Concert Review
Robbie Fulks
February 22, 2010 @ The Hideout
By Dave Miller
Zo
I've been meaning to see Robbie Fulks during his residency at The Hideout. A special occasion, a 40th-birthday celebreation for my friend, Chicago music writer Mark Guarino, brought me to one of the best music venues in town on Monday. Good wishes, cold beer and delicious barbecue set the stage for a terrific night of music.
Fulks has been treating each of his Monday appearances as a special show on its own. Recently, he's played one show as a duet performance with Nora O'Connor and another as part of a trio. This one featured him with his band: Grant Tye on guitar, Mike Fredrickson on bass and Gerald Dowd on drums. The evening started with the band easing its way into an instrumental. A few minutes passed before Fulks ambled onstage as the best-dressed man at The Hideout, sporting a dark suit. It was a sign of Fulks' intent on delivering a sharp performance although fans paid a mere $10 cover to watch the Chicago treasure play his top-shelf songs in an intimate setting.
It was a treat to watch a master country craftsman play such an up-close-and-personal gig. As the night wore on, it was like Fulks was playing a show in your living room and fans gave him the quiet for his performance to shine. The band sat on stools for the first third of the show as each member took turns dueting and singing with Fulks. A cover of the Everly Brothers' "Brand New Heartache" with Fredrickson was a particular highlight in a night full of them.
Fulks stood up for his "Vanishing Jane," noting that it was the first time he's stood during his February residency. That's how he played for the rest of the show. It's amazing how good so many of his songs sound. Apparently though they're not good enough for some unknown reason for the country music powers in Nashville where Fulks gave it a go before writing his infamous "Fuck This Town." You can't blame him for the sentiment. Listening to such classic country songs as "I'd Be Lonesome," "Can't Win For Losing You" and "Let's Kill Saturday Night," it's hard to believe Fulks didn't become rich and famous in Music City. That's on Nashville, not Fulks.
While that battle's been fought, Fulks continues to kick out the country jams. Truth is he's probably too smart and cool for the schlock scene that's corrupted country music in Nashville. He has a lot in common in that regard with a recent musican who just passed through town - Kris Kristofferson. Anyway, I can't see the lastest chart-topping country act pulling off Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" the way Fulks did Monday night. And it surely wouldn't open an encore with an improvised song about birthday boy Guarino like Fulks did so smoothly and hilariously. Fulks may have left Nashville without striking it rich, but he did so with his country soul still in tact.
Fulks also announced big news during his show. This was thought to be a February residency for him, but, after taking March off, he'll continue his Monday shows for the rest of the year at the Hideout. On April 5 he'll play a '70s Country Night show with the Hoyle Brothers.
The setlist:
instrumental
Got the Blues for Murder Only
Try Leaving
The Mississippi Queen
Brand New Heartache
I'm Still in Love with You
Orphan Train
Vanishing Jane
Banks of the Marianne
I'd Be Lonesome
Busy Not Crying
unidentified song
Isn't Love Strange
Two Lane Highway
Dirty-Mouth Flo
Can't Win For Losing You
Georgia Hard
Cigarette State
Billie Jean
I Push Right Over
Let's Kill Saturday Night
----------------------------
Mark Guarino
Sleepin' on the Job of Love
Start: 7:23 p.m./Finish: 9:13 p.m.
Totals: 23 songs, 1 hour and 50 minutes
past reviews
Fulks has been treating each of his Monday appearances as a special show on its own. Recently, he's played one show as a duet performance with Nora O'Connor and another as part of a trio. This one featured him with his band: Grant Tye on guitar, Mike Fredrickson on bass and Gerald Dowd on drums. The evening started with the band easing its way into an instrumental. A few minutes passed before Fulks ambled onstage as the best-dressed man at The Hideout, sporting a dark suit. It was a sign of Fulks' intent on delivering a sharp performance although fans paid a mere $10 cover to watch the Chicago treasure play his top-shelf songs in an intimate setting.
It was a treat to watch a master country craftsman play such an up-close-and-personal gig. As the night wore on, it was like Fulks was playing a show in your living room and fans gave him the quiet for his performance to shine. The band sat on stools for the first third of the show as each member took turns dueting and singing with Fulks. A cover of the Everly Brothers' "Brand New Heartache" with Fredrickson was a particular highlight in a night full of them.
Fulks stood up for his "Vanishing Jane," noting that it was the first time he's stood during his February residency. That's how he played for the rest of the show. It's amazing how good so many of his songs sound. Apparently though they're not good enough for some unknown reason for the country music powers in Nashville where Fulks gave it a go before writing his infamous "Fuck This Town." You can't blame him for the sentiment. Listening to such classic country songs as "I'd Be Lonesome," "Can't Win For Losing You" and "Let's Kill Saturday Night," it's hard to believe Fulks didn't become rich and famous in Music City. That's on Nashville, not Fulks.
While that battle's been fought, Fulks continues to kick out the country jams. Truth is he's probably too smart and cool for the schlock scene that's corrupted country music in Nashville. He has a lot in common in that regard with a recent musican who just passed through town - Kris Kristofferson. Anyway, I can't see the lastest chart-topping country act pulling off Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" the way Fulks did Monday night. And it surely wouldn't open an encore with an improvised song about birthday boy Guarino like Fulks did so smoothly and hilariously. Fulks may have left Nashville without striking it rich, but he did so with his country soul still in tact.
Fulks also announced big news during his show. This was thought to be a February residency for him, but, after taking March off, he'll continue his Monday shows for the rest of the year at the Hideout. On April 5 he'll play a '70s Country Night show with the Hoyle Brothers.
The setlist:
instrumental
Got the Blues for Murder Only
Try Leaving
The Mississippi Queen
Brand New Heartache
I'm Still in Love with You
Orphan Train
Vanishing Jane
Banks of the Marianne
I'd Be Lonesome
Busy Not Crying
unidentified song
Isn't Love Strange
Two Lane Highway
Dirty-Mouth Flo
Can't Win For Losing You
Georgia Hard
Cigarette State
Billie Jean
I Push Right Over
Let's Kill Saturday Night
----------------------------
Mark Guarino
Sleepin' on the Job of Love
Start: 7:23 p.m./Finish: 9:13 p.m.
Totals: 23 songs, 1 hour and 50 minutes