Little more than instruments adorned the stage of the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg for the Bruce Cockburn (pronounce Co – burn) show on May 18. The Canadian singer/songwriter was in town to promote his latest release, entitled Dinner in Timbuktu … Breakfast in New Orleans. The rest of the set’s minimal décor included three long, slender white candles atop tall metal candelabras placed right, left, and center stage, as well as two shipping crates draped with camouflage netting, one labeled "To New Orleans," and the other "To Timbuktu."

The singer emerged dressed in cargo pants and an orange shirt. The lighting remained subtle throughout the course of the show. Ultimately, the audience didn’t seem to mind the austerity of the set, as Cockburn’s music was the main focus of the evening.

Though popular in his native Canada, Cockburn and his music continue to be relatively obscure in the U.S. His music, a blend of lyrics filled with spiritual and political sentiment coupled with rolling guitar melodies, can probably best be described as folk. No matter how Cockburn’s music is described, it remains unique. It is perhaps this uniqueness that explains his small, devoted, cult-like fan base, which seems to be intimately familiar with every song he plays. The audience consisted of mainly thirtysomethings, as well as an eclectic mix of younger and older followers.

Many of Cockburn’s songs relate stories about his travels around the globe, as well as highly personal commentary on his views of the world, to which the Whitaker audience seemed to respond very well.

Cockburn displayed his versatility as a musician by beginning the performance turning out songs on his electric guitar, and later alternating between this instrument, an acoustic guitar, and a Resophonic. The music that came forth from each proved his proficiency.

Accompanied onstage by bassist Steve Lucas and drummer Ben Riley, who also proved quite adept at handling their instruments, Cockburn threw some extra flavor into his songs through the use of a large wind chime and a pair of bongos. Still, his guitar work and voice were the main attraction.

Cockburn played many of his more popular songs, including his anti-war themed "If I had a Rocket Launcher" and the political commentary "The Trouble with Normal." Many of the messages of Cockburn’s songs revolve around the state of the world, specifically economic conditions and the materialistic direction democracy has taken. He rarely arranges his lyrics to sugarcoat the way he feels.

Although the audience remained relatively subdued throughout the show, their reactions did warrant four encores. This conclusion illustrated not only the devotion of Cockburn’s following, but also the success of his musical endeavors on this particular evening at Whitaker. Though his music enjoyed its greatest popularity during the ’70s and ’80s, Bruce Cockburn’s fans are still enjoying the politically charged music he offers today.