Christian Lee Hutson & Jason Crosby
Koko, 14 August 2018
It feels like ages since I last went to a concert and that coupled with the recent heatwave left me a reluctant gig goer today but such is the healing power of music that my frown was quickly turned upside down. Of course it helps that I was seeing an artist and entertainer as brilliant as Jenny Lewis and the show turned out to be one of the best, if not the best gig I've been to this year.
Before we got to Ms Lewis though there was the support act and this turned out to be not one but two members of her band. First, a head popped up behind the keyboards assembled at the back of the stage and bizarrely but beautifully, for what was essentially a rock show, Clair de Lune began to be played. This was multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby who turned up to be a pretty amazing piano player, treating us to a few instrumental pieces. I have to say I would have enjoyed these more if I had had a seat because the discomfort of standing in a crowd always distracts from quieter music like this (upbeat music keeps you moving so is different) but despite this he certainly was impressive.
Then another of Lewis' bandmates joined him on stage, the blond baby-faced Christian Lee Hutson, who strapped on an acoustic guitar. Crosby surprisingly abandoned the keyboards, even though clearly he was a master and took up a guitar and began singing, and again he was fantastic at both. I started to wonder if Jason Crosby was any relation to David Crosby but apparently he isn't, although he has toured with many major names and no wonder.
For the next tune, sung by Hutson, Crosby played violin. How incredible to be a master of so many instruments. These songs were more soft folk affairs, the best being when they invited another member of Lewis' band to sing back-up. Unfortunately I have no clue what his name is but the effect was beautiful and reminded me very much of CSNY even if Crosby really is no relation!
I think one of the things that really surprised me about Jenny Lewis' audience was the number of younger people clearly excited to see her, especially given it's been four years since her last solo release The Voyager and 11 years since Rilo Kiley's last studio album. That's an eternity if you are a teenager but a good sign that people are still discovering Lewis' music (I'm sure some were too young to have even seen Rilo Kiley live). When this random date popped up I was sure it would be in support of a new record but although she has been recording (with Beck and Ryan Adams as producers), nothing has emerged yet. Still, even without a new album to promote it was clear people were super excited to see her perform again.
When Lewis finally swayed on stage in a fringed and embroidered shorts suit (imagine Elvis if he had
been a Nashville showgirl), I'm sure she lived up to every expectation those younger fans had because she certainly did mine: she looked amazing and every inch a star.
Not surprisingly she started with one of the best tracks from the last record, Heads Gonna Roll, strutting her stuff in front of a line of flashing press photographers. But then things took an unexpected turn when she began playing tracks from her first solo album, Rabbit Fur Coat, that I hadn't heard her play in years: The Big Guns, Happy, Born Secular and, of course, set regular, Rise Up With Fists!! which sounded more joyful and wonderful as ever and had me singing along with every line.
It was also a huge treat to hear her play some Rilo Kiley songs (and why shouldn't she, the band is now officially broken up), with Silver Lining and The Moneymaker getting the whole crowd moving and, best of all, a surprise outing of maybe the best ever Rilo Kiley track and certainly the one that introduced me to the band, Portions For Foxes, which drove everyone crazy with happiness. It was a fantastic moment. Last time she was over she did delve into the Rilo Kiley back catalogue but I really hope she continues to do so: these songs shouldn't be forgotten and it would be a damn shame if they didn't continue to be played.
It's funny about her second album Acid Tongue, she never seems to play anything but The Next Messiah (always drawn out into a cool band jam) and Acid Tongue (sung with the band a capella), which are always great, but tonight she did also give us See Fernando and it turned out to be one of the most fun songs of the night.
Aside from hearing so many old songs tonight, probably the most exciting part of this show was getting to hear some brand new tracks which hopefully are going to be on the forthcoming record. One she calls "a Faustian tale about SXSW" called Party Clown, with Lewis on piano and recounting a wild night at the US festival. Despite the title, Heads Gonna Roll, is another piano-driven but slower tempo soulful and plaintive tale with Lewis warning "heads gonna roll, everybody's gonna pay that toll."
Wasted Youth is a more jaunty, poppy song with Lewis admitting she "wasted my youth on a puppy" (or is it poppy? it was hard to tell!) but in such a delightful way it's hard to imagine she regrets it. The best new song though comes in the encore, a track apparently called Dogwood, which had a real classic Laurel Canyon real to it, building slowly and emotionally. "In the springtime in a little house, I was determined to work it out, oh in the springtime in a little house, the neighbours heard us scream and shout." There are rumours that Lewis and her longtime boyfriend Johnathan Rice (her partner too in Jenny & Johnny) have parted ways and this song seems to back this up and she looked positively upset while singing it.
Every one of the new songs sounded fantastic, which of course bodes well for the new record, which I'm certain is going to be one of her very best. It's also interesting to note that every one of the new tracks saw Lewis play piano rather than guitar so the sound of the new album may well be a little different, in a good way of course.
As for Lewis herself as a performer, well she was completely mesmerising. She danced and posed
I've always loved Jenny Lewis (and Rilo Kiley) but because I haven't listened to her in a while I think I had forgotten just what a wonderful artist and entertainer she is. I'm lucky enough to have seen her on every tour, both solo and with Rilo Kiley and Jenny & Johnny, since More Adventurous came out in 2004, so this is a long love affair where she has never let me down. But in some ways, because I hadn't listened to her in some time, the show came as such a beautiful unexpected surprise. I was dancing, singing along, having my heart touched by new and old songs and thrilled to see Lewis looking and sounding so good.
A great show like this makes you remember exactly why you love music so much and I certainly remembered just why I love Lewis and her amazing music. Thank you Jenny Lewis, thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment