Singer-songwriter Bob Bradshaw weaves his stories through a blend of roots music forms, drawing from his background as a prose writer and frontman for a rock ‘n’ roll band. Prior to the pandemic, Bradshaw was a live fixture in New England.
The Ghost Light, referencing that single light in the theater that stays on after performers and audience have left the premises, is a pandemic-induced metaphor for his ninth studio album. Somehow, he maintains cohesion with 12 vastly different stories, self-contained and not bound by any theme, nor by a consistent set of musicians. Instead, the backing configurations change on just about each tune.
The world of the theater has a long history of traditions and superstitions (we’re thinking of you, “The Scottish Play”). But one that’s taken on more prominence and meaning during the pandemic is the story of “the Ghost Light.”
Usually a single illuminated electric bulb at the top of a tall fixture and placed front and center on the stage, the Ghost Light is said to give comfort to the spirits that seem to haunt every theater when there’s no performance happening. Others believe its function is to ward off evil spirits. And more practical souls planted on