LIVE SHOW REVIEWS
Bazan, Pecknold, and the last night ever at the Croc
Photos by C Charles Bowden
if you weren't paying attention when Dave Bazan started, he wasn't waiting for you. Introduction-less, it felt you blinked and the stage went from empty to Bazan strumming his guitar. However, even those of us paying attention had no way of knowing that after tonight's show, the Crocodile would no longer be waiting for us; we were witnessing the final show of the Crocodile as we knew it, and it was a packed night that preceded the emptiness that followed the next day.
Robin Pecknold stepped out from the front duties of the band Fleet Foxes to open for this show Saturday night at the Crocodile, treating us to a solo set. His repertoire is very strong, even if assumingly brand new; one song he forgot the words to sing. Yet, he pulled it off well with a sly grin and a joke with a supportive crowd member. His voice is definitely one of the best out of Seattle recently, and the Christmas lights in the back seemed to twinkle at the same pace as his guitar pieces, a back porch and stories type of rhythm. He made me think of another certain soloist guitar man I saw recently, a Mr. Tom Brosseau. I could see a split disc or similar collaboration happen between the two.
I unfortunately completely missed local singer-songwriter J. Tillman's set.
I was standing right there, though, with the rest of the nearly sold-out show when Dave Bazan took the stage. Stronger live than recorded, his lyrics and voice are steeped in a raw earnestness that have very obviously established him as the college radio rock legend he is today. It was gripping enough to send me into a self reflective epiphany where I unlocked pieces of my memory long forgotten. Suddenly a few things clicked in my mind, and I realized David Bazan is an artist whose medium is emotion.
The honesty stretched beyond his music into his live set, where he took breaks to have brief Q&A sessions with the crowd.
Q: "Why did Pedro the Lion break up?"
Bazan: "My friend quit the band, and I didn't feel right continuing on without him."
Q: "Will you play with another band?"
Bazan: "Sometime during my life. I'm trying to figure out my problem still."
Q: "What is 'Some Girls' about?"
Bazan: "It is about becoming famous without really trying."
Q: "Where does Bazan come from?"
Bazan: "I believe it comes from Spain. You wouldn't know, but I'm really half Mexican. I'm your affirmative action performer for the night."
The choice of songs went beyond his latest solo work, with a few older Pedro songs slipped in. One Christmas song and a cover were worked in as well. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" is actually my favorite holiday song, and Bazan put his own twist on it. The second and third verses changed from the story of Jesus to a modern day story of a man questioning his belief of the Christmas story while preparing the decorations for his young child, possibly autobiographical.
Bazan closed out his set with a cover of Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah." This somber song was an eerie choice for the as yet unbeknownst demise of the Crocodile. "But you don't really care for music, do you... It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah.... but all I've ever learned from love, was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you."
Suitably for the last night of a Seattle music landmark, it was a nearly sold out night full of friends and one of the musicians who had a big part in putting the scene on the map.
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elle-too lazy to sign in said on December 19, 2007:
That is a good point Will, and while writing this review, I debated between Cohen and Buckley...but I figured more people would know Buckley's version.
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Levi said on December 20, 2007:
It's funny how when people cover that song these days, they're usually covering Buckley's version. But still, it's Leonard Cohen's song, and as a music journalist you should probably use the name of the person who actually wrote it.
Sounds like a great show indeed; I wish I had been there.
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ChrisB said on December 20, 2007:
I see what you're saying, Will and Levi, but if more people are familiar with one version and that is the version people are covering, I don't think it's inappropriate for a critic to cite the more familiar source. How often do you read people, fairly or unfairly, who mention Slade's "Cum on Feel the Noize" or the Arrows' "I Love Rock 'n Roll"?
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Levi said on December 20, 2007:
Sure, it makes sense to mention Buckley ("Bazan closed his set with a cover of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah,' as popularized by Jeff Buckley," or something like that), but knowingly attributing the song to someone who didn't write it is just bad journalism, and reinforces the idea that it's OK to ignore a musical legend like Leonard Cohen just because some people associate the song with someone else. I would feel the same way if someone used the exact same phrasing with either song you mentioned, although both songs are so famous odds are they would just use the song name and leave it at that.
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Bob Ham said on December 20, 2007:
Although I agree with Levi, I'm honestly willing to let it slide because I don't look at this site as a place for serious music journalism (and I include myself in this as I do write reviews for the site). It's a place for music fans in and around the NW to chat up their favorite shows, bands, etc. It's basically a slicker version of a message board or a forum on any other site. And I have no problem with that.
If this was Pitchfork or Salon or AV Club, then that sort of oversight would be downright heresy, but here....it just don't matter in the long run.
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ChrisB said on December 20, 2007:
There's a ringing endorsement of this site if there ever was one, Bob.
Listen, I think Leonard Cohen's version of "Hallelujah" is preferable to Jeff Buckley's in every way. I think Jeff Buckley is boring and pretensious and complete bullshit. I've said repeatedly that I think the only reason Buckley has ten times the fans he should is because he was a lousy swimmer. I have never been accused of being a Jeff Buckley fan.
Yet, I don't think Elle did anything wrong by citing Buckley rather than Cohen. Big Mama Thornton recorded "Hound Dog" years before Elvis did (and was written by Lieber and Stoller), yet I don't think it is heresy if someone cites that as an Elvis song. There are countless examples of people taking songs and making them known to larger audiences and I don't think anyone is out of line for mentioning the more famous example.
Then again, I'm sure you all are bigger Leonard Cohen fans than I am, so maybe that's why I don't take it so personal.
I do agree with Bob, though, that "it just don't matter in the long run."
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imaginary dana said on December 20, 2007:
I blame the whole thing on my crappy editorial skills. After making a pass at the article, my Internet connection crashed and I lost all my edits. D'oh! On the second pass-through, I forgot to make that change. I apologize profusely. I love both versions of the song (though aside to ChrisB, I generally don't admit it publicly, but I'm not a huge Buckley fan either... but I think his live cover of "Hallelujah" merged with "I Know It's Over" by the Smiths is one of the most sublime songs I've ever heard).
Again -- I own this goof up. I'm sure it won't be my last, or my worst.
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Kyle Johnson said on December 21, 2007:
Im so bummed i missed this show. Big fan of all three guys. Especially J Tillman. I look forward to seing him soon with his new live band setup.
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Reviews
Will said on December 19, 2007:
While Buckley made the song his own, Hallelujah is actually Uncle Leonard's (Cohen). Sounds like a great show though.