I saw him in Cleveland three years ago when he was touring in support of Sea Change. I often remember that show fondly. After last night, I'll remember it even more fondly.
Actually, the concert last night was not bad. But there were some sound problems early on, and the band wasn't as tight as it might have been. The crowd was kind of restive, too. I probably should expect that at a concert, but I remember that during the quieter numbers Beck played in Cleveland, people listened raptly.
He played a lot of songs from Guero, of course, and also from Midnite Vultures. Very little from Sea Change, which bummed me, though one of the songs he did play from it provided one of night's more interesting moments. At one point, Beck's band retired for a bit, and he performed a few numbers solo (actually, that was probably the best part of the concert). While he was doing this, the band carried a loaded dinner table onto stage and ate a meal there while Beck played. When Beck played "Golden Age," the band accompanied him by drumming on the table and clinking forks on glasses. Not the kind of rythmn track you'd expect with a moody number like that, but it actually blended rather well.
The encore was right on the money too. Musicians from the opening acts joined Beck's band for a high-energy rendition of "E-Pro." The energy is what stood out about it. For most of the evening, Beck's performance seemed desultory. Maybe it's been a long tour for him. Maybe he didn't sleep last night. Whatever the reason, he sounded as if he was holding back, putting out lots of sound but little soul. The raucous finale, as well as his solo set, rose above that. On many other numbers though, it sounded as if he and the band were, well, fighting for a lost cause...
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