There’s a popular bumper sticker around these parts, proclaiming “Keep Portland Weird.” It’s no secret this city has a reputation for offbeat behavior and eccentric residents, and the local weirdos are out in full force tonight. Attendees this evening include the middle-aged man and woman who have been entangled in a graphic makeout session since they arrived. To their left, the graying groupie who responds loudly to several people who weren’t addressing her; on the other side, the plastered-drunk girl in rockabilly garb who has broken her high-heeled shoe while barreling from one side of the room to the other. Let’s not forget the heckler at the far end, and the bootlegger flagrantly recording the show from stage right. From the front row at Dante’s, these denizens of Portland’s underbelly form a peculiar welcome wagon for John Doe and His Rockin’ Band.
Stoic and focused in the face of adversity, Doe and his band begin. They make apologies for any flubs, having been waylaid by car trouble earlier in the day. Looking dapper in a suit, he tells us “Here’s a love song. This is the love song show.” No warning needed – they sound polished, upbeat, and cohesive from the beginning. As Mr. Doe is a man of many bands, he and His Rockin' Band jump deftly between his latest material, recent collaborations with other artists, and X’s “White Girl.” As they start in on “Little Tiger,” an error inspires Doe to call it off and begin again. They pull it together on the second try. When it ends, he pauses to scold the liplocked couple at his feet. “Romance is all about timing,” he says. Doe engages with the audience quite a bit. He shares with us the rich history of these songs, makes quips, and maintains an air of unfettered honesty.
Cindy Wasserman from Dead Rock West provides the female vocals on the many duets. However, even with that beautiful voice of hers, she can’t quite hit all the marks on the popular “Golden State.” Perhaps it’s due to the heckler relentlessly shouting Knitters song titles at the stage, but it’s a bit of a disappointment. They continue on, ending the set with a cover of an unrecorded Jill Sobule song called “New World.” Returning for the encore, beers in hand, the band makes a last-minute addition of X’s “See How We Are,” dedicated to John Doe’s sweetheart. After noting the importance of knowing when to stop, they conclude the performance with an upbeat rocker, “Jump Into My Arms.” The band members are all smiles, clearly enjoying the hell out of performing together no matter the snags of the day.
Prior to John Doe and His Rockin’ Band, the charming Dead Rock West played a collection of spirituals at an alt-country tempo. Composed of Frank Lee Drennen and the aforementioned Cindy Wasserman, this band is a perfect choice of opener. The old-timey songs are religious in nature, though not oppressively so. They know their audience and have learned just how far they can push the god stuff without alienating the listener, and they play right at that edge. “I’m going where there’s no depression,” they sing. Sweat soaks through Drennen’s western-style shirt, yet he and Wasserman show no sign of toning down their performance. It ends with Claude Ely’s classic gospel tune, “There Ain’t No Grave (Gonna Hold My Body Down).” Once they’re done, Wasserman remains on stage to sing with the headliners.
The night was opened by local chanteuse Paula Sinclair, who specializes in mimicking the style of the artists she covers. Tonight she’s chosen Joni Mitchell in honor of the artist’s 68th birthday, and she notes having worked very hard to match Mitchell’s sound. Her hard work has paid off; Sinclair does sound nearly identical to the legendary folk singer. However, an entire set of Joni Mitchell songs – and primarily less well known ones at that – is frankly pretty boring. She also spends an inordinate amount of stage time telling longwinded stories while struggling to re-tune her guitar correctly for the various selections. Before delving into “Woodstock,” Sinclair says, “I don’t know what will happen with this Joni Mitchell thing, but we’ll just roll with it.” Well, you certainly won’t make a career out of it as long as the real deal is still kicking. Ms. Sinclair, your voice is excellent, but you need to develop one of your own.
