Concert review: Robyn Hitchcock at the Granada (April 4)

by Ron Dempesmeier

Robyn Hitchcock is not a household name in the US or in his native UK, but he deserves to be. He is a wonderful combination of Syd Barrett, John Lennon and a dash of Bob Dylan rolled into one. Hitchcock also provides humorous/thought-provoking intros to his songs that can ramble, but they always entertain. He has been in bands (The Soft Boys), led bands (The Egyptians and now the Venus 3) or just performed solo. He rarely plays in this territory, but when he does, he always impresses.

On this tour, he’s backed by the Venus 3, an all-star band consisting of guitarist Peter Buck (R.E.M.), bassist Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, The Minus 5) and drummer Bill Rieflin (Ministry, The Minus 5, R.E.M.). Between Robyn and the band there is roughly 100 years of musical experience and the performance at the Granada showcased their talent. Hitchcock jokingly kicked the evening off stating that they were “playing old songs or songs that sounded old” and that we should think of the band as “four antiques of fine bone china who will rock you to your bones.”

The music started out with the nostalgic “I Often Dream of Trains” off the same titled acoustic album from 1984. It was novel hearing it performed with electric instruments, but the dominant sound of it was the lovely chiming guitar work of Hitchcock and Buck. They then broke into the bouncy “What You Is” from their latest album “Goodnight Oslo.” The band went back to Robyn’s first solo album (after leaving The Soft Boys) for “Out of the Picture” the darkly nagging story of a love gone wrong with his “nowhere girl.”

“Saturday Groovers” was introduced as the youthful frolic that it was with the question “Do you remember cigarette lighters?” Then the band performed the iridescent “Airscape” (from the excellent “Element of Light” album) in which Hitchcock likens his love to angels hovering over the shimmering waves of the ocean. “NY Doll” was a sincere tribute to lamented Arthur “Killer” Kane of the glam punk band The New York Dolls.

Hitchcock introduced the depressing “Television” as a song about the most powerful drug in the world until other, more powerful drugs were invented; which is a sad commentary on we humans who waste so much time watching TV or surfing the internet. They then launched into a catchy song about love’s ability to make you indifferent to the outside world called “Flesh Number One (Beatle Dennis).” That has to be one of the most bizarre titles you’re going to see this side of Captain Beefheart.

“Somewhere Apart” was almost a Broadway show-tune/punk song, which was a pretty amazing combination when one heard it! The sound of “Creeped Out” continued the punk feel. “I’m Falling” and “Madonna of the Wasps” were pure pop ecstasy with lush harmonies and beautiful guitar work. Hitchcock played some of the most interesting solos of the evening proving that he could hold his own with the inimitable Peter Buck. Buck seemed to relish playing his 12-string Gibson or his black-and-white Rickenbacker in a more supportive role.

“Up to Our Nex” was a spirited bit of pop that featured some great percussion by Bill Rieflin and is on the movie soundtrack for Rachel Getting Married. One of the most intriguing songs of the evening was the Barrett-like psychedelia of “Beautiful Queen” that was preceded by a gradual, swelling build up. “The Authority Box” from the prior Venus 3 album “Olé! Tarantula” was the last song of their set.

For the encore, Hitchcock went back to his first solo album for “The Lizard.” Then he dusted off the frenetic “Kingdom of Love” from his classic “Fegmania!” album. The final song was the brooding, static “Goodnight Oslo” which conjured the image of that snow bound, Scandinavian country of Norway perfectly.

The only complaint I had was that the show was too short. Hitchcock has amassed so many albums and songs since the late Seventies that one would always feel a sense of loss for their favorites not performed. Happily, Hitchcock and Buck signed autographs in the lobby after the show and spent a fair amount of time chatting with their fans, which assuaged a lot of “hurt” feelings. The venue and the staff of the Granada were all top notch as well which made the evening even more special.