(Archive photo: Jenny Lewis playing with Rilo Kiley at The Showbox in Seattle, WA. © 2007 Benjamin Luk.)
No, that’s not a photo taken from her show at Western Washington. Sadly, Jenny Lewis' show at WWU had a strict no-photo policy. At first, the disappointment of not being able to shoot after going to all the trouble of bringing my camera down from Vancouver had me in a foul mood, but when I finally understood how intimate the concert would be, and that it was Jenny’s second solo show ever, I was content to sit back and let her alluring country chanteuse voice wash over me.
The setting couldn’t have been any better. The PAC Concert Hall is an orchestral 650-seat venue with hardwood floors and a soaring ceiling, complete with sound deflecting panels high up in the air. In a space like that, and with Jenny’s ability to fill any room with her voice alone, it was hard not to feel as though you’d been best friends with her all your life. No glitz, no glamour here. Following an astounding performance from Portland folk-rockers Norfolk & Western, Jenny emerged from stage right, humble but confident in tight-fitting jeans and a threadbare white T-shirt so old, the holes in it lent the evening an odd sort of quiet sex appeal. Alone, onstage, Jenny opened with a soulful rendition of “Rabbit Fur Coat” to a spellbound audience, and unlike the lyrics of many other bands and performers I’d heard in the past few years, I listened to every word.
“This song is about a guy who just lost his job two days ago,” Jenny said, smirking. “He’s from Washington [DC]. Maybe some of you know him.” The opening chords to “It’s A Hit” rang out to a roomful of cheering. Throughout the night, Jenny kept a friendly banter with the crowd and even Johnathan Rice eventually won me over with his charm and wit, though his Elvis Costello impression from “Carpetbaggers” was downright offensive, not just to Costello but to the entire idea of singing. (This is gonna sound bad, but picture Sean Penn from I Am Sam singing karaoke to The Sex Pistols.) But what surprised me most about the night was how well Jenny and Johnathan interacted onstage, casually flirting back and forth and playing off each other’s chemistry. It was as though because they each knew each other so well and understood the secret hidden meanings behind each lyric, they bared a part of themselves to us that night. Their duet of Gram Parsons’ “Love Hurts” was one of the most moving concert experiences I’ve ever been privy to.
Jenny later said that playing solo shows was intensely different from playing with the safety net of a backing band: “[The songs are] stripped down… makes me remember what they were really about when I first wrote them.” I could see that. “Silver Lining” was no longer a 90’s pop hit, but a ballad about ephemeral love. And “Rise Up With Fists” was no longer about personal empowerment, but about human weakness. But what I remember most was Jenny coming right up to the front of the crowd during “A Better Son/Daughter”. Being in the front row, there was a moment when I could have easily reached out to touch her. There’s something about the energy she gives off during a performance that makes her seem almost superhuman. As far as I’m concerned, Jenny Lewis will always be rock royalty.
Jenny Lewis' WWU Set List:
Special thanks to Ali of 3D Management.
The setting couldn’t have been any better. The PAC Concert Hall is an orchestral 650-seat venue with hardwood floors and a soaring ceiling, complete with sound deflecting panels high up in the air. In a space like that, and with Jenny’s ability to fill any room with her voice alone, it was hard not to feel as though you’d been best friends with her all your life. No glitz, no glamour here. Following an astounding performance from Portland folk-rockers Norfolk & Western, Jenny emerged from stage right, humble but confident in tight-fitting jeans and a threadbare white T-shirt so old, the holes in it lent the evening an odd sort of quiet sex appeal. Alone, onstage, Jenny opened with a soulful rendition of “Rabbit Fur Coat” to a spellbound audience, and unlike the lyrics of many other bands and performers I’d heard in the past few years, I listened to every word.
“This song is about a guy who just lost his job two days ago,” Jenny said, smirking. “He’s from Washington [DC]. Maybe some of you know him.” The opening chords to “It’s A Hit” rang out to a roomful of cheering. Throughout the night, Jenny kept a friendly banter with the crowd and even Johnathan Rice eventually won me over with his charm and wit, though his Elvis Costello impression from “Carpetbaggers” was downright offensive, not just to Costello but to the entire idea of singing. (This is gonna sound bad, but picture Sean Penn from I Am Sam singing karaoke to The Sex Pistols.) But what surprised me most about the night was how well Jenny and Johnathan interacted onstage, casually flirting back and forth and playing off each other’s chemistry. It was as though because they each knew each other so well and understood the secret hidden meanings behind each lyric, they bared a part of themselves to us that night. Their duet of Gram Parsons’ “Love Hurts” was one of the most moving concert experiences I’ve ever been privy to.
Jenny later said that playing solo shows was intensely different from playing with the safety net of a backing band: “[The songs are] stripped down… makes me remember what they were really about when I first wrote them.” I could see that. “Silver Lining” was no longer a 90’s pop hit, but a ballad about ephemeral love. And “Rise Up With Fists” was no longer about personal empowerment, but about human weakness. But what I remember most was Jenny coming right up to the front of the crowd during “A Better Son/Daughter”. Being in the front row, there was a moment when I could have easily reached out to touch her. There’s something about the energy she gives off during a performance that makes her seem almost superhuman. As far as I’m concerned, Jenny Lewis will always be rock royalty.
Jenny Lewis' WWU Set List:
- Rabbit Fur Coat
- It's A Hit
- Pretty Bird
- Carpetbaggers
- The Charging Sky
- Paradise
- Melt Your Heart
- You Are What You Love
- End of the Affair
- Rise Up With Fists
- Silver Lining
- A Better Son/Daughter
- Happy
- Love Hurts
- It Wasn't Me
- Godspeed*
- The Big Guns*
- Acid Tongue*
Special thanks to Ali of 3D Management.
1 comments:
Wow... so much to say - where do I begin? You're truly fortunate to have had the chance to experience Jenny in such an intimate venue. I had goosebumps just reading about the atmosphere and the idea that it was an entirely solo show.
Entirely jealous that you heard her play "Godspeed" live because it's easily, hands down, my favourite track off Acid Tongue.
The Bush smirk? Love it. Her and Rice are lova's and it makes me kinda envious. Of him, not of her.
Here's hoping that another Northwest solo show will find its way back here someday. I won't miss it next time.
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