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Paul Westerberg at the NorVa in Norfolk, VA - 8/16/02
Where do I
even begin? I can finally cross the
Replacements off my list of bands to see before they or I die, because
seeing Paul Westerberg strum his guitar all by his lonesome was probably the
closest I will ever come to experiencing that which was a Replacements show. As I entered
the NorVa, I immediately felt young, which is something that doesnt happen to
me often at concerts anymore. Yeah,
Im finally old enough for a wristband to drink, but almost everyone around me
was old enough to be thinking about their kids starting grade school this fall.
While those around me could reminisce about the Replacements show they
saw back at college in 84, I am left only to imagine what that might have
been like. And in a way, I like
that better. It leaves me with a
(probably falsely) romanticized concept of what indie/college rock was like in
the mid-80s, when I was still learning how to ride a bike. The first
surprise of the night was Westerbergs lack of a backup band.
Perhaps I just assumed that some of his songs rock way too hard not to
have drums, bass, and the whole shebang. Nevertheless,
instead of a band, the stage was graced with a big, red leather couch and a rack
of about twelve different acoustic and electric guitars.
Westerberg took the stage, resembling a used car salesman in a purple
silk shirt, a black and white plaid suit, and blue-tinted sunglasses.
The real kicker was the ascot tied around his neck. I began to get a glimpse into the mind of this rock legend,
famous for stirring things up and doing the unexpected. Starting out
with a 12-string acoustic guitar, Westerberg kicked the show off with a
tuned-down version of Waiting for Somebody, one of his songs from 1991s
Singles soundtrack. And that
was all it took to get the crowd into it. Then
came a slew of Replacements songs including Nobody and Achin To
Be, during which he yelled Thank you Tommy! to the crowd, who had taken
it upon themselves to sing backup. He
then switched to an electric guitar to play Alex Chilton, and staying true
to the Replacements self-defeatist style, Westerberg announced that he should
just play Alex Chilton now so everyone could go home early.
As much as I love the Replacements power-pop ode to the lead singer of
Big Star, hearing an electric guitar without the rest of the band to fill the
song out left me wanting more (which is exactly why I cant get into current
minimalist rock bands like the White Stripes).
This was not a problem that extended to Westerbergs acoustic sets,
where his singer-songwriter prowess emerged in full form.
The set
could best be described as a 50-50 mix between Westerbergs current solo work
and old Replacements favorites. This
was a bit surprising as his recent release Stereo/Mono is not only critically
acclaimed but is also probably selling more copies than any Replacements albums
did upon first release. Also,
it seems like solo artists that used to be in cult bands always want you
to respect their current work just as much as what they did in the past.
Westerberg, however, seemed to embrace the magic the Replacements had,
and this magic clearly lives on in his performances.
Thus, the crowd got to hear new songs like High Time followed up by
Replacements classics. During the
latter half of his performance, Westerberg invited anyone who felt like it to
come sit on the big couch onstage, to which many obliged.
It was a big onstage sing-along for Ill be You and I Will
Dare as fans raced at the chance to sing into Westerbergs mic.
Music by Paul Westerberg is available at Insound, Amazon and CD Universe About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
