INTERVIEW
- Flood of memory fills Tracy’s ‘Rain’ – BY REBECCA LOUIE, New York Daily News, Tuesday, July 15th, 2003
Tracy Chapman is glad to be pushing 40.
“I’m liking this part of my life,” says the 39-year-old folk-singer-songwriter, who performs at the Beacon Theatre tonight. “It’s funny that our culture is so obsessed with youth.
“There’s something great about moving on and learning things. I didn’t really like high school, and I think if you asked, most people wouldn’t go back.”
After a pause, she adds: “Well, not unless they could go back with a lot of money, no acne and a better wardrobe.”
Chapman hit fast after a Tufts University classmate’s father helped her get a record deal. Her 1988 self-titled, socially conscious debut album, with the hit “Fast Car,” won four Grammys, including Best New Artist.
“I don’t know if having that much success so early on taught me anything except that it’s important to take time off to learn new things and be exposed to new experiences,” she says.
Her latest and sixth album, “Let It Rain,” is an introspective collection that Chapman says returns to the songwriting style of her Cleveland childhood in that “it’s a lot less self-censoring and self-conscious.”
Though her material now leans towards personal rather than political themes, Chapman still links favorite causes with her music. She brings Rock the Vote registration tables to all of her shows and has been joined by Amnesty International on this tour.
“I’ve heard a lot of people with opinions on everything from social issues in the States to foreign policy, but they are not registered to vote,” says Chapman. “We need to give democracy a chance by participating in it so that the government is chosen by people, not money.”
VENUE: Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway, New York, NY 10023 – USA (Capacity: 3 200)
PROMOTER: Clear Channel Entertainment
OPENING ACT: Joseph Arthur
