M. Ward
It didn’t take long for my friend Kerri (my date for this particular evening) to comment on M. Ward’s persona when his show got underway at the Uptown last month: “he’s a little cutie pie!” That he is, and so much more. For those who may not yet be familiar with Mr. Ward’s tunes, he’s a busy musician: in addition to quite a solo collection, he’s also associated with Monsters of Folk, and is the male half of Zooey Deschanel duo She & Him to boot. (My introduction to this man was the discovery of his brilliant and sexy slowed-down cover of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” on his album Transfiguration of Vincent. Are you intrigued yet?)
The night Mr. Ward came to Napa was a wonderful one, beginning with indie folk opener Alela Diane getting things started. Charming right from the start, she admitted that she used her trip to Napa “as an excuse to have a mud bath,” adding that it was “just real odd…I don’t know that I’d do it again.” Her lovely voice sounded somewhere between Joni Mitchell and Stevie Nicks, and the tone of her music was a bit sad and somber, which made her apologize: “I feel like the bearer of bad news singing these songs. I’m not bringing the joyful music…sorry!” Eventually, she thanked headliner Ward for the invitation to open, adding that it’s “always good to have a reason to fly to California,” where she could “get a little bit of sunshine…almost.” (Sadly, our spring weather had not yet made much of an appearance to relieve the Portland singer’s wintry blues.)
After commenting on what a beautiful theatre we have here in our town, and that we should feel very fortunate, Alela asked the audience to give itself a “pat on the back” for coming out on a Wednesday night. Her next song, “About Farewell,” included the beautiful lyric “I heard somebody say that the brightest lights cast the biggest shadows.” Sad, sweet, and true: three things I like in a song! As her short but sweet (albeit solemn) set came to a close, I made a note that her tunes were perfect “music for the bathtub, a nap in the afternoon sun, or a soul-searching solo road trip” just as she made a somewhat abrupt exit. Perhaps she’s shy? Anyway, she’s worth looking into, and I expect to hear more from her in the future!
Opener Alela Diane
Mr. Ward’s set began with a song called “Poison Cup,” followed by “Chinese Translation,” during which I noted that while it’s a little hard to describe, I find this to be the kind of music that, if your life was lovely enough to be reminiscent of a Cameron Crowe film, would be playing during the falling-in-love montage. M. Ward’s raspy, delicious voice sings lyrics you can sink your teeth into, and this is my kind of music. Early on, we figured out that aside from his music, and the occasional check-in with the audience, (“how’s everybody doing?”) Ward is a man of few words, and simply lets his music speak for itself.
During “Rollercoaster,” the violin solo was so sexy (I know…but trust me. Or listen to it to see for yourself!) that it nearly upstaged even Ward. On top of that, the lyrics “you could make a dead man scream, you’re like a rollercoaster” intrigued me, indeed taking me on a ride of my own. “Watch the Show” came next, followed by “Clean Slate” with a great acoustic guitar intro, and then an older song called “Helicopter,” which had a little bit of a bluegrass twang, and included a lovely little jam in the mid-section. A pause to introduce the members of his fantastic band, and Mr. Ward explained that he was doing “a little old, a little new…if you haven’t noticed already,” but admitted that it was his “first time here, so I don’t know what you like to listen to.” Next up was “For Beginners” which included a beautiful moment on the trumpet, and I noticed something unusual: you know how when a band member gets the crowd clapping, it lasts only a few seconds after said member stops clapping himself? Not the case this evening, as at least half of the crowd continued to clap throughout the song – it seems these were some dedicated fans!
“Me and My Shadow” came next, and then “Sad Sad Song,” and “Requiem,” which I noted was “beautiful and loud: all that a rock requiem ought to be.” “Rave On” was happy, catchy, and sweet, ending with another intense and lively jam session. The blues guitar on “Never Had Nobody Like You” was fantastic, after which Ward thanked the crowd for coming, saying that it was a “great pleasure for us to be here,” before going into a wonderful cover of “California Sun” and exiting to a standing ovation. When he returned moments later for an encore, I noted that I found Mr. Ward’s reaction to be truly grateful and humble, which I always appreciate in musicians. He played a solo on the acoustic guitar that I noted as such: “bad ass solo; whispers & cheers from all around the audience as he plays.” When a harmonica was brought out, I heard several excited whispers of “yes!” He again thanked the crowd, saying “you guys have been amazing, and we need to come down here more often!” “Fuel for Fire” was to follow, which was full of low, sad notes, the crowd cheering him on as he tuned while playing, and played the harmonica too. The band returned as Ward thanked opener Alela Diane for “bringing her magic to the stage,” and began a great cover of Louis Armstrong’s “I Get Ideas,” and the evening’s closer, “Primitive Girl.”
And to think: one great night, with just the vocal talents of one exceptional man. I can’t imagine what it might be to see him share the stage with either of us other musical outfits. I suspect it’d be equally dazzling, and something to which I’ll look forward, along with the next time Mr. Ward is given the opportunity to play a stage near me!
(This review originally published by Napa Valley Life Magazine – thanks for sharing!)
