2/5/2025
Performances and Artists
“If I heard the guy from the Spin Doctors was playing solo acoustic, I would probably think it's going to be some burnt-out dude in a funny hat singing a song about a frog. But my act definitely isn’t that.”
If Chris Barron’s fun recent chat with The Smith Center is any indication, his March 15 shows at Myron’s should be full of entertaining tales and laughable moments. Oh, and Spin Doctors hits, he assures fans of that popular ’90s alt-rock band.
“Don’t worry, I will play “Little Miss Can't Be Wrong” and “Two Princes” – rousing solo acoustic renditions that I think people will find enlightening and uplifting,” Barron says. “Fans of the band will hopefully have noticed a poetic side to its songwriting, and that's really always been my input.”
Barron will also perform selections from his solo catalog, which he describes for non-devotees as “introspective with a sense of humor.”
And, you’ll see him playing guitar, something he rarely takes on with the Spin Doctors, despite his considering chops on the instrument. “A lot of people don't know that I'm a pretty accomplished guitar player,” Barron says. “I play acoustic guitar, a lot of jaunty chords. I studied with Woody Mann – ragtime blues, gospel guitar, finger picking with him. I'll have a great old vintage guitar with me, from the ’40s or ’50s.”
For Barron, the two Myron’s shows – the only solo excursions on his upcoming schedule – represent an opportunity to downsize and get deep into his own craft before Spin Doctors release a new album, titled Face Full of Cake, on April 11 and go out on tour this summer with Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms.
“It’s the perfect musical counterpoint to what I do with the Spin Doctors. The band’s in great form; we’ve all worked really hard to keep our skills together and improve on them. It’s a big rock ’n’ roll trio with a lead singer, in the style of Led Zeppelin and The Who, and it’s incredibly fun to sing for an outfit like that,” Barron says.
“And then I get to do this solo show, get up onstage and sing my lungs out. It’s just me, so I can slow down or tell a long story or take liberties with an arrangement as I see fit, without having to worry about a band following me,” he continues.
“It’ll be some good storytelling and good guitar playing, some good singing and some good songs. Come down to the show, and I think you’ll be glad you did.”