Marshall Chrenshaw

July 11, 2007

When Marshall Crenshaw hits the stage Saturday night to close out the National Cherry Festival, he will be the third Detroit artist to have performed at the Bayside Entertainment Stage (including The Romantics and Kenny Olson). It was 25 years ago that Crenshaw burst on to the national music scene with his hit “Someday, Someway.” He was quickly billed as “the next big thing.”
For some, Marshall Crenshaw never lived up to the billing of “the next big thing,” at least from a record sales perspective. As rock music critics look back on what some consider the lost decade of the ‘80s, however, Crenshaw is being hailed as one of the decade’s top songwriters and performers. It’s something that Crenshaw himself appreciates, since he is a student of rock and roll history and has authored articles and books on rock music history.
“The drum machine really screwed things up for the ‘80s,” said Crenshaw. “I felt that at first the decade showed real promise. Really, the past 25 years has been lacking because music in the studio lacks spontaneity. Musicians go into the studio separately and lay down their own tracks. You go in for a couple of days and just lay down the drum tracks. Then go back for vocals, then guitars. I am a big fan of spontaneity. I have said this before that someone got the idea that recording rock and roll was suppose to be like brain surgery — real anal retentive.”

STAR TURNS
Crenshaw had a solid run through the mid-‘80s with a handful of hits in addition to “Someday, Someway” that included “Something’s Gonna Happen,” “There She Goes Again,” “You’re My Favorite Waste Of Time,” and “Cynical Girl.” He even toured with U2 as their opening act. The former John Lennon impersonator with Beatlemania also landed a few film roles during his prime years of popularity, playing Buddy Holly in the film “La Bamba” and appearing as a bandleader in “Peggy Sue Got Married.” But by the end of the decade, he found himself without a record contract and sort of drifted into temporary obscurity.
“It was a real whirlwind in those days,” said Crenshaw. “I started out in a small circle with my wife and a few friends and then I had all these people around me and before I knew it, I was right back where I started.”
He spent the ‘90s writing songs, including The Gin Blossoms’ big hit, “Til I Hear It From You,” as well as writing a book on the history of rock music in the movies. He also started a family.
Recently, he toured with one of the bands he idolized during his teen years in Detroit. The melodic Crenshaw, often described as a power pop artist, seemed out of his element as part of the reformed metal punkers, the MC5.
“When I was 17, the MC5 were it for me. Their music has stayed with me,” said Crenshaw. “It really meant a lot emotionally for me to be a part of the reformed MC5.”
Crenshaw has spent the past 30 years living on the East Coast. He currently resides in upstate New York. So many from the Detroit scene never left, but Crenshaw felt he had to.
“When I was 22 the city seemed to be imploding. It was the mid-‘70s and I think everyone wanted out of Detroit,” said Crenshaw. “I was definitely influenced by Motown and the rock scene in Detroit, but I really wanted to get away. I know the city has been going through another musical renaissance and I am happy about that.”

STUFF IN THE OVEN
He returns to Michigan occasionally, but prefers to stay close to home to raise his kids. He performs about 50 times a year and when asked about a new CD, doesn’t really have a definitive answer.
“There is some stuff in the oven but it is not ready yet,” said Crenshaw.
One thing that troubles Crenshaw is the comparisons which have been made with Elvis Costello.
“Personally, I like him. The only thing we have in common is we are the same age and we both wear glasses; our musical agendas are different,” said Crenshaw. “When I see the two of us compared in an article, my initial reaction is the person who is making the comparison doesn’t know my material. My music is very guitar-oriented and my songs are based on the American landscape from spending my life traveling the backroads of this country. Don’t get me wrong, Elvis Costello is a great songwriter, but he has not been an influence on me and I doubt I have been an influence on him.”
So don’t expect Crenshaw to cover any Costello tunes during his performance, although he has covered material by John Hiatt and other great songwriters. He has even enjoyed having others, such as Robert Gordon, Bette Midler and Ronnie Spector, cover his tunes. His Cherry Festival show will feature a range of material he has written or recorded over the past 25 years.
Crenshaw is worried that major fame has eluded him. He is still in pursuit of writing that perfect song and as he reflects on his life he feels he is in a good place.
“My life is well balanced between family and work. I really am in a good place. There are still surprises good and bad, but mostly good,” said Crenshaw. “As I look over my career I have a sense of pride and there are a lot of great moments.”
His Saturday, July 14 National Cherry Festival performance will create more “great moments” for his fans and those unfamiliar with Crenshaw. He will close out one of the strongest musical schedules in the history of the Cherry Festival Open Space concert offerings. For guitar enthusiasts, Crenshaw is masterful in his approach, noting that, “my songs have always been guitar-dominated.” For additional information on Marshall Crenshaw and to hear song samples, check out marshallcrenshaw.com