New songs show off Waits at his growly best

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

By GENE STOUT
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER POP MUSIC CRITIC

"Day After Tomorrow" is one of the most political songs of Tom Waits' career, and it was one of the more moving tunes in his sold-out concert last night at the Paramount Theatre.

MUSIC REVIEW

TOM WAITS

WHEN: Last night

WHERE: Paramount Theatre

"I'm not fighting for justice/ I'm not fighting for freedom," Waits sang in a song based on a soldier's letter home from the battlefield.

"I'm fighting for my life."

For local fans of the raspy-voiced singer-songwriter, Waits' concert was a special treat. It was the only U.S. date on his current tour, serving as a warm-up for a string of European dates.

The tour follows the release of Waits' 20th album, "Real Gone," one of the best of his career. It recently made its debut at No. 28 on The Billboard 200 album chart, the best performance for a new album in Waits' four decades of music. In fact, songs from the new album dominated the set list.

Waits' entrance at 8:30 p.m. wasn't as dramatic as that of his 1999 concert at The 5th Avenue Theatre, when he tossed handfuls of glitter as he walked down an aisle to the stage. But his performance was no less exciting for those who snapped up tickets to the exclusive show, which sold out in five minutes after going on sale recently.

Dressed in a drab suit and fedora, Waits took his place at the microphones at the front of the stage. Backing him were bassist Larry Taylor (who played stand-up and electric), versatile guitarist and banjoist Marc Ribot and percussionist Brain. Waits occasionally accompanied himself on guitar, but he didn't bring a piano onstage until his final encore.

In the opening dirty-blues tune "Make It Rain," Waits' distinctive growl brought whoops of approval from the crowd. He finished the song with a megaphone, further distorting his vocals. Another new song, "Don't Go Into That Barn," was filled with dread and paranoia.

On "Hoist That Rag," a song filled with menace, Waits sang in a cancerous growl. "Sins of My Father," a stark, atmospheric tune, mixed blues and gospel.

Waits joked about singing more upbeat songs but continued offering such dark, gritty tunes as "The Earth Died Screaming," "Murder in the Red Barn" and "Shake It," a voodoo rocker reminiscent of Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

Between songs, Waits joked about a "cavity search" at the Canada-U.S. border and quipped that he had a frog in his throat. "Or is it a throat in my frog?" he mused.

In "Table Top Joe," about two brothers performing a "saw-the-man-in-half" vaudeville routine, Waits sounded like Louis Armstrong. As the crowd sang along, Waits quipped, "I don't know if I should pay you individually, or as a group ... I think we can work out a good rate."

Waits' first encore featured the throbbing blues tune "Top of the Hill," also from the new album, and the creepy, paranoid spoken-word "What's He Building in There?"

The crowd cheered when stagehands rolled out an upright piano for Waits' final encore, featuring "Hang Down Your Head" and "House Where Nobody Lives."

P-I pop music critic Gene Stout can be reached at 206-448-8383 or genestout@seattlepi.com

Add P-I Music headlines to