Randy Newman's Harps and Angels tour made three stops along the East Coast this past weekend, beginning with a show at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania, outside Philadelphia, on Friday night. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jonathan Takiff previewed the set with a look at the man he places "among the most perversely funny of songwriter-observers who ever hit the charts" and his latest album, featuring, among other gems, "that amazing title track." Read the article at philly.com.

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Before that event, Randy had stopped in Bethesda, Maryland, to play the Strathmore Music Center, earlier in the week. The Washington Post calls the show "a rollicking ride through Randy Newman's psyche," with reviewer Chris Klimek calling it a "jaw-dropping concert." Klimek writes:

Newman's generous, funny spoken introductions to tunes from every era of his four-decade career were a sign that despite discreetly battling a cold, the maestro, performing alone at the piano, felt free to be himself, which is to say all of his selves. They're all in fine form on his new Harps and Angels album, which he performed almost in its entirety, without making a big deal about it.

Read the concert review at washingtonpost.com.

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In the Glide magazine review of Harps and Angels, writer Shane Handler says the new album "shows Newman still has that satirical wit" for which he is known. Handler points to "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" in particular as a track in which "Newman’s genius shines." The reviewer concludes: "Harps and Angels is 34 minutes of sharp-witted commentary by one of America’s most original lyricists." Read the album review at glidemagazine.com.