As the lights began to dim at the Historic Sixth and I Synagogue in Washington DC, Jenny Lewis and her band slowly filed in from the back of the house, chanting, accapella style. If you were feeling a little fuzzy from pre-show cocktails at a nearby Chinatown watering hole, you may have experienced a moment of confusion. Is this a rock show or did I accidentally end up at a worship night?
Maybe it was a little of both. A few loyal Lewis fans were up on their feet from the start, swaying and smiling rapturously as the chanting quickly morphed into a more conventional performance. Beau Jonathan Rice provided steadfast guitar support throughout as well as vocal duet duties on “Carpetbaggers”…a role performed by Elvis Costello on Lewis' new release, “Acid Tongue.”
As the band settled into a middle-of-the-road, folksy groove, Lewis' surprisingly powerful pipes soared on the forlorn “Pretty Bird.” On the title track, a molasses-laced, soul-barer, the band formed a tight circle, sending out haunting harmonies to accompany Lewis, who sat by herself at the keyboard. Lyrics like “Being lonely is a habit, like smoking or taking drugs/ And I've quit them both but man, was it rough” weren't quite blues, weren't quite gospel…but by the time she lamented “I'm a liar…” the audience was ready for redemption.
So, a rock show or worship night? It turned out to be a little bit of both.
