Currently on a Canadian leg of a North American tour with Julie Doiron, K Records ringleader Calvin Johnson made a quick side trip back down to Chicago (via Minneapolis) last week for an intimate Friday night sermon at South Union Arts.
I have to admit, I never really "got" Calvin Johnson until seeing him live. I remember the first time I heard a Halo Benders song back in college and I literally said to my friend, 'who is that asshole with the put-on baritone??' Strangely enough, a few years later another friend convinced me to give the Halo Benders a second chance, but I still wasn't won over in the least. It was around this same time that Calvin released a new Dub Narcotic Sound System record and I became even more baffled by Calvin...though this time it was more of an amused intrigue than the pure annoyance that I felt before. Then I experienced Calvin live at a Dub Narcotic show at Schubas and suddenly a became a huge fan.
A little of it was being exposed to Calvin's sweet dance moves on stage(who knew this white boy could dance?), but it mostly was being able to hear his voice in person. That same deep croaking that had always annoyed the shit out of me on records actually sounded pretty cool in a live setting. Then, a year or so later I saw him play a very small solo acoustic gig at the former Buddy Gallery and I was genuinely blown away by his voice. Without a doubt, I don't think I've ever heard anyone command such a strong musical presence on their own with such a minimal amount amplification.
Last Friday's show at South Union Arts wasn't nearly as powerful as that small gallery gig, but Calvin was entertaining as usual. Appropriate for the odd venue that is South Union Arts, it was a bit of an odd set with Calvin on vocals, Telecaster and acoustic guitar accompanied by just a drummer who sometimes switched over to the aforementioned Telecaster to let Calvin sing solo. It wasn't the most focused or polished performance I've ever seen, but fortunately Calvin's quirky mannerisms and humorous banter kept things interesting. Near the end of the night, Julie Doiron returned to the stage to duet with Calvin on a nice rendition of the Halo Benders track, "Lonesome Sundown." It was easily the highlight of the night for me, and it seemed my love/hate for Calvin's hallowed Halo Benders had officially come full circle.
Nice seeing you Fri at this show Brad. Though i honestly enjoyed Julie Doiron's set much more, i did think everyone should probably experience the oddity of Calvin Johnson atleast once in their lifetimes.
Posted by: Kirstie | Monday, July 02, 2007 at 10:35 AM