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Paul Thorn
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You won’t want to go to the bathroom in between songs at a Paul Thorn show. You’ll miss the best stuff. Don’t misunderstand: The rootsy rocker possesses a husky, soulful voice (think Marc Cohn meets Lyle Lovett) and writes witty, catchy tunes. But it’s the Tupelo, Miss., singers’s in-between stories — told in a halting, Delta-thickened style — that make him special.
Thorn is the son of a Pentecostal preacher, and he’s inherited his father’s way with words. His colorful tales paint vivid pictures of rural Southern life: of the Piggly Wiggly, of the blond, voluptuous ex-girlfriend who wore a purple thong and made him bacon sandwiches, of fireworks tents that resemble the revival tents of his youth.
Thorn is a character (he once boxed middleweight champion Roberto Duran on national TV!) and a born entertainer. Near the end of his set, he presented an autographed, 40-oz. bottle of Silver Thunder malt liquor to the biggest Paul Thorn fan in the small crowd. If there’s any justice, there’ll be more fans clamoring for that prize next time he’s in town.
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