Maxed Out

I’ve wrestled with saying anything negative. I’ve wrestled with “being honest vs. being positive.” There’s a good reason for both. I’ve decided to be honest, but my honesty will be both positive and negative. Not sure how it’ll weigh in the end, but here goes.

I was excited about seeing Derek Webb in concert. Any chance I have to see this guy I want to take. I love his bold proclamations and his soothing voice and melodic sense of songwriting. He happened to be on a regional tour (just Texas, I think) opening for Kevin Max. I’ve been wanting to see Kevin Max live for awhile. I regret having missed the last few opportunities I had to see this guy. I remember talking to him and he told me that he was performing “Absolution” by MUSE as an encore. I’d so love to see that. I got a text the night before this show from a friend that was putting on the show (and apparently with them as they rehearsed), who wanted to know if I thought “Creep” by Radiohead was a good cover choice. “Do I ever!” I texted back. This artist has a great track record, as far as I’m concerned, in choosing songs to cover in his live set. Anyone remember his “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” cover about a decade ago?

I show up before Derek Webb goes on and get a place up front. I loved hearing his between-song banter. I was impressed with his delicate exhortation to be good patrons of the bar, refering to acting within your given liberty (implied as to alcohol consumption) and supporting this live music and drinking establishment. He wanted the secular business to have a good experience bringing in a distinctly Christian entertainment bill for the evening. True to his lyrical attitude (like the song “New Law”), I thought he handled it well. His reference to The Parrish having the best sound in Austin as he stated being extremely excited to be there in Austin that night was a bit puzzling. It did sound good in the room. I don’t recall ever hearing someone else brag about the club’s sonics like that before.

It was fun hearing Webb “country-fi” some of his tunes with little licks and fills – just to make it fun and different, I’m guessing. He introduced “Freddie, Please” by describing the pastor Fred Phelps as a “despicable man.” I think, in the spirit of Paul the apostle (who called Judiasers “dogs”) that it is proper to point out and call names to those that truly deserve it. Proper, but with the utmost care (because if you’re wrong…). He announced that he just produced a new Caedmon’s Call album “that was released … this week,” which he quickly followed with, “whatever that means these days.” The times, they are a changing.

I tweeted: “When @derekwebb plays a song here in Austin, I wish the doors would swing open so the whole city could hear.” I had this thought when he was singing “Rich Young Ruler,” which cuts through so much of the baggage that some people associate with the church in the West. He played lots of good songs from his first five solo albums (like “A Savior on Capitol Hill”) and he announced that he had a new one, called Feedback, coming out in November.

He shared his drink preference during his discourse about being good patrons of the bar (water and Jameson’s), to which two different people bought for him. He drank from the stage, which showed moderation with the good-natured attitude of a CS Lewis or George MacDonald, but that would surely be scandalous to some of his audience. That and the use of the s-word in one of his songs from Stockholm Syndrome.

Kevin Max would sing the f-bomb a couple times later in the night, as well. While the use of profanity was probably okay with everyone in The Parrish on this night, it would probably cut and offend a fair share of their Christian music audience. Some artists will accept the tension and flack they’ll receive for staking claims to truths as they know it.

Kevin Max came on and played a really cool song called “Transmission” by the legendary band Joy Division. With refrains of “Dance, dance, dance to the Radio,” it was a fun moment. Kevin did a little dancing of his own. He kinda looked quirky doing it, as if it were entirely unnatural for him, but yet fun. It reminded me of my friend Carey Womack dancing to Christian New Wave tunes of the ’80s. To be honest, it’s a little unsettling, but not to an extreme.

While I’m on the subject of appearance at the moment, let me interject some of my thoughts. These are “bad thoughts,” to be sure. Kevin Max looks a tad heavier than his skinny boy days of yesterdecade with dcTalk. This is to be expected by the average guy. Outward appearance is so superficial. Even talking about it is showing poor taste. I realize that my own thoughts, bridle them as I try, are not too unlike those of the average Christian music fan that might see him live. He looks pretty much like he did on screen in the movie he recently starred in – The Imposter.

And speaking of the movie, I had other conflicting thoughts in my head. As much as I am on the side of this artist, it seemed like he did enough actions to warrant some of these ideas. In the movie he portrays a character that is an attention-grabbing guy that acts out so many performer cliches (flirting with girls, utilizing the stage as his platform, posing, etc). In the setting of this small club and the lack of a very large crowd, it almost looks forced the way he moved around the stage. I found myself at times rooting for him to get that mic cord unwrapped from around the microphone stand and hoping he wouldn’t trip over that guitar pedal behind him – that sort of thing. I was distracted and he seemed to be also.

He seemed slightly unnerved by the lack of a big crowd and the enthusiasm and natural energy that sort of thing brings. Again, a lot on stage seemed forced. But when it came to the music, there was some really good moments. Part of his set list included: “Traveler” and “Seek” and a brand new one, which he explained bassist JJ Placencio composed just yesterday. It was called “The Exorcist” and it was brilliant! Placencio played some eerie and sweet notes on the stand-up bass. It was truly epic. I can’t wait to hear that one get recorded.

Then Derek Webb came out and they played a cover of “Eleanor Rigby.” It sounded really good. Max had a music stand with lyrics on it and it appeared he had trouble reading it, because he sang about a “Father McQuirky, writing the words to a sermon no one will hear…” I saw a slight grin on Webb’s face. I found myself amused, too. How could any artist in this modern age not know the words to this famous Beatles song? Oh well. It did sound good.

I tweeted at this moment: “JJ Placencio on stand-up bass, @DerekWebb on guitar and sharing vocals with @kevinmax doing Eleanor Rigby. Awesome! …and now “Creep.” Wow!”

The band, which looked like the hired guns that I assume they were (judged by seeing them keep fairly constant eye contact with one another on song sections, beginnings and endings), sounded very solid. They ran through a cool cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.” They also did a new one from Max’s new album, Cotes de Armor, which I liked.

The band finished with another cover, to which Max reminded the audience (most of which I bet didn’t know the artist or the song) that this legendary musician (Michael Bean) passed away this year. “I Still Believe” was rousing and a top-notch way to end a show.

So, while my mind wandered a few times during the performance, being distracted by my perception of the artist, what mattered most stood tall at the end – the music. It was good.