Review: Teddy Thompson wrings heartache out of country classics in intimate, rare, Safety Harbor concert

While hailing from a rich musical pedigree can certainly result in the transferring of deep musical genes, for Teddy Thompson, that concept is two-fold; the son of English, renowned and revered singer-songwriters, Richard Thompson and Linda Thompson, had made quite a name for himself since the release of his debut, self-titled solo album in 2000. His knack for superb songwriting, passionate and clear, ringing vocals, and impressive guitar chops have served him well throughout his career and catalog of fine albums.

Now supporting his most recent album, an all-covers album of country music classics, My Love of Country, Thompson made a rare, solo appearance right here in the area. A solo, acoustic gig at the colorful and delightfully funky Safety Harbor Art & Music Center in downtown Safety Harbor on Sunday afternoon appeared like a surprising blip on Thompson’s tour date schedule and is, undoubtedly, the smallest and most intimate room on the British-born artist’s tour itinerary.

Thompson quietly and inconspicuously made his way to the colorful, bohemian stage within the cozy music complex after having mingled among the awaiting patrons who milled around before the start of the performance. Wearing a simple black t-shirt, faded blue jeans, and boasting a mop of curly locks, Thompson fit in with the patrons who’d come to see him. Taking the stage and strapping on his acoustic guitar, the artist opened his set with a goosebump-inducing version of “A Picture of Me (Without You),” a heartbreaking ballad originally made popular by country legend George Jones in 1972. In strong form from the outset, Thompson’s soulful, soaring voice helped to wring out every gut-wrenching line of the tearjerker and set the tone for the 75-minute program that would follow.

“I was in love with country music in the early-‘80s…which was very unusual in London,” Thompson expressed during one of his between-song addresses to the small but engaged crowd to provide insight into his decision to cover these often-forgotten chestnuts from the classic country music songbook.

A fine songwriter in his own right, Thompson expertly shifted and juggled his unscripted setlist to include plenty of his self-penned material in the mix. While introducing “No Idea,” a standout track from his last proper solo album, 2020’s Heartbreaker Please, and mentioning the album’s title, Thompson was met with a smattering of applause from the diehard fans in attendance. He quickly and cleverly referred to the critically acclaimed album as one that was “well-received in Florida.”

Quick-witted and engaging, Thompson reminisced about the changes the music industry has gone through since his arrival as a solo artist and recalled some comical exchanges between him and a former record producer, Marius de Vries, regarding the latter’s often-accurate suggestions regarding song stylings.

Unscripted and totally off the cuff, Thompson managed to fit in selections from his many albums and show off his powerful voice throughout material that touched on a variety of genres from folk to pop to roots rock and Americana, before circling back to the selections that make up his current country music covers album.

A gorgeous version of “You Don’t Know Me,” a song Ray Charles took to no. 2 on Billboard’s pop singles chart in 1962, hailing from his groundbreaking album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, was arguably the showstopper of this delightful show. Squeezing every ounce of heartbreak and longing he was able to pour out, Thompson’s voice sounded especially resonant and sorrowful during this selection.

A brief encore, brought on by the standing ovation and hearty cheers the audience showered him with, found Thompson asking the audience for requests. Picking up on one of the suggestions shouted out to him, Thompson delivered a searing version of “In My Arms,” a single from his 2008 album, A Piece of What You Need.

While so many options were available for Bay Area residents to partake in on this gorgeous, ideal, Florida spring afternoon, those in the know who opted to attend this performance clearly made the best choice for spending their afternoon by getting to experience the incredible talents of Teddy Thompson. Here’s hoping the reaction he was met with leads to another visit to the area in the not-too-distant future.

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