I feel sheepish being the second melophobe writer to review a Calexico concert without previously being a fan. Though like my West Coast counterparts, I was completely won over by Calexico’s distinctive Southwestern / Mexican sound and remarkable, high-energy performance.
The sheepishness comes from Calexico’s loyal, fervent fan base. Calexico has fans with a capital F: F as in Fans letting their Freak Flags Fly, Flailing their arms, spinning around like acid-craved hippies. The dancing wasn’t easy, considering the Somerville Theatre is a sit-down venue. Nonetheless, when lead singer Joey Burns encouraged people to stand, the crowd flooded the aisles and let loose. By the second half, when Calexico eschewed their contemplative ballads for full-on Latin dance numbers like “Alone Again Or” and “El Gatillo,” the aisles were packed. I resisted the urge to give impromptu meringue lessons, remembering a similarly misguided experience in Latin / Americana fusion: at a club in Oaxaca, Mexico I saw a band attempt comprensión cultural by playing an ear-bleeding jazz rendition of the Mario Brothers theme song.
But the wild dancing, albeit on odd match for the style of music, added to the joyous vibe of the evening, capped by an encore that brought back opener The Acorn and an old musician friend from Joey’s L.A. days.
Now to redeem my ignorance of Calexico, allow me to geek out over The Acorn. I’m pretty certain I’m The Acorn’s number one Boston fan, considering I own their vinyl and was one of a few dozen people who saw their one other Boston performance. The Somerville Theatre suited The Acorn well, as the superior acoustics, flattering lighting, and all-around funky atmosphere allowed their diverse group of instruments to shine. With one exception, The Acorn played only from their latest release Glory Hope Mountain, significantly switching up the arrangements with great success. And now for some geeky observations:
1. Howie Tsui and Keiko Devaux were conspicuously absent, which, considering Howie’s significant multi-instrument contribution, was concerning, until I realized that…
2. …Shaun Weadick is one heck of a musician. The Acorn picked Shaun up last year as a touring second percussionist, but he moved into Howie’s place with stunning ease. Calexico even gave Shaun a guitar solo during their encore.
3. When we interviewed The Acorn last April (part 1 / part 2), they discussed learning new instruments for the last record, and the ukulele, prominently featured on the album, was one of them. Singer Rolf Klausener seems to have improved (his performance on “Low Gravity” was great), but Shaun still blows the others away with his fast-fingered ukulele playing.
4. The synchronized drumming on “Glory” was fantastic. I welcomed Shaun’s replacement, because rich percussion is one of The Acorn’s greatest strengths.
5. The distortiony, layered guitars on “Even While You’re Sleeping” sounded amazing in the Somerville Theatre.
6. The frenetic jam session of “Flood, Part 1” was so catchy that even the most impatient Calexico fans were tapping their feet.
The Acorn played a phenomenal set, and a handful of people rushed to the stage to speak with them after they finished. I hope this is a sign that they’ve been picking up well-earned fans on the tour.
