Damien Rice, Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice had been quiet for the last eight years. He had not released new material since 2006, and even that was only at the urging of his record label. And while he would do a one off performance in Ireland or the UK, he had not completed a full tour since his last album. So it came as quite a surprise that without much warning, he announced the upcoming release of a new album and accompanying tour which would include a handful of dates in North America.

His venue of choice, the Athenaeum Theatre, is quite small, seating less than a thousand people. While that means that even seats in the back are probably still good, tickets sold out immediately. I, however, was resolved to go, realizing that it could be many more years before he returned to a town in which I lived, if he returned at all. So I went on Craigslist and bought a ticket for four times face value, I believe the highest mark-up that I’ve ever paid for a ticket. It did however provide me with an amazing seat, in the second row of one of the middle sections on the main floor. All the tickets in that section were only available through the fan club presale, so everyone near me was a huge fan – either a member of the fan club or willing to pay a high premium for a ticket. Many drove quite a ways. The guy I bought my ticket from, who was sitting reasonably close to me at the show, drove from Bloomington, Indiana. My seat had a great view of the stage and perfect speaker placement. It was primed to be a wonderful experience.

There was no opener, so Damien took the stage about 7:45. He had a fair amount of equipment on stage with him including a piano. I wasn't sure whether to expect just him on stage or whether there would be any type of band with him. He came on stage and sat down on a stool with his guitar. There was just a single dim light on him, so the stage was very dark. While not showy it was an interesting choice for a performance and fitting for him. I now also better understood why he was playing such a small venue.

He opened with "I Don't Want to Change You" from his new album. After completing it, he told us that he had an ear infection, so it was strange to play music without being able to hear himself. To me, he still sounded great. His voice was still beautiful. Fortunately, his illness didn’t seem to be impacting his vocal chords. However, he was definitely having a bit of trouble on the guitar. However, it sounded fine once he got into the groove of a song. Besides, he’s known for his lyrics and voice, not his technical proficiency on a guitar. He played a couple more songs but frequently commented that he was having trouble. His concerns were met with lots of encouraging shouts from the audience, but perhaps he couldn't hear them. After playing “Volcano,” the song on which he normally closes, he stood up, apologized to everyone but stated that he couldn't continue. Then he left the stage, after playing only five complete songs.

I, along with every other person in the venue, was shocked. For a moment, I just sat there in disbelief. This can’t be happening. Maybe he would come back out? Unfortunately, the only person to return was a theater manager, telling us to go home and that Damien Rice and theatre would figure out how to move forward, be it rescheduling or refunds. It was very disappointing. A girl sitting near me, who had driven from Eastern Indiana, was in tears. I tried to convince her, as well as myself, that five songs were better than nothing. A little group of us gathered ourselves together and headed to Barrelhouse Flats, where we convinced the bar to play some Damien Rice. We had some drinks and made the best of it. The following morning, it was posted on his website that the show would be rescheduled. I suspect it will be in mid- November, as he’ll be returning to North America for a show in New York and Montreal. I just hope that I can make it.

Setlist:
I Don't Want To Change You
Accidental Babies
Then Go [Incomplete]
Delicate
The Greatest Bastard
Volcano
[Show ended early due to illness]