REVIEW: HOWE GELB @ Factory Theatre 30/10/08

Last night was a low key show at the Factory Theatre with a disappointing turnout to see the Giant Sand mainman playing in mainly solo mode. The sparse crowd in many ways made for a more intimate experience with the silence allowing the guitar and desert blown voice of Gelb to ring out through the venue.

In support Wifey played an upbeat set prominently featuring keys and violin in its anglophiliac americana stylings. At times they sounded like a cross between Okkervil River and Dexys Midnight Runners with their melodic sensibilities. Between songs, Andy Calvert’s comic musings worked well to loosen up the punters, especially his tale of his ‘Bryan Ferry with herpes’ avatar.

In fitting with the atmosphere of the evening Howe Gelb casually wandered onstage, lowered the Casio, borrowed a chair from the audience and began coaxing out an extended intro to Spiral, which set the mood for the rest of the show. His piano playing was a revelation, effortlessly switching between bar room and jazz club he found a balance with his well worn voice on a handful of numbers before shifting to the acoustic guitar.

Gelb wears many of his influences on his sleeve. Songs like Can Do picked up the Cash spirit while others channelled Townes Van Zandt and at times the deep croakings of Tom Waits. His skill though, lies in the way he can conjure the Texas (or as he calls it… Vortexas) desert atmosphere. Empty, dark, lonely and heartbroken places both in terms of location and emotion. He achieved a fine balance in these somewhat barren land/soundscapes by lyrically delivering complex rhymes with dark humour that lightened the songs. It was that pitch black observational wit that was the real highlight of the night.

A song like Increment of Love delivered lines like “Molecule, Molly’s nobodies fool” and “Chromosome makes itself at home”. His comments between songs were also amusing observations on both audience and the wider world.