Simpson, Jackman share stage

SHANE JACKMAN AND GREG SIMPSON CONCERT; SCERA Center for the Arts; 745 S. State, Orem; one night only; running time: 1 hour 45 minutes.

OREM — Picture yourself in a large living room with seating for about 430 as you gather around and listen to friends sing and strum their guitars.

That was the mood Monday when Greg Simpson and Shane Jackman, both accomplished folk rock soloists, songwriters and guitarists shared the stage.

Their musicianship was outstanding, but their vocal blending was loose, not like singers who work a lot together. That was to be expected as the concert was a rare public performance with both musicians.

The second of two shows was even more casual, as the two sat onstage and interacted with a much smaller audience.

What was unexpected were the mistakes, the forgotten words, the guitars that went out of tune and a misplaced harmonica. Twice Simpson forgot the words to one of his own compositions, once in each of the two shows. The first time an audience member shouted out the words. The second time a fan brought Simpson the words.

What the performance lacked in polish it made up in spontaneous humor stemming from the flubs. The pair were midway through a blues tune with Jackman playing his part on his guitar and harmonica when Simpson stopped, turned to his partner and said. "You've got the wrong harmonica."

Jackman scurried off stage while Simpson went out into the audience and covered for him. Jackman returned with the instrument, and they picked up where they left off.

"I'll never forget this night," Simpson said in response to that and other errors, all covered with humor.

At one point, he asked Jackman to help him adjust his guitar strap from the back after he had already put it on.

"This is like a zip-me-up moment," he said.

The pair alternated leads back and forth, and for part of the show each left the other onstage to perform his own set of solos. Among the songs they sang together were "Unspoken" with Simpson as the lead and Jackman's "Sanctuary," which he wrote about his ancestors crossing the Atlantic and the Plains.Other original songs included "Tribes," "Vital Signs" and "The Better Angels of Our Nature," by Simpson.

They ended with Simpson's "Home Sweet Home."

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E-mail: rodger@desnews.com