JOEY BURNS saw first hand the sedative powers of a nearby seat cushion. As CALEXICO blew in on a dustdevil to bring their self-styled ‘desert noir’ sound to Boston (which sadly was in a Calexico drought; the last local appearance was the Newport Folk Fest this summer, and 2006 was the last time the band played a headlining gig), you would think that the parched fandom which packed the sold-out room would be energetically receiving this manna. However, most butts remained planted firmly in the seats, to the continued dismay of Joey. Not that the band wasn’t delivering; this is the fifth time I’ve seen them and they never fail to play up to high standards, and typically have a surprise or two up the sleeve as well. The opening songs weren’t jammed with material of the new Carried To Dust record, so unfamliarity wouldn’t be the explanation for the relaxed audience (though nine would be played as the night went on, with “Two Silver Trees” being the clear highlight; check the setlist for more info). Perhaps everyone hit up nearby Redbones for a pre-gig BBQ feast, like the wife and I did.
Ironically, it was the accordian-fueled 1-2-3 of “Sunken Waltz” that finally stirred some of the crowd to its feet, a somewhat winsome and wistful tale of turning one’s back on a monolithic society and striking out on their own. It’s a familiar theme for Calexico, one of disenfranchisement, re-assessment, and changing directions; though they weren’t played, songs like “Service and Repair” and “Gilbert” are excellent examples of the sort of vibe that Joey illustrates so well. The other thing this band does extraordinarily well is play whatever instrument happens to be within reach. JACOB VALENZUELA and MARTIN WENK are equally facile with a trumpet or microphone to their lips, their hands on a nearby keyboard, or perhaps wrapped around marimba mallets. PAUL NIEHAUS is equally facile with pedal steel to bring those shimmering tone clouds across the horizon, or belting out hot licks on traditional electric guitar. VOLKER ZANDER’s style of bass belies his familiarity with the upright double bass; even when he’s on electric, he’s got a way of hovering around the note, not really using the frets but still accurately homing in on the note. And what other accolades can be tossed JOHN CONVERTINO’s way? The supple wrist, well-timed flicks on cymbal, tom, or snare…he’s got such a distinctively great style (both musically and sartorially) that he makes TOM WAITS look square.
So, it’s pretty clear that the band has command of songwriting, and performing these songs; really, what else could you ask for? Energy-wise they will never be HENRY ROLLINS but that’s not the point. Regardless, they didn’t let me down and it was a bonus that the over-played “Crystal Frontier” was given the night off; instead we got a cover of LOVE’s “Alone Again Or,” and talk about a cover just about custom-made for a particular band. If the late ARTHUR LEE bequeathed this song to Calexico in his will I wouldn’t be surprised. Fantastic. Crowd pleaser “Guero Canelo” got the women out of the aisles and dancing right in front of the stage, and finally coaxed late adopters into joining the rest of the standing audience. The evening really capped out in the encore with a rousingly percussive “Crosseyed and Painless” from TALKING HEADS, as opening band THE ACORN joined Ken, an old acquaintance of Joey’s and now East Coaster. The ace was pulled from the sleeve, and the crowd gladly folded.
more images can be seen at my site
