Richard Thompson & Orchestra at Le Poisson Rouge, NYC
Photo by Greg Cristman

Richard Thompson played Le Poisson Rouge with a string section (pics)

photos by Greg Cristman

The legendary Richard Thompson was in NYC last week to play Le Poisson Rouge on June 9 as part of the Next Emerging Artists Festival, where he was accompanied by the fest’s string orchestra. The first part of Richard’s LPR set was a commissioned piece called KIA which stands for “Killed In Action,” and is a song cycle commissioned by the WWI Centenary Arts Commissions. Thompson said:

The music reflects various aspects of the war on the Western Front, from recruitment to death to survival. Songs are based on letters, diaries, ad interviews, and in most cases, are verbatim extracts, with little attempt to make them rhyme or turn them into ‘art.’ Most quotes come from the book Everyman At War, now sadly out of print. The pieces Wounded and It Is Sad To See Them are based on the diary of nurse Edith Appleton.

After playing KIA, Richard performed another set with the orchestra, hitting classics from throughout his career. Check out pics in the gallery above.

Richard will soon be on tour with Bonnie Raitt including shows in upstate NY, NJ, and CT. Dates are listed below.

Richard Thompson – 2016 Tour Dates
Jul 16 Levon Helm Studios Woodstock, NY
Aug 12 TOYOTA OAKDALE THEATRE (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Wallingford, CT
Aug 13 New Jersey Performing Arts Center (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Newark, NJ
Aug 15 NYCB Theatre at Westbury (w/ Bonnie Raitt) New York, NY
Aug 17 Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Hampton Beach, NH
Aug 19 Maine State Pier (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Portland, ME
Aug 20 Blue Hills Bank Pavilion (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Boston, MA
Aug 23 Cape Cod Melody Tent (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Hyannis, MA
Aug 24 Pier Six Pavilion (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Baltimore, MD
Aug 26 the Mann (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Philadelphia, PA
Aug 27 Wolf Trap (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Vienna, VA
Aug 30 Fraze Pavilion (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Kettering, OH
Sep 02 Riverside Theatre (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Milwaukee, WI
Sep 03 Ravinia Pavilion (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Chicago, IL
Sep 06 Pinewood Bowl Theater (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Lincoln, NE
Sep 08 Red Rocks Amphitheatre (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Morrison, CO
Sep 13 Idaho Botanical Garden (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Boise, ID
Sep 14 INB Performing Arts Center (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Spokane, WA
Sep 17 McMenamins Historic Edgefield Amphitheater (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Troutdale, OR
Sep 23 Vina Robles Amphitheatre (w/ Bonnie Raitt) Paso Robles, CA