Recording: Jon Langford & John Szymanski

Artist: Jon Langford & John Szymanski

Song: Snake Behind Glass

Recorded at The Horseshoe Tavern, May 23, 2019.

Jon Langford & John Szymanski - Snake Behind Glass

In between larger group sets, the ever-workmanlike Jon Langford threw in this third trip to the Horseshoe's stage, doing an acoustic duo with John Szymanski. Drawing several songs from the Four Lost Souls album, the pair also checked in to several other points of Langford's sprawling discography, closing out with a rootsy take on The Mekons' "Millionaire".

Recording: Jon Langford & The Skull Orchard Welsh Male Chorus

Artist: Jon Langford & The Skull Orchard Welsh Male Chorus

Songs: The Last Count/Oggie Song + Deep Sea Diver

Recorded at The Horseshoe Tavern, May 23, 2019.

Jon Langford & The Skull Orchard Welsh Male Chorus - The Last Count/Oggie Song

Jon Langford & The Skull Orchard Welsh Male Chorus - Deep Sea Diver

I'd been to this rodeo before, so I wasn't surprised on arrival to see the room filled with middle-aged gentlemen in white dress shirts. Jon Langford has been performing and recording with the Burlington Welsh Male Choir for more than a decade now, incorporating them into his redux version of his Skull Orchard album — although due to some unspecified complaint the choir isn't allowed to perform under their actual name, leading Langford to throw out a series of monikers and settling (for now) on this one.

With a couple dozen choirsters on stage (and guitar assistance from John Szymanski) the bulk of the set drew from the Skull Orchard material — although it was hinted that Langford was up in these parts to do some new recordings with the group. A series of mostly-affectionate reflections on Langford's native Wales ended with a big singalong of alternate national anthem "Delilah", and then the packed stage slowly emptied out.