"What's that? Do I know any fast numbers? I dunno, man...is 2 fast? Or 4? What about 7 or 8?"
There's always one, isn't there? We've just been basking in the blissed -out, cacophonous splendour of "Crushed Out" and then been blown away by a sparse and shattering "Napkin In A Wine Glass" (chorus: "I think I'll let my kids play with guns, don't wanna raise another one like me") and it's all too much for one guy. Can't CHRIS MILLS, like, play some fast numbers and stop making him think, dude?
Still, as my friend Keith says, the guy looks like "he's not been down with a band since Jethro Tull released "Aqualung" (spot on, mate!) and - as far as virtually everyone else here is concerned - Chris Mills is one of the finest, emotionally-charged singer/songwriters operating outta Chicago or anywhere else just now.
He proves this fact over and over tonight in what is this writer's fourth - and undoubtedly best - live encounter with this superficially unassuming performer.
Admittedly, it helps that Mills is augmented tonight by THE CITY THAT WORKS: a superbly versatile unit comprising Ryan Hembrey (bass/ vocals); Dave Max Crawford (keyboards/ ace solo trumpet); Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello and dead ringer for SHAM 69'S Jimmy Pursey) and drummer Howie Kantoff deputising for the absent Gerald Dowd. He's a fine replacement, incidentally. With the exception of the skinsman, they all feature on Chris' recent, magnificent "The Silver Line" album and - consiering their past pedigress with the likes of POI DOG PONDERING, BOXHEAD ENSEMBLE and THE POSTER CHILDREN - it's no surprise that their contributions are telling throughout.
But then all of this would come to nothing if the material wasn't there to begin with and to say that Chris Mills has all the aces in this department would be something of an understatement. Combining roughly equal percentages of fatalism, romanticism, narrative skills (and a knack for cool cover versions) with that terrific, plaintive voice, you just know he'll be magic for years to come.
It's a tremendous set tonight. Opening with the scuffed, but rollocking and romantic "Silver Line" itself, Chris wheels out most of his new-borns with justified pride. Sometimes they DO rock: the raucous "Floorboards" gives mid-period Replacements a run for their money, while "Sleeptalking" reminds of a full-tilt Costello with Attractions in tow and is catchier than a warehouse full of meathooks. Dipping deeper into the back catalogue, "Delaware" repeats this trick, but is (slightly) marred by on stupid woman who stands in front of Mills and dances like Toyah Willcox is still having hit records. Lady, either check you head or fuck off home, OK?
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The band soon regain their composure. They crank out a wry and swoonsome "She's Got A Problem" (originally a FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE tune) as a response to this outbreak of, er, dancing and then surprise us with some lesser-known highlights like "1,000 Blue-Eyed Girls" and an unlikely but cool cover of The Kinks' "Animal Farm."
It's a peerless performance all round. The ridiculously tiny Pine Lodge stage prevents Mills from cutting loose and running around, but he compensates by giving 1000% emotionally and stunning us with acoustic-based treasures like "Lullabye" and "I Could Not Stand To See You": this latter accompanied by Lonberg-Holm in one of his less atonal moments. These shattering confessionals contrast beautifully with the full-tilt quintet smashing through "Brand New Day" and finally giving us the Spectorian overload of "Signal/Noise" that sha-la-la's us off into the stratosphere.
During the post-gig merchandise scrum, an exhausted Chris tells your reviewer that they've only got one more date (Dublin) before returning to the US to launch "The Silver Line" properly with an orchestrally-assisted show in Chicago. On the face of it, it's obscene that someone so fantastic is still trawling around the toilet circuit after 4LPS, but this writer is convinced that the great unwashed will soon start spreading our special open secret.
An as for tonight. Was it as sweet as sugar cane? With or without fast numbers you betcha life it was!
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