Rufus Wainwright's 2007 concert at the VooDoo Lounge was a riotous affair. Prodded by an excitable seven-piece rock band, Wainwright danced, preened and offered a campy tribute to Judy Garland as rabid fans jostled on the open floor.
Eighteen months later, Wainwright's elegant, relatively somber solo performance Saturday at the Uptown Theater was equally satisfying.
Above: Rufus gives the Uptown crowd a serving of "Sanssoucie."
Almost all of the seated audience of approximately 800 gave Wainwright their undivided attention. Aside from ambient noise -- who knew that the gentle hum of the soundboard was so loud? -- the theater was unnaturally still during the star's 90-minute set.
"I always feel very appreciated and cared for here," Wainwright noted.
He deserves such reverence.
"I don't want to be John Lennon or Leonard Cohen," Wainwright sang on "Want."
"I just want to be my dad with a slight sprinkling of my mother."
It's becoming increasingly clear that the 35-year-old son of folk-based artists Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle merits consideration as one of pop music's elite formalists. In addition to Lennon and Cohen, Wainwright's melodic art songs evoke Elvis Costello's, Randy Newman's and Paul Simon's.
The evening's solo format accentuated the durability of Wainwright's strongest material. His best-known song, "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk," is so beguilingly melodic that it would sparkle in any setting.
The haunting "Not Ready To Love," one of his most straightforward compositions, was gorgeous. Wainwright effectively altered the lyrics of "Going to a Town" to reflect today's political and social climate.
"Memphis Skyline," an intricate piece inspired by the late Jeff Buckley, promised to be the evening's best song until Wainwright stumbled. "Sh*t... I f**ked it up," he exclaimed.
It was one of the few moments that Wainwright's skill as a pianist failed to impress. He's also a wonderfully evocative vocalist. Even so, the setting occasionally felt limiting. "The Art Teacher" demands treatment from a larger ensemble and the maudlin "Pretty Things" seemed lethargic. "Grey Gardens" and "Katonah" are almost too insular and painfully intimate to translate well in a live environment.
The vocal contributions of Lucy Wainwright Roche on four songs broadened the limited musical palette.
Where her half-brother can be snarky and histrionic, folksy Lucy is sincere and entirely free of irony. Rufus joked about his pink pants and Kansas City's "hot" Spanish architecture; Lucy referenced a difficult date and the "throwed rolls" of Lambert's Cafe.
Her pure voice and amusing anecdotes won the audience over in a surprisingly strong opening set.
Yet just like her brother, she was completely charming.
| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star
Great blog, found you on alphainventions.com. You've got some great links. I have a "music hound" column on my comic blog, and I think I will be referring to a lot of your links, not to mention your reviews. Vicky
Posted by: vicky G. | February 23, 2009 at 12:05 AM
vicky, this is tim finn's blog. the author of this review (bill) is a contributor. great to see someone showing some more love for KC sites, though.
Posted by: daveed | February 23, 2009 at 08:49 AM
I was thoroughly skewered here for my comments for Ray LaMontagne's quiet show, maybe just, but this show was quiet and mesmerizing. I really enjoyed his pure voice, song choices and simple playing. I would've loved to have seen him last time with a full band. See gang, I don't HAVE to rock all the time...
Posted by: wadkc | February 23, 2009 at 09:18 AM
I saw Rufus open up for Ben Folds the second time I saw him back in 2004 (I think) and he was fantastic. I wish I would've gone to this. Awesome review as always!
Posted by: mankvill | February 23, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Thanks for using my video :o)
Posted by: Riley | February 24, 2009 at 09:10 AM