Legendary songwriter John Hiatt closes summer series at Paramount

Dawson Raspuzzi Herald Staff

One of the biggest names to ever stand in front of the spotlight at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland will be taking center state at 8 p.m. Sunday to close out the 2008 Sizzlin’ Summer Series.

John Hiatt will be performing songs covered by music legends Bob Dylan and Bonnie Raitt as well as hits from his recently released album “Same Old Man” that hit store shelves in May.

Hiatt, an 11-time Grammy nominee and soon-to-be recipient of a lifetime achievement award for songwriting, has been an influential figure in the world of rock, blues and country music since his first Top 40 hit, “Sure as I’m Sittin’ Here,” covered by Three Dog Night in 1973.

“The fantastic thing about Hiatt is he’s really established his own style. He’s known for that famous raspy voice and lyrics that really mean something to him, which means when he starts belting those lyrics out it has a sense of sincerity to it,” said Eric Mallette, assistant director at the Paramount.

Hiatt comes to Rutland’s 830-seat theater following a Saturday performance in Freeport, Maine, before, according to Mallette, about 6,000 people.

The intimate atmosphere of the Paramount, Mallette said, should make the attraction more desirable than an average Hiatt show where crowds fill seats and lawns stretch hundreds of feet from the stage.

“To be so close to him and in such an acoustically accurate building will make his music sound so much better,” Mallette said.

In the past 35-plus years Hiatt’s songs have been recorded by artists including Dylan, Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, B.B. King, Paula Abdul, Rodney Crowell and Eric Clapton.

In September, Hiatt will be honored with the American Music Association’s lifetime achievement award for songwriting in Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

Mallette said it’s very rare a recipient of such an honorable award agrees to play in as small a venue as the Paramount, although, he said, the Paramount is built for performances such as Hiatt’s because of the theater’s acoustics.

The performance will be Hiatt’s first at the Paramount and the last of the 2008 Sizzlin’ Summer Series that kicked off in June with the Pink Floyd cover band The Machine and also featured the Indigo Girls and the Little River Band.

Mallette said Hiatt’s performance can be seen as the highlight of a series that has been a great success.

“I’ve seen crowds leaving happy every night. It’s been a fantastic summer series … for folks to not have to travel far to see (the performances) in their own back yard means a lot to the Rutland community,” Mallette said.

Tickets to Sunday’s show were still available Wednesday at the Paramount box office on Center Street and online at www.paramountlive.org, although Mallette suggested those interested in attending should get their tickets in advance, as he expects Hiatt’s inaugural show at the Paramount to fill the seats.

Tickets range in price from $32.50 to $42.50.

Contact Dawson Raspuzzi at dawson.raspuzzi@rutlandherald.com.