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Truth & Honesty With a Piano & Guitar |
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Written by CHRIS CASTANEDA / Photos by BARRY BRECHEISEN
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Friday, 12 March 2010 |
Before Robyn Hitchcock could barely make his way into the first line of “Mexican God” before a sold out audience at The Space in Evanston, he choked the strings of his acoustic guitar to sudden stop, leaned over stage left and advised a patron(s) that should any more conversation continue the show would be “fucked.” For the many times this writer has seen Hitchcock perform, it was a rare moment to witness the artist take such a swift stand to remind the audience who was in control of the show.
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Robyn Hitchcock
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SPACE
Evanston, IL
March 6, 2010
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The newly turned 57-year-old singer/songwriter was concluding his two day residency in Chicago after having performed a sold out show the previous night at Schubas in conjunction with a screening of his latest concert DVD, I Often Dream of Trains in New York for the 2nd annual Chicago International Movies and Music Festival. Once Hitchcock gathered himself after his momentary detour, any unease created by the minor situation soon dissolved as he reached back to his 1999 solo album Jewels for Sophia with “The Cheese Alarm” and “I Feel Beautiful.” The signals from his brain to his hands were almost visible just by watching Hitchcock’s eyes follow move by move with each note finger picked and each chord progression strummed as though he were completing some intricate math formula on the blackboard. It put into perspective why his collaboration with Peter Buck of R.E.M. (Hitchcock’s extra right hand) has been so fruitful over the years. On “Ordinary Millionaire,” Hitchcock previewed his upcoming album with the Venus 3 (Buck, Bill Rieflin, Scott McCaughey), titled Propellor Time, and joked how the absence of the song’s co-writer, Johnny Marr, would be noticeable in the performance.
Hitchcock’s stage banter is just as much of an instrument to his shows as are his guitar or piano. His tales and observations told in between songs kept the night loose. Pulling two selections from 2004’s Spooked, a collaborative solo effort with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Hitchcock gave a bit of an R&B flavor to the folksy “Full Moon In My Soul” before sending the room into a trance with “Sometimes A Blonde.” The hour and a half set avoided much of the songwriter’s past, making the Egyptian tune “Balloon Man” the high applause mark of the night. The Brian Epstein inspired song “I’m Falling,” from last year’s Venus 3 release Goodnight Oslo, gave Hitchcock the chance to let his vocals fly and blanket the entire room.
The show never headed in the direction that Hitchcock had warned at the start. Often times, he played with great ease, not so much going through the motions, but simply in a comfortable place within a song. Other times, the deep breath and visibly added concentration given during a performance made it seem like he was on the edge of a mountain, hoping his Venus 3 bandmates would come to his rescue. It is perhaps one of his most noticeable insecurities that is defused by his banter but keeps him honest as a musician; he’s not there to impress. Adding selections by Fairpoint Convention (“Reynardine”), The Doors (“The Crystal Ship”) and Syd Barrett (“Terrapin”) to close out the sold out show served as bonus treats to the audience that helped provide Hitchcock with a relaxed atmosphere to find his rhythm. No matter what incarnation fans are presented with, be it Soft Boy, Egyptian or Venus 3, at the very core will always be Hitchcock.
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