Monday, December 23, 2019

you shouldn't be faint about it

Amid all the holiday season hubbub, I almost forgot we had a Friday the 13th in December this year. What better way to tempt fate than with Robyn Hitchcock's return to Largo at the Coronet?

Robyn Hitchcock, Largo at the Coronet, December 13, 2019


No surprise that I decided to attend this show on the promise of the "Robyn and Friends" billing. Though I try to temper my expectations, I hold out hope that a beloved figure or two will show up. Stay tuned to see if they do.

Robyn emerged in a flowery shirt on a minimalist stage, though the three mic stands hinted at the personnel to come. He explained that the show would be broken up into two segments separated by a brief intermission. He said a whole lot more, to be honest, but I can't remember the sequence or most of the banter. I'll try to cover some of it later, but for now, I can report that he went straightaway into "Balloon Man," perhaps his most notable stateside hit. In fact, he played a bunch of Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians songs during this performance, perhaps in preparation for the upcoming performance of Eye at the Chapel in San Francisco for his birthday in March. Who can blame him? It's a landmark record with some of his greatest songs, and we want to hear it.

Not long ago, I realized that Robyn may be the through line connecting much of the American music I love the most: Wilco, Gillian Welch, Grant Lee Phillips, and Jon Brion, to name a few. (In fact, he opened three shows with Wilco in Chicago shortly after the Largo date.) A little internet research turns up a reasonable explanation: He was a huge influence on REM, and in return, they championed him among their fans at their peak popularity, not only playing on his records but also touring with him. It's no stretch to imagine that the young musicians listening to REM would turn their ears to Robyn as well.

I mention this because I think it helps explain my evolution as a Robyn fan. Granted, Robyn has a ton of die-hard fans who can recite his discography backward and forward. I'm not one of them, but I've come to fully appreciate his influence on at least one corner of the American indie landscape. Even during my Anglophile years, his music required a greater intellectual investment than the shiny pop hits of the day, though they often had incredible hooks and melodies. A friend once told me that I'll get Dylan when the time is right. (This has yet to happen.) I guess the time has arrived for me and Robyn, now that I've seen him in concert umpteen times.

Robyn talked a lot during the show, though I can't say if it was more or less than usual. The banter that stuck out the most was all geography based, as he shared his experiences living in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, while growing more distant from England. He had a great bit about being in school with Brian Eno, in the same way that he was in England at the same time as Winston Churchill. That is, their schedules happened to coincide. Any true connection was imaginary.

Unsurprisingly, the sublime "Madonna of the Wasps" was a highlight of the show and reminded me that I had caught Robyn's birthday tribute at the Fillmore a few years back. Drawing from that cast, Eric Johnson of the Fruit Bats joined Robyn and Emma Swift for a couple of songs ("Trams of Old London," "Ole Tarantula") to end the main set. I'm not sure if Eric has played Largo before, but it's always a please to see another artist join the fold.

Robyn took to the piano for the encore, banging out three of his biggest influences: Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, and John Lennon. I'm forever a fan of the Lennon track ("God"). Robyn went entirely traditional on the tune, not ad-libbing any lyrics. As much as Robyn likes to chit chat, this show might've been one of the better spotlights on his music I've seen in a while. My appreciation has only deepened. Until next time (and there certainly will be a next time)!

See also:
» i was a new york doll

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