One More Time with Ray Davies (at the Beacon Theatre in NYC)

On the way to the concert this evening, I took along the latest New Yorker to read on the train from NJ. One man's reflection on mortality and end of life issues put me in a very gloomy frame of mind. The writer, Michael Kinsley, is my age. He writes of baby boomers facing the final elbow, and how no matter how much we work to extend our little lives, the odds are relentless. If you want to check it out, the article is online here.

The marquee at the Beacon Theatre announced: Ray Davies -- Sold Out! Underneath, a large crowd of mostly boomer-types mingled and buzzed. Still under the influence of Kinsley's meditation and the over-powering production of Macbeth I saw this past weekend, I entered the theatre acutely aware of the receding hairlines, the crinkles and crevices of age, and the stiffening spines of my fellow boomers.

Good heavens! How old is Ray now and how many years have we all been showing up for his shows? And can we really continue to believe that "you and me last forever -- all day and all of the night!"

Inside finally, and I feel comforted by a glorious old theatre with a carved and gilt covered early 20th century proscenium carefully preserved and now framing speakers, mic stands and guitars all ready for the show. A sudden darkening of the lights and suddenly, there he is, like so many times before. Front and center, music about to begin. My heart goes thump along with the opening chords -- it is one of my favorite anthems -- I'm Not Like Everybody Else. The audience goes wild, the aging boomers are young once again. We shriek and bob and sing along.

The show was more than I every could expect. Ray fed off the audience's energy and vice versa. We all sang every song, even the new ones. This was a dedicated audience. The set list is as follows (as best as I could scribble it down in the dark):

I'm Not Like Everybody Else
Where Have All the Good Times Gone?
Well Respected Man
Til the End of the Day
After the Fall
Dead End Street
The Tourist
20th Century Man (dedicated to his dad, "a socialist far left of Lenin")
Working Man's Cafe

Intermission. Kinky story: the restrooms were down stairs below orchestra level. For the first time in my life, the men's line was ten times longer than the women's! All the women were laughing about it, as we zipped round the long line of men. One said, well there never were very many women at Kinks concerts. Another said, too many older guys drinking too much beer!.

After the interval, Ray started solo with some songs from the new album:

In a Moment
One More Time
Vietnam Cowboys
The Real World (which is about a young woman Harvard grad who found herself tending bar in New Orleans)
Real World
No One Listens

Then he tossed in the rarely performed Fancy, followed by
Sunny Afternoon
Come Dancing
So Tired
Set Me Free
All Day and All of the Night

And then all these as encores:

Low Budget (This made me extraordinarily happy!)
Waterloo Sunset
Lola
Days
Imaginary Man
Victoria

Forgive me if I left anything out. I expect a complete set list will be posted at the Unofficial Kinks Web Site.

I took some pictures and will try to get some up once I'm home from vacation along with more thoughts and reflections.

Needless to say, I left the theatre in a far better mood than the one I had entering it. Ray had the answer for all the reflections upon mortality I had been drawn into. He said, "As long as I'm alive, I'll be writing songs."

As long as I'm alive, I'll be listening. Thanks Ray!