Suzanne Vega Shares Stories and Song at Landmark on Main Street

Who hasn’t wondered “what was the inspiration behind that” upon hearing a favorite song? On Friday, October 6, 2023, the legendary Suzanne Vega answered many of those questions.

It has been almost 14 years since I first reviewed Suzanne Vega at this same venue in Port Washington. Since then, I’ve seen her perform indoors, outdoors, in a supper club, in venues large and small… she never disappoints. Friday night’s concert was no exception.

There was little on the stage – just Vega’s acoustic guitar, and her musical director/guitarist Gerry Leonard’s electric guitar and pedals, with a lone amp at the very back of the stage. The two musicians stepped out, and Vega put on her signature top hat as they launched into “Marlene on the Wall.” The fact that these two musicians were able to produce so much sound with two instruments is a testament to their skill.

Suzanne Vega is a stellar songwriter. Her songs are sometimes stories, sometimes poetry… always art. At Friday’s performance she treated the audience to a pretty much non-stop slew of favorites, including the smoky bossa nova “Caramel,” the ethereal “Small Blue Thing,” iconic “Left of Center” (from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack), and the funky, up-tempo “I Don’t Wear White” (and why should she? She’s a New Yorker!)

Vega displayed her storytelling talents in the audience favorite “The Queen and the Soldier” (containing the line ‘she closed herself up like a fan’) and of course in her hit song “Luka” which tells the story of child abuse. Vega’s voice sounds terrific, and her guitar playing is excellent. She is upstaged on guitar by Gerry Leonard only because he is a tremendous talent.

A few words about Gerry Leonard… I have been following him since I first saw him with Vega in January 2010. He is an incredible musician who has worked with many musicians, including the iconic David Bowie. This is what I wrote about Leonard in 2015: “Leonard is a spectacular musician, who, using digital effects, manages to create the sound of an entire backing band – from rhythm (by looping the sound of him tapping his guitar) to synthesizer sounds – all on the guitar. I have had the good fortune of seeing Leonard as a backing musician for both Vega and singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik on several occasions and Leonard never ceases to impress with his spot-on solos and tasteful fills. And the guy truly works hard – there was no smiling at the audience or casual looking around – Leonard was generally doing 15 things at once and providing Vega with a sound that some four-piece bands would envy.”

This was all true on Friday and more. My husband and I were probably the only folks in the audience who brought binoculars just so we could look at Leonard’s pedal set up. The guy is amazing and worth seeing – regardless of who he plays with. He also has a solo career as Spooky Ghost – check him out! The show did not go off without a hitch, however. There were one or two technical difficulties, which they recovered from so quickly you hardly knew what happened. If anything, that made Leonard more endearing to me because now I know he is human.

Back to Suzanne Vega… She peppered her show with stories, which the audience seemed to eat up. Of course, one of the most interesting was the story of how the song “Gypsy” was written about a summer camp love affair as a teen. “And please do not ever look for me, but with me you will stay. And you will hear yourself in song, blowing by one day,” she wrote, foreshadowing what actually happened when, fifteen years later she wrote the follow up song – “In Liverpool” – which the boy subject of “Gypsy” heard and recognized as being about himself.

She played two new and noteworthy songs – the topical “Last Train from Mariupol,” and the frankly hysterical song “Rats” about the rat epidemic in New York City. She wound down with a dreamy version of her hit “Luka,” a funky, innovative, drum-laden (Gerry Leonard did that by hitting his guitar) version of “Tom’s Diner,” and my favorite, a dark and really haunting version of her brilliant song, “Solitude Standing.”

I was in college in the 80’s right when Suzanne Vega’s self-titled first album came out. Vega has always felt to me like the cool, slightly older kid that I wished was my friend. As a New Yorker, I’m particularly proud that we can call Vega one of our own.

This was the second night of a ten-night tour which will finish at the end of December in New York’s City Winery. If you have the opportunity to catch one of these shows, do not hesitate.

Landmark on Main Street has a robust concert lineup this season. Check out Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell on October 19, 2023!