Kurt Vile @ Chevron Festival Gardens (for PIAF)
Monday, February 27, 2017
Another scoop in this year’s PIAF lineup saw them secure enigmatic indie rocker Kurt Vile in solo mode for an intimate sit down affair. Selling out his first show, a second was added, which got close too. While some may have questioned the high ticket prices for a solo show, and the fully seated arrangement, it turned out to be worth it, with Vile’s near two-hour performance being all the more captivating sans band.
Last time he was here with his band The Violators for Laneway 2014, it was an enjoyably laidback afternoon set, but this evening was far more revealing of the man’s subtle songwriting magic and his playful sense of humour. He slowly won over the crowd with acoustic renditions of songs from his ample back catalogue, focusing mostly on his last three records that really established him internationally.
While the Philadelphia native is a prolific artist, his rise to fame has been slow and steady – as well as playing lead guitar with The War On Drugs in the early days with close friend Adam Granduciel, he’s released six albums and several EPs under his own name – with his latest record, 2015’s b‘lieve I’m goin down… his most popular yet.
Ambling out onto the dimly lit stage dressed casually in a flannel shirt and jeans, his face hidden under his long, flowing mane of wavy hair, he picked up an acoustic guitar and launched into Feel My Pain, a lesser heard track from his 2013 EP It’s a Big World Out There (And I Am Scared). The beautiful finger-picking progression overset with his mournful voice floated through the night air, drawing the crowd in and setting the tone for the evening. All In A Daze Work continued in a similar dreamy vein, as company logos on skyscrapers lit up behind him in juxtaposition.
He then livened things up with the use of a looping pedal, laying down riffs and then playing over the top of them. He added a basic backing beat for recent single, catchy little ditty Pretty Pimpin. While it did add another dimension, it was at times a bit clumsy, causing the odd stuff up, though these imperfections made him all the more endearing. “Can you tell it’s my first solo show in a while?” he mumbled with a smirk.
While the crowd may have felt a bit awkward in their seats, you got the impression Vile found the formal setting a bit unsettling too and seemed a bit nervous, but as the set progressed he seemed to get more into the groove. The title track from Wakin On A Pretty Daze really saw him hit his stride, showing off his brilliant, understated guitar playing with an awesome solo. Without the band, the songs are more stripped back and raw, and take on a new life.
Another highlight was the sprawling beauty of Goldtone, an incredibly chilled tune. While a lot of his songs seem to be whimsical, melancholic, existential musings – live, you get more of a feeling that Vile’s not at all a depressive downer. His banter with the audience was cheeky and charming, asking for requests and telling stories from his tours over east. His nuanced humour came to the fore as he sat down and broke out the banjo for a tune, singing “Come over here, I don’t bite… Much that is” with a smirk.
He delved back further to 2011’s Smoke Ring For My Halo with Runner Ups and 2009’s Childish Prodigy with He’s Alright, before bringing it back to the more recent Stand Inside as he wrapped up the set proper.
Despite his slacker demeanour and drawl, Vile really is a great songwriter and guitarist with a unique style. It’s easy to get drawn into his world, and what might seem a long set for a solo act, passed by with ease.
An encore included a stripped back version of Dust Bunnies, some majestic, finger-picking brilliance on Peeping Tomboy and a restrained Girl Called Alex. He left the stage as nonchalantly as he came on – the crowd snapped out of the trance they were under and heartily applauded.
While it would definitely be great to see Vile back soon with his band, this evening was a rare treat, getting up close and personal with a true troubadour of our times.
ALFRED GORMAN
Pics by Jessica Wyld
