A Josh Garrels show is an event not to be missed, a statement injected with even more certainty after his performance Friday night at the Living Room. A disarmingly genuine live performer, Garrels played a number of offerings from his latest release, "Underquiet," but also showed that his repertoire is now pregnant with some heady new tracks.
Why wouldn't it be? Garrels acknowledged lyrically that "I've still got questions/ All these questions" as he invited the audience to diffuse with him. The few new originals did not deviate from Garrels' overarching themes of spiritual peace and freedom.
Even after tens of previous runs-through, Garrels' performances of crowd-lifters "Restless Ones" and "Children's Song" each sounded as if he was playing them for one of the first few times. Referring to life as a race, Garrels beckoned his audience, "Let's finish well."
Garrels is one to throw in the occasional cover tune, and he produced on this night with a pair of faithful tributes from the troves of Ani Difranco ("Joyful Girl" got the transgendered treatment for one night) and the Cranberries. The latter, "No Need To Argue," had his vocal paralleling Dolores O'Riordan's original reading quite well.
One track that premiered to these ears laid a thick world beat under Garrels' patented voice as he jettisoned off on a spiral stairway to heaven, eyes tucked neatly in back of head. The song, akin to an African spiritual, stirred the audience with no intelligible words needed. The same went for "Going Home," on which Garrels was joined by his three friends of opening act The Lions for a fuller, haunting sound.
His backers were also in place for the show's closer, a driving update of the hymn, "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus." The blood covered, Garrels wiped the sweat off his brow with one gangly elbow and disappeared into the night, no time for tears.
A couple minor technological kinks could not sabotage a solid show, nor could the unrighteous clamor of conversation from halfway back in the room. Memo to Living Room patrons: hush the fuss or go to Doc's. The LR's setting is too intimate for much more than a whisper.
The Lions trotted out their brand of happy midtempo fare and channeled Travis for much of their short set. Singer Mark Guinn led the haircut-defying trio through a few uplifting originals that climaxed with bassist Jay Kirckpatrick trading his axe for an accordion as Guinn read through a pleasantly sappy ballad that was equal parts Radiohead and Rufus. They might be relative cubs perched next to Garrels' grizzly, but the band showed promise.
- Jon Scott
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
