Rare Iceburg Tonight

Professionally, Howard Iceberg (real name: Eisberg) is a semi-retired Immigration Lawyer. He’s a scruffy 50something with a firm handshake; the kind of guy who will look you in the eye and actually listen. Vocationally, however, Howard Iceberg is a dedicated songwriter in the poetic tradition of Townes Van Zandt. His turns of phase (Her heart’s as big as a Lincoln Continental / She’s so sweet and sentimental) are simple yet profound, informed by the kind of wisdom that only comes with years of living.

Download: “Sentimental” MP3

He plays guitar a peculiar way – flat, with his fingers pressing down – because that’s the way he learned it, and he sings with a timeworn nasally voice that plenty of younger Nashville cats would pawn their Martins for.

Friends and collaborators such as Chad Rex, Gary Paredes and Doug Osborn will join Iceberg tonight as he attempts the musician’s version of a marathon: a three-hour show from 7 to 10 p.m. at Magazines and Coffee (1722 Main St.; 816-474-4433) in conjunction with First Fridays. Iceberg promises lots of old and new material and – as usual – no covers. — Richard Gintowt