Review: Raul Malo

The headliner's opening song began with a mournful trumpet solo, then erupted into a spaghetti-Western fanfare, like something out of "A Fistful of Dollars." Then the singer, Raul Malo, broke into song, the title track to his newborn album, "Sinners & Saints." 

Malo is the former lead singer of the Mavericks, a country band out of Miami that should have been more popular than it was when it disbanded seven years ago. Since then, Malo has pursued a solo career that seems prone to the same fate: worthy of more attention than it receives. 

Tuesday night, he drew about 175 people to Knuckleheads, on a sterling autumn night when even the passing trains seemed in-synch with the music and its invigorating flow. Malo is best-known for his gilded voice, which can cuddle a soft, sexy ballad as naturally and effortlessly as it muscles a brash rock anthem. For nearly two hours, he would give his fans plenty of both, and some variations between the two. 

His setlist included most of the new album, some nuggets from his solo catalog, like the rambunctious "Lucky One" and "Lonely Hearts," some "old Mavericks songs, because there aren't any new ones," he cracked, like "O, What A Thrill" and "I've Got This Feeling," He doesn't need much embellishment, but unlike his previous Knuckleheads show, when he performed as a duo, this evening he brought a four-piece band with him that decorated  his songs with trumpet and accordion. 

His voice draws comparisons to Roy Orbison and other Orbison sound-alikes, like Chris Isaak. But Malo has some honky-tonk in his pipes, too, so he can handle with ease the kinds of songs that Dwight Yoakam favors, like "Pretend," another Mavericks tune that made the cut. He also delivered a nice, straightforward cover of "Guantanamera."

A singer who can cover so many styles can take his audience through some dynamic mood swings, which is what Malo did all night: from the Tex-Mex rocker "San Antone Baby" to the funky-country ballad "Staying Here" to the weepy, heartache-hymn "Till I Gain Control" to his velvety, austere reading of "Blue Moon" to the cathartic honky-tonk anthem "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down," a Mavericks tune that brought the evening to a rowdy close. A few dozen people were on the dance floor for that one, dancing solo and in pairs, looking as happy and satisfied as the big, smiling guy on stage who had taken them on a fun-time odyssey.

Setlist: SInners & Saints; Living For Today; San Atone Baby; Staying Here; Til I Gain Control Again; Matter Much to You; O, What A Thrill; I've Got This Feeling; Lucky One; Pretend; Lonely Hearts; One More Angel; Guantanamera; Tomorrow Night; (Just Want To) Dance the Night Away. Encore: Blue Moon; Moonlight Kiss; Every Little Thing About You; All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Comments

[kcmom]

Thanks for the wonderful review! It was a great show...I didn't want it to end.

For anyone interested, the webstream is archived at:

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/10023344

[Kelli Austin]

I was definitely a happy, satisfied dancer last night. Great review...his gilded voice can cuddle a soft, sexy ballad...priceless! Pretty good iPhone photos too!

[Green]

Listening to him now on myspace, like what i hear, guess i am a day late for catching him live.

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