moving is better than to be standing still,” Richard Thompson says, and Richard Thompson should know. The influential singer-songwriter and virtuosic guitarist h

“To be moving is better than to be standing still,” Richard Thompson says, and Richard Thompson should know. The influential singer-songwriter and virtuosic guitarist has been on a singular musical journey for over a half century, from his days in the ‘60s as a pioneer of British folk rock with Fairport Convention, to his seminal ‘70s duo work with Linda Thompson, to the exploratory, deeply emotional music of the solo career that has been his primary concern ever since. Along the way he has been touted as one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time by Rolling Stone, covered by everyone from Robert Plant, R.E.M. and David Byrne to Sleater-Kinney, Bonnie Raitt and Emmylou Harris, bestowed with the Ivor Novello Award for songwriting, and even appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by the late Queen Elizabeth II. In 2018 Thompson released his 19th solo album, the critically-acclaimed 13 Rivers, and now, five years later, he has followed it up with his latest communication, Ship To Shore. The time taken between these efforts is something like an eternity for the prolific artist, but there was a reason: “Covid kind of halted everything for two-and-a-half years,” he explains. But once Thompson began writing again, new songs came in a burst of inspiration. And much like a ship to shore himself, the artist was instinctively drawn to his own musical roots, employing them in the service of fashioning a deep and diverse 12-track collection that pulls from various styles, genres and eras, but remains unmistakably Richard Thompson. “I liked the idea of having a strong base to work from and reaching out from there,” he says. “And I think of my base as being British traditional music, but there’s also Scottish music, there’s Irish music. There’s jazz and country and classical. As far as I’m concerned, once you establish your base you can reach out anywhere. It’ll still be you ringing through, wherever you decide to go musically.” As for where he started? Naturally, at the start. “Freeze,” the leadoff track on Ship To Shore, is also the first of the new songs Thompson composed. And it’s classic RT, with a bounding rhythm– “a strange cross between Celtic and African,” he says– punctuated by nimble, curlicue guitar licks and dark (at times, darkly humorous) lyrics, in this case of a man so paralyzed by his life that he can’t even bring himself to end it. Hesitating on a ledge, Thompson sings, “A friendly breeze there might push you / Make up your troubled mind for you.” It only gets darker from there. Specifically, to “The Fear Never Leaves You,” in which a soldier returned from battle attempts, unsuccessfully, to find respite from the bloody images that clog his mind. The musical backdrop, meanwhile, is smooth and supple, all pulsing toms, warm keys, gently-plucked guitar notes and hushed background vocals an intentional juxtaposition. “I like the idea of having a seductive surface where the listener gets sucked in by a fairly pleasant melody,” Thompson explains. “But then, there are hidden sharks in the water.” To craft Ship To Shore, Thompson retreated to Applehead Recording in Woodstock, New York, where he was joined by his longtime band– guitarist Bobby Eichorn, bassist Taras Prodaniuk, and drummer Michael Jerome– along with harmony vocalist Zara Phillips, fiddle player David Mansfield, and Applehead engineer Chris Bittner. The team worked quick– roughly a week to track, and another three or four days to mix– and recordings were mostly live takes, vocals included. “There was a slight feeling of being under the gun, which isn’t a bad thing,” Thompson says. “We spend a lot of time playing together, so we can knock tracks off pretty quickly.” Even with the compressed schedule, Thompson and the band managed to cover a lot of stylistic ground. There’s the rumbling, Motown-style rhythm that propels “Trust,” and the straightforward riff-rock of “Turnstile Casanova.” The drone-y “The Old Pack Mule,” an “old man’s song” that takes musical cues from 1600s-era European music, and “Life’s a Bloody Show,” an ode to “snake-oil salesmen and hucksters” that floats on a glammy, cabaret-like melody that’s “almost like a parody of a Noël Coward song, or something from Berlin in the 1920s,” Thompson says. And if you’re looking for some of that patented Thompson guitar dazzle? Look pretty much anywhere on Ship To Shore. But maybe linger just a bit on “Maybe,” a sharp, snappy ditty that sees our protagonist losing his mind over the girl of his dreams… or nightmares. As the song reaches its fervid climax, Thompson’s guitar goes as haywire as the poor guy’s brain, spitting hot licks, playful note bursts and madcap phrases across the sonic spectrum. “That’s one that will be great to play live,” Thompson notes, “because the possibilities are quite open. It’ll be fun to just be improvising on that every night.” Finally, the album wraps with a sort of red herring: a countrified road-dog number titled “We Roll,” which, on first listen, comes across as a farewell of sorts. “We thank you for all your love down the years,” Thompson intones over a dusty rhythm. “We hope we brought you some joy and some tears.” “It does have a slightly valedictory feel to it,” the artist admits of the song. “But I’m not intending to hang up my plectrum anytime soon.” To the contrary, Thompson lets slip that, even as he unveils Ship To Shore, he already has another album written and “ready to take into the studio.” Always moving, never standing still. As for what keeps him going? “I’m uncomfortable if I don’t do it,” Thompson reasons. “If I don’t write, if I don’t perform, I get frustrated and I feel like I’m not being the human being I should be.” He pauses, then continues digging. “Things just drive you, though I don’t always know what they are, exactly. I think ghosts from my past– past traumas, past frustrations, whatever, often drive me creatively.” He laughs. “But I don’t know. It’s hard to say. Perhaps I need to see an analyst!

read less