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Saw Robyn Hitchcock (or as I call him "The Old Man") at World Cafe Live in Philly last night. Funny how so many things about this show remind me how rock music is changing. When I see RH I think about time a lot - I've been going to see him play for over 20 years...! I've seen his hair get short, get long, get weird, and turn grey. I've seen him pudgy and skinny, tired and vibrant, and through all kinds of weather and in all kinds of venues small and large. I saw him at a benefit in Prague for Slovakian refugees where I bought him a beer and he played three of my requests. I saw a taping for his concert movie with Jonathan Demme and I actually walk across the background at one point. So...me and him go way back. To say that I am a fan is an understatement. Robyn Hitchcock's music changed my concept of what was possible and the direction of my life. I wouldn't be a songwriter today without his work.
So I can be pretty hard on the guy as I have high expectations from him. Last night's show did not disappoint. The first 2 songs were piano tunes which he has said he worries about in interviews (being primarily a guitarist). He did a fine job, a little clunky on the 2nd one, but who is counting :-) The rest of the evening's standards all pulled from the record I Often Dream Of Trains (the theme of this particular show) were brilliant, highlighting the Velvet Underground-ness (Velvetosity, Velvetude?) of some of the tracks with sparse arrangements and banging repetitive piano. "Winter Love", one of the outtakes not released on the original LP, was given an droney, emo, Jim Morrison sendup which brought stronger focus to the lyrics ("everything is made of snow"). Terry Edwards from the Higsons and longtime Hitch collaborator Tim Keegan executed their parts with precision and excellence. Terry Edwards in particular is like a character from an RH song - pinched features, wearing a little suit, with Marty Feldman style expressive eyes - he played great and certainly looked the part.
Hitchcock himself was resplendent in purple denim, a polka-dot Dylanesque shirt, waistcoat, and top hat. He had two guitars stolen over the summer (his blue Telecaster - I almost got weepy when I learned that as I've seen him play that guitar for...well...20 years), and has a new polka-dot Strat to match his polka-dot shirt.
The encore was 5 songs including the chestnuts "Raymond Chandler Evening" and "Goodnight I Say" which I haven't heard him play in at least 10 years.
Earlier I said the show reminded me of how rock music is changing in general. Hitchcock shows I used to see in the late 80's and 90s were mostly standing room and young people; it seems the audience has aged along with the performer as this show was sit-down (one RH email list member described the club as "for mature audiences only" lol). Though I really do consider myself on the cusp between lets-stand-it-out-for-eight-hours-until-P
I think rock stars age miserably for the most part, and I resent having to pay $200 to see Keith Richards mess up the chords to Under My Thumb in a big boomy arena with people my parents' age trying to out-drink him in the seats next to me and screaming Paint it Black You Devil which was a stupid line in 1970. So I don't do it, and I expect the days are fast coming when no one else will either.
In my opinion, the days of iconic rock stars on pedestals are over; the audiences want human beings (for example: Conor Oberst singing his diary out loud, the popularity of artist blogs, the fact that every up-and-coming indie band these days tries to look like "average" people, etc). $30 for Robyn H. with great sound and a comfy chair playing his greatest album with great feeling is the mode of the future. "Trams of Old London/taking my baby into the past/and it's Trams of Old London/blow my mind" His greatest psychedelic achievement! He is future and past at the same time. 2 Kudos to you, Mr. H.
tired