Joanna Newsom: Fox Theater, Oakland, CA 8/2/10

To say that Joanna Newsom is a Bay Area favorite would be both selling her short and reducing her to a trend among the hipsters, techies and young cosmopolitans that propel a constant search for those artists, figures or places that are the most innovative, cultural conscious and thought-provoking. Certainly Joanna Newsom shares quite a bit of celebrity throughout the United States, but rarely have I witnessed such ardent fervor over her and her music as that of a Bay Area Joanna Newsom fan. Perhaps it comes from the fact that she grew up near here, or that she is second cousins with mayor Gavin Newsom; however, there is no exact answer save the fact that she holds the power to keep her fans always wanting more, while satisfying and exceeding their own expectations of her.

The show at Oakland’s Fox Theater was part of Newsom’s Have One On Me tour, promoting her recent triple-album release on Drag City Records. It has been a long time in the making, as she premiered many of the songs that would make up the album during a January Australian tour. Early recordings of songs such as “Jackrabbits” and “In California” ignited online communities, making contributors relish the drama and vulnerability exhibited in these performances. West Coast fans then had to wait as she hit the road through Japan, Canada, Eastern & Midwestern US and Europe. Finally, after what felt like years of waiting, we finally got a hometown show—and one to remember for quite some time.

Robin Pecknold (of Fleet Foxes fame) opened the show with a beautiful thirty-five minute set, featuring mostly new material. Whether these songs would become part of the Fleet Foxes repertoire or released as a solo venture, however, was never discussed. The fact that most of these songs were brand new to the listeners in the audience worked surprisingly well, due to Pecknold’s engaging guitar playing, thoughtful lyrics and soulful vocal delivery. In many ways, Pecknold’s songs reminded me of stripped-down Paul Simon, in that the melodies felt fresh but timeless, the vocals were uncluttered by acrobatics or insincerities and there seemed to be a very Americana gospel sound to his arrangements. It was also clear how strong his feelings were for Joanna (professionally, of course) in that he referred to her as a “genius not seen since the likes of Albert Einstein.”

After a brief pause to re-tune the piano and harp, Joanna Newsom emerged from sidestage alone, beaming with a giant smile and looking into the upper balconies to grasp the sheer size of the audience.  The nearly 3,000-strong crowd cheered with energy and excitement, anxiously anticipating the beginning of the show. A stark white light poured down on Newsom, who opened with “81”—the first studio song to hit the Internet prior to the release of HOOM. Blogs like Pitchfork and Stereogum immediately lauded the effort, while other critics added that it was both her most accessible, pop-leaning arrangements and soothing vocals heard on record. Big gestures and proclamations in the face of one solitary song, but then again Newsom’s work provides so much to gush over. Her performance of “81” seemed slightly rough vocally, but the harp playing was even more expressive and intricate than on the recording. Immediately following this quiet 3-minute moment of hushed exhilaration, Newsom’s band joined her onstage and launched into a windy, vivacious take on the latest album’s title track. Boasting some of the most historically-grounded yet deeply personal lyrics she has written, the story of Lola Montez burst forth alongside Neal Morgan’s extremely varied and spot-on percussion. There are many musical love stories between instruments Newsom’s songs, but the live interplay between Morgan’s percussion and Newsom’s harp was spellbinding.

Next came a fairly faithful yet gripping rendition of “Easy,” the opening track from Disc One of Have One On Me. Seated at the piano, Newsom delved into the jazzy undertones of the song and commanded the performance with her soaring vocals. Digging further into the new album, she returned to the harp for the quiet and calm “You and Me, Bess.” This was the first time it felt the audience really took a deep breath to process the previous three songs that held everyone on the absolute edge of their seat.

Switching gears, Joanna launched into a spirited and bombastic version of “Inflammatory Writ” that had the audience giving a huge cheer and some even singing along. It felt like an old friend had come in the room after everyone was three beers in, and the warmth and energy from the audience certainly translated onto the stage, for the song was tight, driving and riveting. 

Newsom continued to dive into her recent album for the following four songs, delivering a hushed and fragile version of “Autumn” that was captivating and vulnerable. The jaunty and lively “Soft as Chalk” had people dancing while remaining seated, and certainly showcased Newsom’s piano prowess. It was the following suite of four songs, however, that elevated the show to the level of genius and truly inspired a rapturous crowd to stare awestruck during the flawless performance.

“Kingfisher,” one of the longer of the tracks on HOOM, was executed brilliantly with Ryan Francesconi giving the Eastern-inspired recorder line crossing over flowing harp. This number really took the audience by surprise, with many people after the performance claiming that the song was one of the best she’s ever written. Next was an incredibly fun, whimsical and spry version of “Good Intentions Paving Company,” which featured a “chorus of Pecknolds and Newsoms” as Joanna put it, playing drum sticks and water bottles in time with Neal Morgan. It was clear what a good time was had by all on stage.

“Emily” from Ys and “Peach Plum Pear” from The Milk-Eyed Mender comprised the final section of the main set. Both of these boasted new versions by Ryan Francesconi, the multi-instrumentalist behind the stunning arrangements on all of the Have One On Me songs. While the album version of Emily is dizzying and stunning in its own right, Francesconi both stripped back much of the song and amplified the dynamic shifts so that it felt like the song danced with emotion and verve. Newsom seemed utterly entranced during the performance. I would wholeheartedly dare to say that this version tops that of the album, in that the piece seemed to pulse and grow out of its own beat and developed a space into which the notes, melodies, harmonies and instruments came together to create an energy of incredible force and depth. This also was true about the rendition of “Peach Plum Pear,” which while radically different than the harpsichord-driven and sprightly album version, took the song to new heights, making it seem like nothing was impossible—that everything Joanna Newsom (and Francesconi, by extension) touches turns into intellectual and emotional gold. “Peach Plum Pear” was a perfect ending for the set, rife with strong percussion, inspired vocal delivery and great intensity.

The encore choice genuinely surprised the entire audience, as everyone was expecting to hear another one of Have One On Me’s excellent “closer” type songs, or another selection from the brilliant album Ys. Instead, Newsom brought Pecknold back on stage, as well as the “Good Intentions Paving Company” chorus to perform a take on Kid Rock’s duet with Sheryl Crow/Allison Moorer “Picture.” It took a minute or two for people to catch on that they were actually doing this exact song, as it sounded like a thoughtful and tasteful take on a 1960s folk ballad. But despite the seeming ridiculousness of the song choice, the rendition was stunningly beautiful, humorous, cathartic and heartwarming. While many were (rightfully) frustrated that due to time constraints “Cosmia” from Ys (which was on the setlist as opening the encore section) was skipped, one couldn’t deny the utter loveliness of the duet, and it really seemed like a perfect way to end the night of a Joanna Newsom hometown show.

 Hopefully Bay Area fans won’t have to wait another year to hear her perform (as of now Newsom has one night at Carnegie Hall planned in November—a harbinger of another HOOM tour?), but even if they do, they’ll come out in the thousands to drink at the source of Newsom’s artistic spring. Rarely have I seen such a reverent audience caught up in the rapture of a concert, and I know now that this isn’t mere trend-following – Joanna Newsom is one of the most brilliant singer/songwriters of our time, and she absolutely deserves to be claimed as such.

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