The Resolute Modfather: Above Nostalgia, Paul Weller Shows Great Songwriting Remains in Style -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Paul Weller
House of Blues, Chicago
October 12, 2017
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To be forthright off the bat, and fair to Paul Weller and fans who felt the Modfather and his band were absolutely fantastic for the entirety of Thursday's generous 130-minute show at House of Blues, my focus was--atypically--not 100% on the music.

Sure, I watched and heard every song performed, often sang along and jotted down all 29--except a few I didn't recognize--into my mini-notebook. (Chicago setlist here.)

But on a night when my beloved Chicago Cubs were in a fight for their playoff lives, with Game 5 of the NLDS going down to the last pitch against the Washington Nationals, the combination of free HOB Wi-Fi and my Sony PlayStation Vue membership enabled me to not only check the score, but watch significant portions of the later innings on my phone.

For those who will contend this to be: A) Not the way to best enjoy or judge a concert, B) Rude to the performers onstage and fans around me, and C) Contrary to the codes of conduct at live events that I posted about back in June, I cannot strongly disagree.

But I was sitting nowhere near the stage--having been graciously been granted a seat in the Back Bar section--was able to largely cloak my phone in a recessed countertop in front of me and was repeatedly assured by those nearby that their enjoyment of the concert was not being impacted.

In fact, many others--including HOB personnel--appreciated getting score updates and even watched with me.

And it wasn't like I was ignoring Weller, just keeping an eye on the game while watching the show.

That I didn't forego attending the concert given the deciding game--and would have even if there was no way to see the Cubs while there--bespeaks how much I like his music. (Incidentally, Weller's last Chicago concert, in June 2015, would have coincided with Game 7 of the Stanley Cup had not the Blackhawks clinched in 6, and I wouldn't have missed that show either.)

But I was unable to pass up the ability to watch the Cubs while also enjoying the concert, without seemingly being too much of an overt jackass. Especially as the Cubs wound up winning in about the most nerve wracking way possible, with the Nats seriously threatening to change the outcome in every inning.

Yet while I believe the above candor requisite in writing this review, I don't feel the split focus impaired my appreciation of what Weller & Co. were doing onstage.

In truth, while trying to fairly factor in the situation and perhaps cut a bit of slack, I actually think I may have liked the show a bit less without the Cubs' diversion (and a comfortable seat).

I was certainly glad to be seeing Weller live for the 6th time in the past 14 years, and happy to be joined by my likewise avid concertgoing pal, Paolo, especially in knowing that his affinity for Paul Weller--and his original band, The Jam--has quite a lot to do with my influence.

Because it is mostly standing room only, the House of Blues is a venue I don't frequent, but I was willing to due the relative rarity of Weller playing Chicago.

So I was delighted when the venue honored my request for a seating option. (And must note, more than previously experienced, the complete coolness and kindness of all HOB personnel I encountered, from the bartender/waitress in the restaurant to the security personnel downstairs and in the music hall. If you're reading this: Thank you.)

Hence, less so that had I been laser-focused and/or standing uncomfortably for 3+ hours--including a nice if muted opening set from Lucy Rose--I didn't really mind when Weller's setlist selections were a bit esoteric for my preferences.

It was a great night regardless, including some fantastic music by the ever-stylish Englishman and the five members of his touring band, which features a pair of drummers.

And having seen Weller so many times, and paying attention to his setlists in other locales, I knew this gig would be far from Jam-packed.

This is the 40th anniversary of the release of The Jam's debut album, In The City, and I would surmise that Weller remains quite proud of the work he did with that trio through 1982.

But despite the objections of his bandmates, he broke up the Jam at the height of their popularity--though never big in the U.S., in the UK they rivaled The Clash--and formed the Style Council, which lasted until 1989.

Since 1992, Weller has released several solid, stellar or even superlative solo albums, with many wonderful songs in a variety of styles he has chosen to explore.

Thursday night, Weller and his fine band played several of his older solo gems ("Friday Street," "Out of the Sinking," "From the Floorboards Up," "Into Tomorrow," "You Do Something To Me," "Wild Wood," "Peacock Suit" and "The Changingman") along with three tunes from his latest album, A Kind Revolution and--a bit oddly--six from the one just prior, Saturns Pattern.

A bit more to Paolo's delight than mine, three Style Council chestnuts ("My Ever Changing Moods," "Have You Ever Had It Blue" and "Shout to the Top") were heard but "Start!" was the only representation of The Jam, who remain among my 10 favorite rock artists of all-time even though I didn't learn of them until years after their disbandment.

But this isn't a simplistic, "Play more Jam!" critique, although the gripe is nothing new; my 2015 Weller review is thematically rather similar.

As noted above, Weller--ever-svelte at 59 and in great voice--sounded terrific as he rotated through electric & acoustic guitars and the piano, even once playing a guitar while seated at a keyboard.

Along with those already mentioned, the opening "White Sky," "Long Time," "Going My Way" and "Woo Sé Mama"--the latter a highlight from the new album--brought considerable delight.

I won't whine about any specific songs, but after about an hour things started to bog down (though I didn't mind too much given the excitement occurring at Nationals Park).

And while a 5-song acoustic encore was ever classy--begun with the new "Hopper": "In late night bars / The ghost of Hopper / Paints such melancholy colours / With sullen neon lights"--I know I'm not the only one who felt the Jam's "That's Entertainment" would have fit in wonderfully, while amping things up a bit.

But while it's a song Weller has played at solo shows over the past decade, he eschewed not only it but a closing romp through "Town Called Malice," which has ended things on a delirious note often, including on this U.S. tour.

The argument "Why do you keep seeing him if he doesn't play what you want?" holds some water, and could have also pertained to the late, great Tom Petty, who never mined his catalog as much as I wanted, yet whom I kept paying to see with the Heartbreakers.

In both cases, I love them and the music they did play enough to always remain a fervid fan. Their shows have never merited less than @@@@ or @@@1/2 out of 5, so I'm not saying any were "bad."

And as with Petty, I admire Weller for doing what he wants to, not what I or anyone else wants him to. However wealthy he may be, he could be far more so if he wanted to reunite The Jam, so he truly believes in his vision, and I have to respect that.

But I truly believe that without expecting to turn them into Jam jukebox affairs, his shows would be far more fully pleasing--at least to me; I noted some others raving about the setlist--with just a few more well-placed relics.

And had he pulled out "Going Underground"--my favorite Jam song, seemingly never played solo--I would've thrown my phone, and the Cubs, across the room.

As it was, I clearly wasn't the only one following the game. When the Cubs won, one of the night's loudest cheers erupted. Not that Paul Weller, to his steadfast credit, seemed to notice.

That's Entertainment, If Not Jam-Packed: Paul Weller Focuses Both Admirably and Obstinately on the Here and Now -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Paul Weller 

w/ opening act Hannah Cohen

The Vic Theatre

June 17, 2015

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I mean what I'm about to say--about a show I liked much more than not--respectfully, appreciatively, judiciously and even constructively, rather than merely as a kvetch whining about wanting to hear "the old songs."

Now 57, Paul Weller has been writing, singing and recording terrific tunes since his teens, when he formed The Jam, who AllMusic.com describes as "the most popular band to emerge from the initial wave of British punk rock in 1977."

In other words, at their peak, in the UK, the Jam were bigger than the Sex Pistols, Clash, Police or anyone else on the nascent punk/new wave scene, even though they never made much of a dent in America and I didn't learn of--and come to love--them until years after their 1982 breakup.

At the peak of their popularity, when he was just 24, Weller pulled the plug on the Jam--reportedly much to the shock and chagrin of bandmates Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler--because he wanted to move in new musical directions he didn't believe the trio could embrace.

He then formed the Style Council, had some more hits and a bit more notice in the U.S., and has enjoyed a rather prolific solo career since 1990.

Though he certainly could make a mint from just a few UK festival shows if he were ever inclined to reunite the Jam, in every interview I've read or seen, Weller has steadfastly, often acerbically, scoffed at the notion of reprising his past.

What makes Weller's insistence on always moving forward all the more appreciable is that he continues to prolifically create stellar music.

That 2015's strong Saturns Pattern continues an estimable string of good-to-great solo albums every 2-or-3 years since 1992 is all the more impressive for the new sonic directions Weller charts, reiterating the artistic exploration he brings to each release.

So although I would unabashedly revel in a Jam reunion, and was thrilled a few weeks ago just by a random opening act covering their first single, "In the City," I assure you I didn't buy tickets back in February expecting--or even overly desiring--Paul Weller's concert Wednesday at the Vic to be laden with Jam gems.

Having seen him in 2003, 2005, 2008 and last year at Riot Fest, I knew sprinklings of his pre-solo past were sparse, but had heard him do such great Jam songs as "That's Entertainment," "The Eton Rifles," "In the Crowd," "Start" and "Town Called Malice."

Weller's 45-minute set at Riot Fest last September was all-too-brief, but remarkable for how well eight solo tunes and the Style Council's "My Ever Changing Moods" sounded before the set ended with the last two songs cited just above.

And while I won't apologize for loving his Jam material by-and-large more than the solo stuff--Weller is a prime example of my Rock 'n Roll Pauls pseudo thesis--my regard for his latter day artistry is such that despite learning via recent, largely static setlists that I would be apt to hear just one Jam song on Wednesday, I was still leaning toward attending even if it meant missing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. (See my last post about the Blackhawks' victory in 6 games.)

I'm glad I wasn't forced to make that choice, and was thrilled to get to the Vic early enough to get comfortable, close-up balcony seats with my friend Dave (pinch-hitting for my under-the-weather friend Paolo).

Unlike Dave, I knew several of Weller's past solo albums and hits--in the UK, anyway--and had Spotifamiliarized myself pretty thoroughly with Saturns Pattern and most other recently setlisted songs.

Yet Dave concurred that the ever-dapper singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist and his five backing musicians sounded excellent from the get-go, even with 8 of the first 11 songs being from the new album or 2012's Sonik Kicks, along with an unfamiliar one called "The Olde Original," whose origins I couldn't ascertain.

"White Sky," "Long Time," "Going My Way" and "The Attic" sounded especially superb among the swath of recent material, and I loved hearing the wonderfully Jamish "Come On/Let's Go" and "From the Floorboards Up" from  2005's As Is Now.

Weller also reached back into the '90s rather powerfully for "Into Tomorrow," "Friday Street," "The Changingman," the great piano-based love song, "You Do Something to Me" and a gentler-than-the-original take on "Out of the Sinking."

So to be clear, nothing I heard on Wednesday night sounded subpar, and much was terrific.

Augmented by an opening set by the striking Hannah Cohen, whose somewhat hushed songs reminded of Lana Del Rey, Paul Weller delivered a solid, often impressive 100-minute performance that Dave also earmarked as meriting @@@@ (out of 5).

And believe me, though I've now heard him do it several times, and had noted it as a regular show closer on this brief American tour, I was ecstatic when--following a prolonged second encore break--Weller and his band came back to jam on "Town Called Malice." (See video below)

So I really don't mean to sound like a baby when I bemoan the fact that those of us who revere the Jam--or the Style Council for that matter, though I don't nearly as much--weren't thrown a few more crumbs.

But with redundant appreciation for the creative force Paul Weller remains today, I don't think I'm the only one who ponied up $50 expecting a few more blasts from his most glorious past. And though I didn't know his planned playlist until after I got my ticket--but still would have bought one if I did--my point isn't simply to bitch about what I wanted to hear but didn't.

As it was, the concert was one I enjoyed and appreciated, but with a few more Jam classics--especially ones he never seems to touch, like "Going Underground," "To Be Someone," "It's Too Bad," "Pretty Green," etc.--I likely would have been exhilarated.

With a relatively middling tune like "Brand New Toy"--which Weller mentioned he had recorded as a Record Store Day single a few years back--and a few other forgettable mid-tempo numbers played, but "That's Entertainment," "When You're Young" or even the Jam's cover of the Kinks' "David Watts" eschewed, the show felt a bit boilerplate and Weller stubbornly miserly.

Certainly, it's his right to play what he wants, and I genuinely like his ongoing oeuvre enough not to need an against-his-nature all out nostalgia fest.

But not only would the concert have been considerably better, IMHO, for balancing the best of Paul Weller, past and present--and not only does he profit from and occasionally otherwise promote continual Jam compilation releases--for all that one may admire his ever-ambitious, contemporary artistic integrity, the truth is that back catalog excursions from solo acts associated with great bands of yore are pretty much par for the course.

And dare I say, without putting too mercenary a spin on it, this only seems fair.

David Byrne, Paul Simon, Sting, Ray Davies, Lindsey Buckingham, Slash, Johnny Marr, Paul Westerberg, Bob Mould, Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, John Fogerty, Noel Gallagher, Steve Winwood, Roger McGuinn and Brian Wilson are all artists I've seen touring on substantive, often stellar solo albums/catalogs and/or with new collaborators.

Yet understanding that many fans have come to see them in part due to the bands with whom they made their first-known and typically most cherished music, all have given the people what they want to a much greater extent than Weller--even on past tours, but especially now.

And the concerts have invariably been better--or at least more personally satisfying--for it. (Heck, I've even thought Peter Gabriel would do well to trot out an old Genesis gem, not just to stun people, but to remind of the breadth of his brilliance.)

So take this for what it's worth, and what I mean it to be:

Admiration and applause for a treasured artist and enjoyable, entertaining concert, with honest, heartfelt, holistic--and sure, perhaps selfish--wishes that it would've been just a bit more of a Jam-packed affair.

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"Town Called Malice":