Jackson Browne Rolls Back the Years at Chicago Theater

Closing your eyes last night at Chicago Theater it was easy to think you were sitting in 1975, when Jackson Browne last toured with David Lindley as part of his full band. What a great place to spend the night.



Lindley, who is adept on just about any stringed instrument on the planet, has always lent Browne's music a tone and texture that has carved a special place for the early-era Jackson Browne records and concerts among Browne fans. And last night's performance, while making no nostalgic effort to recreate those days, demonstrated from start to finish the bond the two artists share, both musically and personally.

Browne and Lindley performed as coffeehouse duo for much of the first hour, bantering and offering musical insights to introduce a varied set of acoustic music. Starting with Warren Zevon's "Seminole Bingo," Browne's "For Everyman," and Bruce Springsteen's "Brothers Under the Bridge," Browne supplied the rhythm while Lindley played often intricate lead (and sang lead on "Brothers"), and he provided a Middle Eastern feel to Browne's political "Looking East." Browne, known for changing set lists on the fly, (though he admitted that's tougher to do with a full band), then surprised even Lindley by dusting off "Call It a Loan," co-written with Lindley, for a strong, up-close-and-personal reading. Browne left the stage to Lindley for a reinterpreted "Soul of a Man" by Blind Willie Johnson as well as a great cover of Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road."



But as strong as the first set was, the strength of Browne's music really showed when the full band took the stage after the break. Selecting songs spanning virtually his entire career (including spontaneous changes "Rock Me On the Water," "Sky Blue and Black," and "I'm Alive" prompted by audience shout-outs) Browne split the night between acoustic guitar and electric piano, giving fine voice to the three best cuts from his newest CD Time the Conqueror "Off of Wonderland," "Giving That Heaven Away," and "Just Say Yeah" (an updating of "Call It a Loan.") Hits "Running on Empty" and "The Pretender" and fan favorites "Bright Baby Blues," "Late for the Sky," and "Fountain of Sorrow" really benefit from a solid sonic background as well as from the ability of the band to kick each of those songs into a higher, more powerful, and in some cases more spine-tingling gear. "Too Many Angels" and encores "Mercury Blues" and "I Am a Patriot" allowed the band to stretch instrumentally and rock a little harder, particularly on "Mercury Blues."



Special mention must be made of "For a Dancer," possibly the saddest, most joyous song of the Browne canon. And while Browne hasn't neglected this Late for the Sky cut over the years, solo piano just doesn't do it justice. Lindley on fiddle instantly creates an atmosphere of melancholy and provides a depth that underpins Browne's cathartic vocals. A highlight of a great night, 2010 or 1975.