John Doe

Jim White

Largo - February 28, 2009

Live Review by Joe Cortez

Reviewing a show at Largo, the old place or the new, can be a difficult proposition. Absolutely no cell phones are allowed during the performance - my weapon of choice when taking notes - and with the house lights completely dark, it's next to impossible to take notes the old-fashioned way. So I was left with nothing more than my memory and perhaps that's the best way to review a show like this one.

Few could have ever imagined the pairing of alt-country singer songwriter Jim White and rock legend John Doe would be plausible, much less successful, but it was. Whereas Doe was clearly the marquee name and main draw for most fans in attendance this evening, White seemed more of a curiosity piece, a fact White himself acknowledged when he thanked Doe for telling his audience about his work during prior concerts. The show served as a warm up to the duo's upcoming tour of Australia. Largo's loose, informal atmosphere is an ideal location for such a gig given said venue's audience is typically more open-minded than most.

Coming out in a flannel shirt and jeans wearing a trucker's hat, White's presence, like his music, is straight forward, unassuming and wholly confounding all at once. This is where most listeners would check out, explaining his lack of notoriety despite having released several albums, most under David Byrne's Luaka Bop label. The sheer fact that this very American, self-identified country musician is even on Luaka Bop, a label known for it's world music catalog, should be a red flag that there is indeed more to White than his steel guitar and southern twang let on. 

On disc, White's music is dense and layered with myriad genres and styles, however his solo performance this night lacked the nuance and whimsy his studio output revels in but his words and message were no less powerful. White is nothing if not a great storyteller. He book-ended several songs with touching, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, tales from his past lives and experiences and his asides went quite a way to drawing new listeners in, his wry sense of humor shinning throughout.

After a brief intermission John Doe took the stage. Although I had seen Doe perform with his band X in the past, I had yet to see him solo and since his side projects had varied throughout the years, I was unaware of what to expect. What I got was a raw and joyous performance that featured tracks written during his early days and new cuts which Doe deemed love songs. Throughout his time on stage Doe had the audience hanging on his every word, it seemed as though every song Doe performed was some kind of love song delivered with the care and honesty uncommon in a man who started his career in a punk band.

Performing at times with Cindy Wasserman of Dead Rock West fame, Doe's voice was clear and direct throughout his set. The highlight of their set together came when the duo performed Doe's "The Golden State" off the 2007 album A Year in the Wilderness. Although the song has been covered most famously by Eddie Vedder and ex-Sleater-Kinney member Corin Tucker, hearing Doe perform the song himself was a searing reminder of the man's ability to craft a heartfelt ballad.

To close out the night, Doe, White and Wasserman all came out and got the audience back in the country mood with a spirited hootenanny that was more 101 freeway than "Route 66" but no matter. The show delivered on it's promise of a great night with great music. In the end, I didn't want the show to end and I can think of no better compliment for a musician.