Neal Hagberg and Leandra Peak have been singing as a professional singer/songwriting duo for the past twenty years. They’ve produced eight albums and toured in every state in the country—that song “I’ve Been Everywhere” should be this itinerant couple’s theme song— not to mention, are one of St. Joan’s favorite musical performers. When you listen to a Neal and Leandra recording, you get taken by a laid back sense of ease and comfort with its spiritual and witty content amongst the music’s slick polished delivery. Well, Neal has decided to step beyond the couple’s usual comfort zone and grapple with some rather complicated and gritty issues with his solo CD release debut ‘it’s not as simple as it seems.’

One, too often, creates hate and fear mongering when you refuse to understand someone’s personal choice that goes against the grain of your own thinking. Neal certainly gets this point across with thought provoking material on his new CD. And that point was apparent when he performed all fourteen of the album’s tracks for SJA’s Concert Series Songs of Shadow & Light: Neal Hagberg CD Release Concert Sunday Feb. 24th for 550 audience members in SJA’s gym.

Neal has struggled mightily with a passionate urge to say the things that need to be said with this new recording, not wanting to alienate, but rather build understanding by encouraging dialogue. He’s even suggested how one should approach dicey topics like abortion, homosexuality, and illegal immigration in discussion with others— by applying one’s own experience to the subject. He also wants to use his new work as a tool to enlighten people through a workshop setting. Check out his website for specific details by going to www.nealhagberg.com.

Back to the concert last Sunday night, I didn’t think I would see Dan Chouinard, SJA’s concert coordinator and usual quipster host/piano accompanist because he wasn’t on the bill. But there he was to introduce Hagberg. Encouraging the audience to engage in a few sing alongs, Chouinard worked the crowd with a cappella versions of “This Little Light of Mine,” “We Come From the Mountain,” and “Only Remembered.” He announced, “Joan of Arc is the Woodstock of Catholic Churches. Woodstock was three days of peace and justice, but [St. Joan’s] is 365 days of peace and justice. People at St. Joan’s know Neal’s music well. Tonight he will graze into new emotional pastures . . . Welcome a good Midwestern boy who is learning to confront his anger and fear with a healthy outlook.”

Neal opened the concert with a three punch wallop of a song “Imagine That.” Strumming his guitar he explored the dangers of how religious fundamentalism overshadows human kindness and thwarts our capacity to love one another. The song looks at the life of a kind, loving and dedicated Christian mother who cares for her children but fails to see beyond her own prejudice and how she misjudges others. She feels people like John Lennon and Matthew Shepard died because they were not right with God. She also advocates participating in the occupation of Iraq because we need to change their cultural lifestyle for one of a Christian’s. Try walking in someone else’s shoes might be a good suggestion for her.

If you think this concert sounds bleak and heavy handed, Hagberg offered plenty of hope and silly bantering as well. Realizing the 80th Annual Academy Awards took place that same evening, he responded, “The Oscars is tonight. Next year, I’m taking on the Super Bowl.” Just to keep that Oscar spirit feeling afloat, this jokester handed out mini golden statues through out the evening, notably to his parents for “not attending.” He also frequently referenced his eight year old daughter Madeline for keeping him grounded. When Neal worried about what the reaction would be when he released his latest work, he revealed to his daughter that he’s concerned that people would still like him. Madeline offered her blunt opinion, “Dad, some people still don’t like you.” Neal laughed and concluded, “We will be walking through some darkness tonight.”

Three songs followed with just Neal on guitar and his assured vocals. “Plain and True” examines love at its very core as the strength in relationships. The chorus here shows Neal’s smooth control with his upper register contrasting to a grittier baritone range on verses. “Mercy” about a baby born out of wedlock probes the meaning behind mercy being infinite. “Wichita” imagines the chilling alienation of abortion with the haunting lyrics:

Let me hold what might have been

Her name is Grace, now say your amen

And I’ll go home to mourn my loss

Four hundred miles from Wichita

It doesn’t matter if what I say is true . . .

It Only Matters if you love

Fantastic folk singer-songwriter Peter Mayer(right) made a visit to the stage to play conga while Neal played guitar on “Don’t Tell Them,” a stunningly telling ditty about keeping your children in the dark about sex and drugs. All three added a dynamic layering of harmony on the chorus of this quite brief tune.

Neal introduced Peter by way of greatness: “The best song ever written by anyone ...” Of course Hagberg referred to Mayer’s seminal composition “Holy Now,” which is written by Peter. With guitar in hand, Mayer charmed the house while performing the song with the wonderful addition of Leandra on backup vocals. Hagberg sat back with the look of glowing admiration during this beautiful performance. Leandra did lovely solo turn on “She,” a song about lamenting the lost image of the feminine side, while Neal provided the deft instrumentation accompanying with guitar.

Neal’s next number, “The Noose,” about a soldier’s internal anguish after mistakenly killing a young woman in battle, made Hagberg relate also to anguished feelings, like he was being intensely squeezed while making this recording. Leandra said to him at the time, “No, you’re giving birth and you have no idea what it’s like.” Neal went all out with the mounting tension within his lyrics: “I’m alive and she is not” and quite fitting for him to follow with his ballad of remorse and grief, “Forgive Me.”

The inspiration for Neal’s disturbing composition “Riding Dumbo” comes from a minister who is about to be executed for killing an abortion doctor. The content here proves brutally fascinating. The juxtaposition of a man taking in the care-free adventurous rides at Disneyland with his daughter contrasted with a remorseless minister on death row chills one to the bone.

Leandra joined Neal to close the first part of this engrossing concert with a curious choice, the tender love song about aching wonder, resignation and ultimately hope, “When That Morning Comes.” A half hour intermission followed with wine, apple juice and cookies served by SJA’s spirited hospitality crew run by Harriet Horner.

Neal opened the second half of the evening with his punchy tune “The Poor,” a song that feeds on guilt and despair, especially the lyrics: “They will strip your cupboards bare, Until you are one of them.” This song hits you especially hard because of its directness and brevity. Neal’s care and compassion for the downtrodden and forgotten bristled painfully on “Luis,” an unflinching ode to an illegal Mexican immigrant who is doing all he can to survive under hopeless conditions.

Rising up from all that gloom and despair, Neal and Leandra paired with guitars in hand for the sweetly divine ballad “Rich,” from their "Stranger to My Kin” release. This song is the perfect antidote for someone stricken with poverty with the line: “You taught me that I am not poor.” With absorbing feeling, this tune looks at the meaning of taking care of one another. Such beautiful imagery to behold here:

“Your love is the water

And I have waded in the holiest of streams.”

Peter drummed steadily on conga while Neal and Leandra bonhomously traded verses with their hit “Only Love,” from their ‘Accidental Dreams’ release, a real crowd pleaser. The three followed singing a gorgeous a cappella version of “If Grace Be True,” with the memorable tag line:

“God welcomes us anyway

If Grace be true”

The three then bid goodnight; their crisp harmony smoothly swooned “Amazing Grace” with Neal singing the first verse, and then joined by Peter for the second one and the addition of Leandra on the final one. What a glorious closer with the audience joining in for the chorus. As the awestruck crowd stood for a deserved standing ovation, Neal returned with an encore solo of his plaintive composition “E-Rancheros,” a tribute to a faithfully dedicated ranch hand.

Michael Reinbold, SJA resident web reporter, freelances as a writer and does banquet catering at the Minneapolis Hilton Hotel. A passionate believer in SJA's mission of social justice, low Christology and collaborative ministry, Michael also participates as a mass reader, SJA Choir member and Team Oz Red Ribbon rider. With an extensive background in theater, photography, fundraising, social activism and as an arts council panelist, he relishes all aspects of the arts, staying fit and inspiring social growth and witty exchanges.

Neal asked the question “Do you know what I want to say, but really?” Yes, Neal, the answer is clearly plain and true. A brave one you are to make us ponder, think, confront and ultimately become new. Thanks Neal.

To purchase Neal Hagberg’s new CD release ‘it’s not as simple as it seems’ go to www.nealhagberg.com. To purchase any of Neal & Leandra’s recordings go to www.nealandleandra.com.

Bill and Connie Cameron Bill was a pilot at Northwest Airlines for 32 years until his retirement in June of 2001. Also an attorney, Bill now practices law about half-time. The rest of his time is spent taking pictures (... a serious photography habit), playing tennis, and working on volunteer projects. Connie is an educational consultant and they have three adult sons.