Hopelessly Romantic Blues-Stricken Chris Isaak Pours His Heart Into An Evening Of Crooning Quality Music

Chris Isaak Saturday, July 6, Riverfront Park

While many of us stood in line to enter the gate for the Chris Isaak concert Saturday at Riverfront Park, a dumbfounded woman strolling by paused and questioned why people would actually line up to hear Isaak.

“He only has one good song on that tape,” she blurted, no doubt referring to “Wicked Game” from “Heart Shaped World.”

How dead-wrong she was. Those of us slowly herded toward the gate knew it, too. For Isaak doesn’t waste his golden vocal chords on bad songs. Great songs aren’t necessarily hit songs. And hit songs don’t necessarily qualify for greatness.

Not to mention the fact that if “Wicked Game” were his only good song, he would have been foolish to feature it toward the beginning of the concert, which he did about six songs into his nearly two-hour show.

Indeed, the misinformed woman certainly missed out, because not only did Isaak and his trusty sidekick Silvertone play that “one good song,” but they also played about 20 others.

The set included material from his past three albums: “Heart Shaped World,” “San Francisco Days” and “Forever Blue.” Toward the end of the show for the 2,000 in attendance, he debuted a couple of songs slated to appear on his next album.

Early on, Isaak lent his voice to a handful of soft songs, including “Change Your Mind” from his latest effort.

The surf-drenched and weepy ballad proved almost too quiet for the crowd, mainly because the sound was turned far too low. The result was a string of “Turn it up” chants coming from those seated toward the rear.

Isaak wasn’t distracted by them and still unleashed one of the most passionately sung songs of his set.

The same thing occurred during “Wicked Game.” Isaak’s balmy voice and Silvertone’s gentle arrangements had difficulty reaching the top of the Lilac Bowl.

Luckily, as his crooning grew in emotion, so did the volume.

From there, the sound men either worked out the problem or Isaak and Silvertone played louder. With steamy rockers, such as “Goin’ Nowhere” and “Go Walking Down There,” they had little trouble reaching most of Spokane.

Saturday, Isaak played the hopeless romantic in his songs. He sang about his unending quests for love and companionship, which usually come up empty or leave him broken-hearted.

Admirably, the singer, who has an interminable case of the blues, doesn’t make apologies for being a hopeless romantic. Just think about all of the great music we’d be missing if he weren’t one.

Further, we hopeless romantics sort of live vicariously through his music.

As a performer, Isaak is a natural. On stage, the towering 39-year-old singer strutted around with his trademark hollow-body Gibson like a young Elvis and even engaged in a little playful frolicking with his bandmates.

Isaak’s voice ranged everywhere, from gravelly Tom Waits depths in “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing” to amazing Roy Orbison heights of “I Believe.” And on every song Isaak’s vocals soared with distinction and beauty.

Even more, to reduce the tension with which his music is so often adorned, Isaak let his charming humor entertain between songs. By both interacting with the audience and inviting it closer to the stage to dance, he diminished the barrier that often exists between artist and crowd.

As expected from a band that has been propelling the singer for more than a decade, Silvertone was top-flight and replicated every little hook from his albums perfectly.

Post-concert reflection posed the question: Why isn’t he huge? He’s got the songs, the performing savvy, the humor and the passion.

, DataTimes