When Chris Garneau sings, “I want to catch my death of cold,” a quiver in his voice makes the listener experience that cold himself. Hearing Garneau perform that line from “Black and Blue” at the Museum of Fine Arts, I found myself nursing a shiver, holding my goosebumped arms, and fighting the tears welled up in my eyes.
Evoking such emotion is quite the feat at the MFA’s Remis Auditorium. Though we comment on the venue every time we see a performance there, it requires repeating. The Remis is a bare, lifeless black box performance space, a strong contrast to the typical music club. Yet somehow it works. When we saw Dirty Projectors there, the seated audience didn’t even whisper between songs, allowing the listener to focus on every carefully crafted note the stoic Projectors released. For Low, the three band members stood with the most allowable space between them on the stark stage, complementing themes of loneliness in their music.
Likewise, the unusual space highlighted the intimate, timid, and insular nature of Garneau’s songs. Performing to a small crowd and accompanied only by cellist Anna Callner, Garneau’s softly delivered keyboard and vocals quietly told of strained relationships and deep, inward-looking contemplation. “Blackout,” as Garneau introduced it, promised to be a break from these themes, telling the story of New York City’s blackout from Summer 2003; but even these lyrics hinted at reticence and a personal relationship, possible hurting.
Garneau performed two songs—“The Leaving Song” and “Hands on the Radio”—from his new sophomore album El Radio, released the day before. Having just returned from a short tour in China, Garneau’s MFA performance opening for singer-songwriter John Wesley Harding appeared to be a warm-up for his New York CD release the following day. When future touring plans are announced, do not miss an opportunity to see him perform live.
Setlist:
01. The Leaving Song – El Radio
02. Relief – Music for Tourists
03. Hands on the Radio – El Radio
04. Winter Song #1 – unreleased
05. Black & Blue – Music for Tourists
06. Blue Suede Shoes – Music for Tourists
07. Island Song – C Sides
08. Blackout – C Sides
09. Not Nice – Music for Tourists
