Rice cooks up an uneven show
By Jim
Thursday, December 7th, 2006 at 2:34 am in All Reviews, Damien Rice.
Damien Rice’s concert on Wednesday night at the Paramount Theatre turned out to be much like his most recent album, “9.”
That’s not a good thing.
Like the CD, which hit stores in mid-November, this concert was maddeningly uneven. The highs were as tall as Mt. Everest and the lows reached Grand Canyon depths. Some songs made you want to stand on your chair and applaud, while others made you want to crawl underneath your chair and hide.
Bad songs, however, do not exist in individual vacuums. To the contrary, they tend to bleed into other selections, as fine as those tunes might be, and bring down the entire show. That’s definitely what happened in Oakland, which is why this performance must be considered a failure.
Yet, points must also be awarded to the Irishman, who turned 33 on Thursday
That direction paid dividends for Rice on his first stateside tour in support of his hugely successful debut, 2003’s “O,” a work that won that year’s highly contested Shortlist Music Prize. Since that time, Rice has gone a new route and mixed things up in concert, introducing feedback-drenched noise-rock and experimental art-rock into the setlist.
No one can blame Rice for wanting to be considered an “Important Young Artist,” as opposed to just another folkie with an acoustic guitar. When that effort comes across as highly self-indulgent and pretentious, however, then it is time to rethink one’s aspirations.
It didn’t take Rice long to show us how good this gig could have been. Following an opening set by the Swell Season, led by fellow countryman Glen Hansard of the Frames, the headliner took the stage alone and performed a touching solo-piano rendition of the new album’s “Accidental Babies.”
In that moment, Rice had everything he needed to deliver a wholly satisfying show. His voice sounded warm and tender, the lyrics were intensely captivating and his piano work was lovely.
Unfortunately, that opener turned out to be the highlight of the evening. The other four band members _ vocalist Lisa Hannigan, cellist Vyvienne Long, drummer Tom Osander and bassist Shane Fitzsimons _ would join Rice beginning with the second selection, “Me My Yoke and I,” and the show quickly lost focus.
Rice used heavy vocal effects on that tune, which made his warm, versatile voice sound cold and one-dimensional, and further blurred the lyrics with buzzing feedback from his guitar. Toss in Fitzsimons’ bass, which was turned up so loud that it could be felt in the chest, and you had one big mess.
The bass would continue to be a problem on the debut album’s “Volcano,” but it was only a slight annoyance in comparison to the wildly psychedelic guitar noodling coming from Rice.
Just when some fans may have been considering an early exit, the vocalist cleared out the clutter and stepped to the front of the stage to play “Woman Like a Man.” He performed the first half of the song without the use of electric amplification, utilizing only the building’s natural acoustics, and the result was mesmerizing.
By that point, Rice had set a pace that would last throughout the night. He would play a fuzzy, garbled number like the first album’s “I Remember,” the kind of muddy feedback-laced tune that is best left in the hands of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and then follow with a lyrical gem such as the new disc’s “9 Crimes,” which was performed as a duet between Rice and Hannigan.
The best example of that pattern came at the close of the main set. The second-to-last number was an absolute beauty _ a sparse, yet emotional, reading of “Cannonball.” That was followed by a lengthy, directionless workout of “Cold Water” that seemed like it might never end.
The crowd erupted in applause as Rice and crew left the stage. Given the quality of the performance, however, one has to wonder exactly why the audience was clapping.
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December 7th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Pretty even-handed review, overall, and I have to agree with most of it. From the front balcony seat s where we were, the bass WAS much too loud and drowned out Damien’s guitar, the vocals, and created the disconcerting chest-boom sensation, much like a hometown parade. If that was the intended effect, I felt that it detracted from the “Delicate” aspect of the songs. The experimentation and jam-aspect of the evening was appreciated, since no one pays good money for a ticket to hear the studio version of the tunes, but I agree that it went over the top into the self-indulgent side, and as I looked around, most of the folks in the seats around us seemed to agree. They were restless, shifting in their chairs, and spending time whispering to each other and pointing out the decoration of the theatre walls during the extended jam sets.
It sounds as if the reviewer didn’t make it to the show in time to catch the opening act — now that was something impressive. Glen Hansard on guitar, Marketa on piano — just the two of them on the big, big Paramount stage making some pure, beautiful music.
December 8th, 2006 at 3:55 am
You’re a complete moron who knows nothing about his subject. Anybody who’s ever seen Damo perform more than once knows, expects and loves the heavier side of his live performances. None of what you described is surprising. He’s not trying out a bold, new direction of interpretation. He was in a rock band for 9 years and he’s always made rocking the hell out of a place a big part of his live shows.
December 8th, 2006 at 2:47 pm
I believe Damien Rice was amazing, as he played with passion, beauty and integrity.
I was seated in the 5th row near the left aisle, so the bass was loud at times but this is due to the fact that the speaker was right in front of me.
He truly surprised me with his song list and I am very pleased that he felt so comfortable with the audience, telling stories and playing with such beauty and passion.
I saw him perform for the first time at the Mountain winery in Saratoga and this was also a truly amazing performance. If you truly understand Damien Rice, you will feel this connection from the performance at the Paramount theatre. He made a true connection with the audience, revealing his innocence, sweetness, and pure emotion in all his songs. The audience was captivated by his presence
December 10th, 2006 at 10:35 am
I too was at the Mountain Winery show. That WAS awesome. I loved the rock slant he added to all his songs that night. The Paramount show was not nearly as well done. It sounds like it didn’t matter where you sat in the theater, the bass was over-powering. They either adjusted it later in the show, or my ears became numb to it. And the tightness that came across so perfectly at the Mountain Winery, when all the instruments were involved in the jams, just wasn’t there at the Paramount. Seemed much looser and messy.
I’d give it a 5 out of ten. Just not his best night, only because he set the bar so high at Mountain Winery.
Loved the drummer. Fun to watch. Very creative.
And absolutely agree w/earlier post on The Frames … I’ll definitely be looking into their music.
April 29th, 2007 at 8:10 am
honesty, that was one of the best concerts i have ever been to. anyone who truly listens to his music would have to agree. damien rice kicked ass.
April 29th, 2007 at 8:34 am
who wrote this review? cuz whoever did must only listen to his singles. moron…. to put in one word, incredible. i was about halfway back and the sound was amazing. the set list was awesome too, i didnt know he would bust out woman like a man at an all ages show, followed by some rage against the machine. the jeff buckley cover almost made me cry. i dont know how anyone could have not liked this concert. soooo goood. im truly a fan now.