On a Wednesday night in mid-October Gray poured sweat and played feverishly for the sold-out crowd at the historic Chicago Theatre. He played as if he had something to say and like everyone and like the every-man that he is, he did.This was the second time Gray has played in Chicago in the last three months. His last performance here was at The Vic in late August, just weeks before the release of his latest album, “Life in Slow Motion.” Since the album’s successful debut, Gray has been touring the states and displaying the songs that seem like a long leap from his “White Ladder” days with more depth and diversity of sound.
Stepping onto the stage wearing long-toed boots and, of all things, a gray suit, Gray strode to his piano and began his set with the first track off of “Slow Motion.” “Alibi,” a haunting and reverberating song of love gone wrong has a driving melody that when paired with the bathing beams of red stage lights formed a connection to the audience that is all-consuming and richly embracing.
Unfortunately, the lighting that brought Gray closer to the audience in the first number did exactly the opposite in the second. “Nos de Cariad” (Welsh for “Goodnight Sweetheart”) is another strong track on his new album, but it seemed less so when the stage was brightly lit. It took a few moments to adjust to this light and when we did, orange spot lights and dark shadows next filled our eyes. With Halloween only weeks away, this color-scheme put our minds elsewhere and greatly lessened the impact of this song. This was, however, only one off moment in a show otherwise punctuated by fantastic and dramatic lighting.
As the writer of his own material, Gray often allowed himself to perform beyond the limits of his albums. He gave us more than we could have hoped for on a few numbers, including Randy Newman’s “Baltimore”, and his own “Lately” both of which he draws out to decisive and overriding finality through pounding piano, fast-as-light drum licks and inspired improvisation.
Sampling from his last three albums, Gray played all but one track, “This Ain’t No Love” from Life In Slow Motion and more than a few from his name-making “White Ladder,” such as “Please Forgive Me” his evangelical ode to love and the desperate beauty of a crush. All of this energy-infused storytelling overcame the one major soft point in the show, a flat and uninspired rendition of “Disappearing World” the closing track on “Slow Motion.”
At the end of the evening, his back dark with a damp sweat, David Gray gave one more treat to his fans, his American chart climbing “Babylon.” A unique number more sweet than most, crying out from experiences had and the ones left to take, he left the joyous crowd only wanting more. And still more this song maker could have given. If he could have played beyond endurance Gray could have shown us four albums more worth of material that came from a smaller, simpler, and harder time for the artist.
Tracks from his first release would have bowled the crowd over with their exuberance like “The Light” or sapped tears from our eyes in their celebration of unstopping seasons and longing like “Coming Down” from Flesh, his second effort. But isn’t that always the problem with our favorites, with the best? That we can’t get enough?
With song after song, album after album, and one head shaking performance after another, Gray solidifies his position as one of the elite of the modern balladeers. His fans, I think, can only hope he has a career half as long and fruitful as Dylan’s.
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