Bill Callahan Unspools A Powerful Set At Alhambra Palace

By Matt Byrne in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 15, 2013 7:20PM

Bill Callahan's two Chicago appearances this year have been in, as promoters Land & Sea Dept. put it, "unique performance environments." Earlier this year the underground singer-songwriter, who has released 18 albums since 1990 on local label Drag City, performed to a sold-out crowd surrounded by various types of exotic foliage at the Garfield Park Observatory. Last night Callahan was able to out-unique himself with a show at the Alhambra Palace, a Middle Eastern restaurant in the West Loop that's oddly ornate in a House On The Rock sort of way. (Thanks to the ever-astute Dmitry Samarov for nailing the comparison.)

Opener Circuit Des Yeux (Chicagoan Haley Fohr) shocked all those who arrived early with her mammoth voice and manic onstage persona that enveloped the room with a menacing energy. Fohr's compelling performance drew noticeable influence from two of the most beloved musical weirdos around—Scott Walker and Tom Waits. It was especially interesting considering the surroundings: a pair of fake palm trees flanked the stage and giant ornate curtains, tapestries and chandeliers filled out the venue. The juxtaposition between the doomy impressionism of Circuit Des Yeux firing on all cylinders and the Pier 1 Imports meets Rainforest Café vibe made for an unforgettable performance.

Though Callahan's live show is not known for such fireworks, he remains totally captivating onstage with an expressive baritone and an intuitive artful interplay with his band: guitarist Matt Kinsey; bassist Jaime Zuverza; and percussionist Adam Jones. Callahan can be subtly hilarious when he does choose to speak up, such as when he greeted an Alhambra staff member with an expertly placed "…Yeah, man!" when he inexplicably appeared onstage and began fiddling with knobs behind a big red curtain or inviting fans proclaiming "the new album kicks ass" to check out the merchandise table if they were "looking to get their ass kicked."

Throughout the 13 song set, the band played the entirety of Callahan's excellent new album Dream River and a handful of tracks from 2011's Apocalypse. The set also included the impossibly perfect "Too Many Birds" from 2009's Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle and a spread out solo-laden cover version of Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone To Love."

While few would pick out "America!" as a standout track from the sporadically brilliant Apocalypse, it's probably the best representation of Callahan's current live show. The song shifts gears and tempos frequently. It's a messy overstuffed track (though it rarely features more than a single guitar and Callahan's voice) that took on a new, more coherent form in a live setting highlighting Callahan's modest showmanship and the dexterity of his backup band. Other highlights included Dream River standouts "Summer Painter" and "Small Plane," the latter of which brought the show to a perfect conclusion. Due to time constraints the show finished without an encore, something modern indie rock crowds have (perhaps unfairly) come to expect.

Regardless, Callahan and his band quietly destroyed over the course of an hour with a set that placed the performer front and center, unspooling his minimalist yarn to a captivated crowd.