Concert Review
Space-Evanston, IL
May 14th, 2010
By Anthony Kuzminski
{Photo Credit: Amy Brown Arnold}
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Will Hoge reminds me a lot of the actor Donald Sutherland. You see, Sutherland is often seen as an extraordinary elder statesman for acting and he owns every role he inhabits. When you think of A Time To Kill, Ordinary People, Backdraft, MASH, or JFK his presence is felt during and long after the film has concluded. He disappears into his roles with such ease and continually does so that few take notice. He’s never received an Oscar nomination and despite always bringing his A-game, he’s overlooked because he’s always on and often doesn’t have the flashy role that is often over-the-top. Watching Will Hoge tear through his two-hour set inside the new music club in Evanston, IL, Space, I couldn’t help but think that Hoge, like Sutherland, is always in top form. It doesn’t really seem to matter what the size of the crowd is, whether he has a new record or even if this was his thirteenth show in fourteen nights. At any given moment, Will Hoge may be one of the hardest working live performers on the road and anyone who has seen him would argue he’s one of the best.
This was Hoge’s first time playing Space and the newly renovated space (no pun intended) is a dream come true for artists who are used to having their music bounce of walls and so full of distortion you tune out. It is a refined atmosphere for all types of music allowing the artists more control over the presentation and sound of their songs. “The Wreckage”, “Draw the Curtains” and “Dirty Little War” all were delivered in unadorned bare-bone arrangements accentuated by the room, yet the ambiance and familiarity of the lyrics reverberated with bedroom familiarity. “Silver & Gold”, a song originally written for Taylor Swift, was a highlight as Hoge stepped away from the microphone after the second verse and the congenial acoustics of the room made it feel as if a microphone wasn’t needed at all. Whenever Hoge does this, it’s not merely for showboating but to allow himself to get lost in the lyric where he mines his consciousness to find that precise headspace where he was originally inspired the song. Despite the cozy nature of the room, the full-tilt rockers were equally gripping as “Better Off Now” featured not just guitar fireworks but a brazen harmonica solo mid-song. “Secondhand Heart” featured Hoge fervently strumming his acoustic and even “Favorite Waste of Time” proved to have more of a zap to it live versus the record. “Carousel”, a fan favorite and soulful souvenir from his debut, featured the perfect trio of Hoge’s voice, acoustic guitar and harmonica where the performance was as incisive as it was solemn. “No Man’s Land”, a new song, highlights a deep study into the intricacies of relationships, a recurring theme in his recent work. The vivid poetry of “Highway’s Home”, the greatest song the Band never wrote or recorded, is an homage to the road, because love it or hate it, they know that whenever they stop and pause, they hear it calling like a ghost from the past beckoning them back to it because it is where their heart lies. A trio of the band’s finest and strongest songs (“Highway Wings”, “Baby Girl” and “Pocket Full of Change”) capped the tremendous two hour set. Will Hoge is a rare breed. No two shows are ever the same and as a result, he always brings something new to the concert stage. Even though on his previous Chicago stop six-months earlier at the Double Door, he performed many of the same songs, there was something distinctive this time around. Maybe it was the room, the attentiveness of the performance or just the mood of the band. It doesn’t matter what it was, because it’s rock n’ roll and at its most primordial it’s about living in the moment.
Going back five-years, I’ve never gone an extended period without seeing Hoge and despite this, he continues to not just progress, but reinvigorate his arrangements. Even after the lights go on, the buzz wears off and we re-enter the world into less ideal circumstances, Hoge’s music reverberates. If one were to ever cull a multi-disc live album, it would be a daunting task because there are so many high points and besides, I am not sure if any recording could ever do his performances justice. Two specific ones this time around have swirled around my head in the weeks following the show. “It’s A Shame” was re-worked with the acoustic guitar and drummer Sigurdur Birkis deftly stroking his drums adding a lingering aura but never overshadowing Hoge’s vocal wails. A slide guitar supplemented the eeriness as bodies in the crowd softly swayed back and forth as they watched the severe expulsion of calamity on stage. The song is about a heart not just wanting to break free, but needing to move on. On record the band balances the six-string eruptions with Hoge’s ingenious vocals. During this live performance at Space, he held back during the first two-thirds of the song before unleashing it all for the searing finale. The other spotlight song occurred midway through the set where Hoge dismissed the band and walked over to a big grand piano and gave the crowd in Space a lesson in stark-minimalism. Sitting behind a piano Hoge’s hands and vocals dripped despondency yet instilling soul on “Too Late Too Soon” the closing track on The Wreckage. This lonesome tale permeates internal revelations. As he sung and wrestled with the lyrics about missed opportunities it’s a reminder that in the end, father time all too often is a fixture in dictating matters of the heart. I’ve seen Hoge in every venue imaginable but this was a transfixing performance no one will soon forget. These two songs find characters trying to make sense of their lives, as we all are. In Hoge’s pleading and utterly fervent performances, he pulled me closer in ways I didn’t think were possible. Once again, he has proven that he always has a few aces up his sleeve, proving that on any given night, you may see one of the best rock n’ roll shows around.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter
