Neil Young, Chicago Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

A Monday evening in Chicago would mark the third occasional of me seeing Neil Young, each time as a different iteration of his music, including with his band Crazy Horse in 2003 and with Buffalo Springfield last year. This evening’s performance would be just him on stage. I guess I’ll still need to see him play with Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Our seats were not as good as previous shows that we’ve seen at the venue and would be our first time sitting in the balcony instead of the orchestra. Fortunately, we were fairly low down in the balcony so we still had a decent view of the stage.

Neil had quite a diva setup with him on stage. I’ve never seen so many instruments for a single performer. His initial set up included 8 acoustic guitars, a banjo, a pair of pianos, an organ, and an array of harmonicas. At one point a keyboard was also brought out for him to briefly use as well. I was trying to count how many of them he actually ended up playing. I’m pretty sure he played most of them, though not all. It was a bit difficult to keep track as a stagehand would occasionally rearrange them. The two pianos definitely had a different tonal quality to them, one a more modern grand piano, the other an old upright piano with a more old-timey sound. The same can be said for a couple of the guitars as well, though the majority sounded pretty similar to me. However, several had stories associated with them though, including one given to him by Stephen Stills and another that used to belong to Hank Williams.

The show was quiet and reflective. He did quite a bit of talking – sharing stories, song lyric meanings and contexts, and other thoughts and experiences. The audience seemed like they were happy to hear more. He also made up a little beat poem about Chicago. It ended abruptly, so upon finishing he just waved his hand and everyone cheered. It must be fun to be able to do that. I absolutely love the sound of his voice. It is unique in that it’s relatively high for a man, though not falsetto. It’s not a beautiful, classically trained voice, but there’s just something about it. Furthermore, he’s not a technically superior musician either. Nothing he plays is that complex. His true gift is as a songwriter, and he has many iconic songs to show for it.

He played two, ten song sets followed by a single song encore. Overall the setlist was quite good, a mix of popular songs and rarities such that he mostly played what I was hoping to hear, but there were also several songs that were unique to this show. There was no opening act, so the evening was just one man on stage for a bit under two hours total, including a 20 minute set break which is on the long side, but it wasn’t too bad because the venue was seated. It was definitely a good show to stay seated, the first time I was glad to be in a chair for a show in a while.  He played a few good covers, though I find it interesting that he mostly plays covers for a different reason than most musicians. Most play a cover to give you something familiar to hear or a new interpretation of another’s song. Neil uses his status to bring attention to somewhat forgotten artists that he loves and wants to introduce to his audience.

For better or worse, it was another show for which we were asked not to take pictures. Several times throughout the performance, audience members would yell out a random comment only to be immediately shushed by the rest of the venue.

Set 1:
From Hank to Hendrix
On the Way Home (Buffalo Springfield song)
Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Love in Mind
Mellow My Mind
Reason to Believe (Tim Hardin cover)
Someday
Changes (Phil Ochs cover)
Harvest
Old Man
Set 2:
Pocahontas
Cortez the Killer
A Man Needs a Maid
Ohio (CSNY song)
Southern Man
Mr. Soul (Buffalo Springfield song)
If You Could Read My Mind (Gordon Lightfoot cover)
Harvest Moon
After the Gold Rush
Heart of Gold
Encore:
Thrasher

Delta Rae, Lincoln Hall, Chicago, Illinois

Like The National a couple days before, Delta Rae were another band that I saw at my most recent Bonnaroo. Even though I had not heard any of their music before, I was quite impressed, particularly by the vocal talent of not just one but several of the members. Upon coming home, their debut album, Carry the Fire (2012), became another album that I listened to regularly.

The band consists of three siblings – Ian (guitar/vocals), Eric (vocals/guitar/piano) and Brittany Hölljes (vocals) – as well as Elizabeth Hopkins (vocals), Mike McKee (percussion) and Grant Emerson (bass). Several of the guys played several

instruments throughout the show as well as sang, giving the band a full, rich sound. Lindsey is a big Delta Rae fan because she knew one of the band members, Eric, from college. We arrived fairly early so even though the show was sold out, we were fairly close to the stage, slightly to the left side.

The show was very enjoyable even if pretty much what I expected. As is typical with most bands, it was a much better show here in a small venue filled with their fans than at Bonnaroo during an early afternoon set, with just a smattering of people across the large field. Most people in the audience were dancing and clapping along. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find the full setlist but it contained a significant number of songs from Carry the Fire, including “Twisters in the Canyon,” “Is There Anyone Out There / Morning Comes,” “Surrounded,” “After It All,” and “Dance in the Graveyards.” I was surprised by how many other songs they played, including one introduced as “Bethlehem Steel,” which I assumed will be included on their upcoming album. They also threw in a nice cover of the Patti Smith/Bruce Springsteen song “Because the Night,” one of those songs that I think pretty much everyone in America enjoys.

The National & Daughter, Chicago Theater, Chicago, Illinois

I’m probably a bit behind the curve, but I really only started getting into The National within the last year, around the time of the release of their most recent album, Trouble Will Find Me (2013). This was also in the months when I was preparing for my most recent trip to Bonnaroo, where more on a whim than anything else I caught their late Sunday afternoon set. Though I loved what I saw, I left early to see David Byrne and St. Vincent. I figured that I would soon have a second chance to see The National again, but seeing David Byrne and St. Vincent paired together would be a unique experience. Afterwards, I began listening to The National’s music much more regularly.

Our seats were dead center on the aisle about 15 rows back from the stage, pretty good seats actually, especially considering that we bought them on the secondary market for just a bit over face value. As Chicago Theatre is a seated venue, we arrived just a bit before the start of the opening act, Daughter. As a fan of their debut album, If I Leave (2013), I was also quite excited to see them as well. Daughter’s sound is a bit of a cross between The xx and Explosions in the Sky. They consisted of a male/female duo, both on guitars and vocals, and an additional drummer and bassist/keyboardist. Though I enjoyed their forty minute performance, they were a bit too reserved in the large venue and it seemed like they need to gain a little more confidence. Of course, it must always be hard to be an opening act. Still, Daughter’s set was an excellent bonus for the evening.

Daughter Setlist:

Still
Love
Winter
Amsterdam
Smother
Tomorrow
Youth
Home

By the end of Daughter’s set, we noticed that no one was sitting in the entire row in front of us. I figured that all the seats were picked up by some ticket broker who was unable to sell them. However, shortly before The National took the stage, a well-dressed older couple was led to the pair of seats directly in front of us. The woman turned around to ask if we were big fans of the band and introduced her and her husband as lead singer Matt Berninger’s parents, Nancy and Paul Berninger. I had actually just been “introduced” to them the previous day in the movie, Mistake for Strangers, directed by Matt’s younger brother Tom about the band, Tom’s time on tour with them, his relationship with his brother, and his personal struggles. Both Nancy and Paul were featured briefly in the movie, interviewed in their home about the boys. Nancy remarked that I probably didn’t recognize this glamorous woman out on the town from the housewife in sweatpants and without make up that I saw in the film. She explained that Tom took just a single take which she never thought would end up in whatever Tom stitched together, let alone in a film that was getting quite a bit of acclaim.

We chatted with them briefly about Matt and the band. Throughout the show, they turned around to share comments. After one of Matt’s particularly loud screaming spectacles, Frank turned around and remarked, “He used to be such a quiet little boy.” When Nancy was snapping photos on her iPhone, Frank also sarcastically remarked, “Like she doesn’t already have a million.” Nancy really seemed to enjoy cashing in on her minor celebrity status, as evidenced by the fact that she introduced herself to us. Frankly, the only part of the show that I didn’t enjoy was her and a nearby young man that recognized her loudly swapping stories that I didn’t care to hear.  Also sitting to the far side of Frank was drummer Bryan Devendorf’s wife, who introduced herself but was not chatty. All were extremely nice people and it was another memorable bonus to sit behind them as it added an extra intimate element to the show.

Anyway, the actual show: The National took the stage by about 8:30. There are five of them, including lead singer Matt Berninger and two pairs of brothers , Aaron and Bryce Dessner on a pair of guitars, and Scott and Bryan Devendorf on bass and drums, respectively. The band also had a trumpeter and trombonist on stage with them. In seated venues, it’s often a bit of a tossup if the majority of the audience will stand at their seats or not. I generally prefer to stand but also recognize that I can’t be the one guy standing up in front of everyone. I was glad to find that everyone stood up for the entire show.

Matt Berniger didn’t say much through most of the set, only taking a moment to introduce the horn section and a handful of other comments. As it was their third night in Chicago of a four night run, he also mentioned how the band enjoys playing several nights in the same place because it gives them a chance to switch up the setlist and spend time with their families. Being only a vocalist and without an instrument, he reminded me a bit of Shane McGowan and Eddie Vedder, in that he was kind of a separate entity from the rest of the band. He sometimes wandered around the stage looking a bit manic. He also had some drinks on stage with him. Fortunately, it was just a bottle of wine like Eddie and not many tall glasses of whiskey like Shane. While not a showman like Chris Martin or Bono showman, he is blessed with an amazing set of pipes. His voice can be soft, deep, and beautiful or a harsh scream. Even though not speaking much, he interacted quite a bit with the audience, especially during the encore. He shared his wine with folks in the front row, then signed and handed out the bottle when it was empty. During the encore, he then walked amongst the crowd, moving up the aisles and across the seats. I think he would have gone the whole way up the aisle if mobs of people didn’t gather in his way and slow him down.

The setlist was great even if there were a handful of songs I wished they would have played. Over half the songs were from their two most recent albums, but they pulled at least a song from all of their earlier albums except for their debut eponymous album (2001). The visual elements of the show were nothing out of the ordinary, though they certainly accented the mood of the evening even if they weren’t the focal point of the show. They also included a few unique video elements. Though probably not because of anything they did but rather just because I love the band and the songs, it was my favorite show of the year thus far.

Setlist:
Secret Meeting
Don't Swallow the Cap
I Should Live in Salt
Bloodbuzz Ohio
Demons
Sea of Love
Slipped
Afraid of Everyone
Conversation 16
Lit Up

I Need My Girl
This Is the Last Time
The Geese of Beverly Road
Available
Cardinal Song
Slow Show
Pink Rabbits
England
Graceless
About Today
Fake Empire
Encore:
Lean
Mr. November
Terrible Love
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks

St. Vincent, Riviera Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

Though I had already seen St. Vincent, the stage name of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark, perform at Bonnaroo last year with the legendary David Byrne, this show at the Riviera would mark my first time seeing her solo show.

We didn’t arrive at the venue that early, so we ended up standing in the middle of the second tier of the venue, perhaps a dozen feet from the railing, at best a mediocre view. Before the beginning of the show, a voice announced that she preferred everyone to refrain from taking pictures or video and just enjoy the performance. The vast majority of the audience, including myself, respected her wishes. It was a nice change to not have my attention constantly diverted from the stage to a raised growing object being waved around in order to capture the perfect shot. The downside is that now I don’t have any pictures to post. Unfortunately, St. Vincent took a long time to arrive on stage after the opener, which is never appreciated. However, her demeanor and style are very professional and polished, and she strikes me as an artist who carefully considers every aspect of her performance, so I want to assume there was a legitimate reason for making us wait.

She took the stage wearing a short black dress with a large red bow/ribbon on the front. Her shoulder length hair was died platinum blonde and left flowing and messy. Her face was accented by bright blue eye shadow. Joining her on stage were a keyboardist, drummer, and another musician manning a laptop. I’m still not sure what you would call such a person. Can someone play a laptop the way they play the drums?

Before the show, she was introduced by someone from WXRT Radio. The host of the evening described her as a “singular” performer, totally unique in her craft. By the end of the show, I came to generally agree with the statement. However, while I never picked up on it when I saw her actually perform side by side with David Byrne, I now noticed now how much of a younger, more attractive, female David Byrne she is, at least in regards to her avant-garde style.

The choreography, artistry of the scene, and instrumentation were meticulous. This included a number of various little robot-like dances and interacting with the audience as if she were an ambassador from another world. Between songs, she shared a series of strange ruminations on the type of people that she expected would be in attendance, which became progressively more obscure each time, such that no one could possibly relate anymore – disbelief that her hands weren’t actually somebody else’s, experimenting with fire as a child, and imagining what people look like naked on the L. I wasn’t sure if these were a series of personal confessions or just random contrived scenes. She also incorporated a sultry diva persona which included exotic dancing and writhing on the stage. She completely invented the character she became onstage. Her commanding presence was in stark contrast to the slight, soft spoken young woman she seems to be in interviews.

The performance was reminiscent of the persona that Lady Gaga acquires during her performances, though nothing quite as bold as a meat bikini. St. Vincent is still a musician above a performance artist, so the music, not the spectacle, was still the primary vehicle through which she interacted with her audience. Said music was equally other worldly at times; she also used extensive guitar reverb and other effects. Her setlist pulled from each of her four albums, though most from her recent eponymous album (2014) and Strange Mercy (2011). As April 5th was the 20th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death, she included a cover of Nirvana’s “Lithium” as part of her encore.

Setlist:
Rattlesnake
Digital Witness
Cruel
Birth in Reverse
Regret
Laughing With a Mouth Full of Blood
I Prefer Your Love
Pieta
Every Tear Disappears
Surgeon
Cheerleader
Prince Johnny
Year of the Tiger
Marrow
Huey Newton
Bring Me Your Loves
Northern Lights
Krokodil
Encore:
Strange Mercy
Lithium (Nirvana Cover)
Your Lips Are Red