“Fine as a Beeswing”: An Evening with Richard Thompson at St. John’s College
Words by Andy Manne
Photos by Steve Satzberg
It’s a Sunday night, and the Francis Scott Key Auditorium at St. John’s College in Annapolis is full of the soft creaking of leather jackets, a faint odor of patchouli and sandalwood, and…greying hair? It’s not the usual crowd of students that fills the midcentury era auditorium but instead a nearly sold-out crowd of older folk-heads and music lovers — some having traveled from as far as Chicago — to see folk-rock legend Richard Thompson perform.
Thompson, one of the founding members of Fairport Convention, part of a duo with his then-wife Linda Thompson, and now enjoying a successful solo career, performed this show as part of his An Evening with Richard Thompson Tour, presented by local music venue Rams Head on Stage.
Thompson was in fine form on Nov. 2, commanding attention from a stripped-down stage: nothing but a stool, microphone, and his acoustic guitar to accompany him, dressed in a black leather vest and his iconic black beret. He opened the set with “Stony Ground” from his 2013 album Electric, which, despite being performed as an acoustic version, was an appropriately electrifying opener, and Thompson’s fierce fingerpicking and strong vocals set the tone for the rest of the show.
Interspersing songs with brief stories, jokes, and small exchanges with the audience, Thompson never let the talk drag on too long but demonstrated a dry and deadpan wit that was clearly beloved by his fans. Coming out of “Woods of Darney” by joking that it was the happiest song that he was going to play all night, Thompson spun into a dizzying rendition of “If I Could Live My Life Again,” displaying the incredibly technical fingering that he’s known for, almost bringing two distinct voices out of the guitar at once. He seemed to strain somewhat to hit some of the higher notes in the song, a trend that continued throughout the show, but otherwise his voice was its usual sonorous baritone.
Watch Richard Thompson perform “If I Could Live My Life Again” live at Willowbrook Farm on YouTube:
Richard played songs spanning almost the whole of his career, and from a wide variety of albums, including his most recent, 2024’s Ship to Shore, and a new song from his upcoming album! He brought out Zara Phillips, who accompanied him on Ship to Shore, for the second half of the set, starting with the new song: “The Booze Talking.”
Similar to “Stony Ground,” this was a rougher and more rocking song, touching on themes such as the effects of drugs and addiction. He played two of his most popular and beloved songs early in the set, “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” and “Beeswing” — the first time he’d played the latter on this tour, and with an extended instrumental section for the former — but played Richard and Linda Thompson songs towards the end, including ending the encore with “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight.” Almost every song got some sort of extra flair, either an extended instrumental break, added riff, or the benefit of Philips’ beautiful harmonies.
The layout of the setlist, the combination of Thompson and Phillips’ voices, and the vibrancy of Thompson’s playing kept the energy high and the audience engaged throughout the 90-minute concert. There was never a dull moment, and it was impossible to keep one’s eyes off Thompson when he was playing, and when he really sang, it was like James Taylor with a bluegrass edge, if he was, of course, British.
The concert was a delight, and there was nothing but good things overheard in the crowd upon exiting the auditorium and into the lobby of Mellon Hall.
Here are some photos of Richard Thompson performing live at Francis Scott Key Auditorium at St. John’s College on Nov. 2, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.
