Wikimedia Commons
Graham Parker
Along with Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, Graham Parker, who plays Shank Hall on Thursday, Oct. 14, was lumped into the New Wave Class of 1977’s “angry young men.” Like his peers, Parker’s work was far deeper than any shorthand description. His acerbic songwriting was steeped in Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. Parker’s backing band, The Rumour, was an all-star lineup of U.K. pub rock veterans from such groups as Brinsley Schwarz and Ducks Deluxe, who could be heard as an energetic update on The Band.
Songs like “Howlin’ Wind” and “(Hey Lord) Don’t Ask Me Questions,” set Parker up as a performer to be reckoned with. His 1979 album Squeezing Out Sparks is a desert island-worthy listening experience. Parting ways with The Rumour, Parker took the solo route as well as collaborating with musical progeny, The Figgs, in a long and winding career that found his songwriting as engaging as ever. Unexpectedly, in 2012, Parker and The Rumour found themselves as characters in the film This Is 40 portraying themselves.
