Dan Wilson @ The FactoryTheatre, Sydney (19/11/08)

Tue 25th Nov, 2008 in Gig Reviews

When the lead singer of a successful, critically acclaimed band strikes out solo, usually it’s because he can’t stand the sight of his bandmates anymore and everyone agreed that six months apart would be the best way to avoid homicide. But when the band has long broken up and everyone has gone their separate ways, their songs become like old photographs – a snapshot of a moment in time long since passed, but still cause for great affection.

And so it was with Dan Wilson, formerly of Semisonic, who managed to turn a silent, sleepy Wednesday night gig into a lovely sing-along with, as he put it, “just a little bit of rock and roll.”

Charles Jenkins got the night underway with a solo acoustic set that was by turns both Dan Kelly and Bob Dylan. The unusual rhymes of Across the Nullabor and one I think was called The Tilba Region were unmistakable Dylan, while The Trees of Brisbane was somewhat like a world-weary, baritone version of Kelly.

Everything, from the lyrics to the inflections to the music itself, was very often not exactly what you expected it to be. Within each song were two or three little moments that made you sit up and listen more closely, intrigued by what was going on. A case in point? No Fun, a tale of a jilted lover with a penchant for pyrotechnics, runs along with a lovely, somewhat sad storyline, and the song heads towards what seems an obvious conclusion. But instead, we hear a verse from Bruce Springsteen’s Thunder Road, leaving us to make up our own minds about what eventually happened.

Sadly though, despite his many interesting musical choices and his typically Australian, self-deprecating stage patter, Jenkins was never able to extract much commitment from his (very small) audience. The music deserved a better reception than it received.

And so into this rather awkward silence stepped Wilson, dressed a bit like that 40-year-old uncle who still dresses (and sometimes acts) like one of the kids. We all have one. The first thing that strikes you about Wilson is his voice. Imagine Ryan Adams, minus a thousand cigarettes. It’s a uniquely American, clear, beautiful voice, perfectly exhibited on the opener Easy Silence. It’s such a gorgeous, fragile, loving song, and the instant he opened his mouth the empty space of The Factory began to fill with atmosphere.

His set traversed his entire career, from Semisonic songs ( DND ) to his own solo ventures ( Free Life ) and his numerous songwriting collaborations of recent years, especially with The Dixie Chicks. Throughout the night his easy, relaxed stage patter gradually coerced some response from the audience. By the end of the night we were willingly led in a sing-along on All Kinds of Beautiful, as Wilson unplugged, left the stage and stood in the audience, swinging his hips in a slightly daggy, slightly ironic way.

But the revelation of the night? Semisonic’s smash hit Closing Time was written about the birth of Wilson’s daughter. Go and have a listen to it (I know you have it on your iTunes. Everyone has it on their iTunes). I think it’s a testament to Dan Wilson’s absolute comfort on stage, and his lovely, inclusive songs, that by the end of his set a formerly bored, sleepy Wednesday night crowd seemed a little sad to be going home.