Review: Chris Isaak

Photos by Allison Long/The Star

Chris Isaak has made a career working of the blueprint established by Elvis Presley. The debt is apparent in Isaak’s music, hairstyle and demeanor, a cool, effortless charm to the humor and charisma that plays equally well in both music and acting. So it’s only natural, then, that Isaak pay homage to Sun Records, the label that launched Presley.

Friday’s 90-minute show before a packed Uptown Theater paid homage to Sun and underlined its connection to Isaak’s own 26-year- old catalog. “Don’t Leave Me On My Own” sounded like a cross between “Wooden Heart” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight”; “Let Me Down Easy" could have been a lost Presley single. During “American Boy” Isaak raised his arms and shook his hips with a vigor that would have landed him in trouble on the Ed Sullivan Show.

After driving through some of his favorite originals -– including a stretched-out “Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing” and reliably hypnotic “Wicked Games” -– Isaak devoted the second half of the night to Sun. The arrangements stayed faithful to the original recordings, but the crowd’s energetic response showed there is still a hunger for this material.

It takes courage to cover songs as beloved and well-known as “Ring of Fire” and “Great Balls of Fire.” Isaak pulled it off, in part because those songs are right in his wheelhouse anyway, but also because of his obvious respect for, and love of, the material. The upbeat numbers also gave guitarist Hershel Yatovitz plenty of space to unleash several of his rowdiest solos.

Isaak performed most of the main set wearing a sparkly, sequined ensemble that looked like a Nudie suit designed by Lady Gaga. He poked fun of the outfit several times during the night and emerged for the encore in an even more outrageous mirror ball suit.

The tone was warm and casual. Both Isaak and Yatovitz ventured into the crowd. After winding through the main level during “Don’t Leave Me On My Own,” (with frequent stops for pictures) Isaak delivered “Love Me Tender” from the front of the balcony. Later, Isaak introduced pianist Scott Plunkett as the type of musician children could look up to. After the applause died, Parker promptly produced a large bottle from his piano and took a long swig.

Fans still shuffling to their seats three songs into the set probably regretted their truancy. Although Isaak performed a generous two-dozen songs, most of the songs delivered could have fit comfortably on the A-side of a 45. Isaak ended the night with a gorgeous solo acoustic version of “Forever Blue.” The ending seemed premature, but at the same time it didn’t feel like he'd left anything out.

Setlist: Beautiful Homes, Dancin’, Somebody’s Crying, Don’t Leave Me On My Own, Love Me Tender, I Want Your Love, Wicked Games, Speak of the Devil, Let Me Down Easy, Go Walking Down There > American Boy, Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing, My Happiness > Ring of Fire, Dixie Fried, How’s the World Treating You?, Live It Up, Miss Pearl, Great Balls of Fire. Encore: Blue Hotel, Big Wide Wonderful World, Can’t Help Falling In Love, (Oh) Pretty Woman, Forever Blue.

| Joel Francis, Special to The Star

Comments

[Rachel]

Scott Plunkett, not Parker.

[Mike]

C'mon, Joel! Apart from its inclusion in the set list, no mention of "My Happiness". The first song Elvis Presley ever recorded was written by Betty Peterson who would later become Mrs. Betty Blasco after marrying Kansas City music publisher and record company owner Louis Blasco whose label Cardinal Records was based in KCMO". Betty & Louis' son Allen Blasco continues to perform on his own and with Riverrock here in KC. If we don't acknowledge what KC has produced, who will?

[Joel]

I didn't know any of that, Mike. Thank you for educating me and thanks for reading.

[tjackowski1]

Chris also performed "San Francisco Days" towards the beginning of his set. Wonderful show!!!

[Mike]

You're welcome, Joel. Apparently Allen did get to go backstage to meet Isaak and his band before the Uptown show.

[onthemark]

Chris put on a very enjoyable show. Very quick paced as many of the songs were only 3-4 minutes long. Several times he sang and held a note for what seemed like 20 seconds, which was fairly impressive!

I also liked his acknowledgement to the fans: "I really appreciate all of you for getting out and supporting live music. If it wasn't for all of your support, I would just be another guy wandering the streets of Kansas City on a Friday night. While wearing a sequined suit!"

And how about that gal he pulled from the audience to dance? She was really into it!