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Written by Antonia Santangelo
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Wednesday, 31 January 2007 |
Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
January 12, 2007
If received warmly—lovingly even—Ron Sexsmith brought bad news to the Bowery stage upon his arrival: His vocal chords were “ravished,” and the ill singer would only be able to hit every other note. But to balance things out he also brought a sense of humor, noting that in his ruffled shirt and blazer he looked a little like Willy Wonka. As a result of his failing voice, New Yorkers were perhaps treated to a little more whimsy than usual from the lauded singer/songwriter, who dotted his set with self-depreciating jokes.
Sexsmith and his dynamite band of four players opened the show with “Hands of Time” and went on to perform a hearty cross-section of his catalog, including moments off new album, Time Being. Particularly memorable highlights included the romantic “Tomorrow in Her Eyes” and “Gold in Them Hills,” along with a soul-searching new song “Snow Angel,” “Fool Proof” and “Cheap Hotel.” Sung with such earnest beauty, the delicate and wistful “Strawberry Blonde” was also quite special.
The set was a mix of full-band and solo performances, and Sexsmith’s voice did sound slightly awkward at points, but he made it through each tune well enough. And, interestingly, whenever he hesitated while singing, it actually gave the listener more time to ponder his lyrics. He was aided along the way by a guitarist/background vocalist, who decked out in striped, carnival-esque pants, helped him on the high-hitting “Hard Bargain.”
One of the best performances of the night surprisingly came at the end of the first encore, when Sexsmith spontaneously added the simple yet poignant “Riverbed,” a fan request.
An unusual inclusion, the quiet Americana piece off 1999’s Whereabouts was one he remarked with a bashful glimmer that he wrote when he was trying to be Stephen Foster—in other words, trying to “die penniless.” It was a lovely number to witness live, as Sexsmith sang it with full vibrancy (possibly due to its lack of high-reaching notes). A perfect song choice to ease down a show that was a satisfying meal of rollicking rock, intimate folk, bittersweet blues and funny, quick wit.
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