The Thekla Social, as you may know, is a boat. During the support, American Music Club's Mark Eitzel, adorned with his regular fisherman's beard, whisks though the crowd, head lowered as if against the weather. He looks for all the world like a Baltic merchant seaman in his black beanie and seaworthy overcoat, hands thrust deeply into pockets.
As AMC eventually take the stage, the first thing to note is their standing positions. Eitzel, in some kind of modesty display, has chosen to perform from side right, slipping to rear, which leaves new boy and bassist Sean Hoffman slap bang centre. Not good. People are straining from unexpected angles to properly see the de facto frontman and obvious focus of his band. Hoffman looks uncomfortable under the centre-spot and the spends the entire night focussed on the back wall to help himself disappear in the spotlight (with or without silk and amphetamines).
They open with an all guns blazing (read: brash, one dimensional, get-it-out-the-way) 'Hello Amsterdam'. The usually more reflective 'Blue And Grey Shirt' follows but played in a similar vein, which although a love-losers tale of nerdy disappointment, could have done with a bit more grace. I let it pass as the game plan for now seems to be to "get this joint jumping", with things probably destined to settle down shortly. Before that can happen, the splintering and embittered, knife edge tension of 'Revolving Door' from San Francisco, is traded-in in favour of yet more from the wedding reception rock band.
The anticipated breakthrough comes with 'Sleeping Beauty' from the new album (as well as an Eitzel solo album Candy Ass). Band and audience seem to exhale as timbre and tempo at last flow in line with the material. Having been there at the birth of this arrangement, new guys Sean and Steve throw themselves into it as co-fathers, something that's understandably not so easy to do when filling in for former members' contributions.
'Home', one of the standout songs from 2004's Love Songs For Patriots, follows and is sublime. Eitzel has relaxed properly for the first time, his awkward mannerisms forgotten as he loses himself in an amazingly impassioned vocal. Then follows 'Windows On The World' and a hush descends (or maybe that was just me, spellbound) as Eitzel, with exaggerated facial expressions and hand gestures, acts out the narrative and then long time collaborator, Vudi's face is a picture of concentration as he screws industrial squalls of guitar feedback at its close. 'Remember Who You Are' jumps straight out of the rehearsal room with ne'er a hair out of place, as does ‘The Stars’ - further proof that this new line-up will eventually bed down into a solid and interconnected unit.
For 'Johnny Mathis' Feet', Eitzel and Vudi play it alone, with the writer on acoustic. As the other guys return, Eitzel tells a story about a young woman Elkie, who was too open with herself in a club he was in once. She ended up dancing topless on stage before the bouncers threw her out. 'Decibels And Little Pills' is about her that on night (and the song is printed as Elkie on their set list). Eitzel's reliable old standard, 'Western Sky' is lovely, although I've definitely heard it played with more sensitive fragility, and then the main part ends with a roistering canter through 'Kathleen'. The encore throws the band immediately back on stage for a highly spirited, 'Wish The World Away' and then it's just Eitzel and Vudi again for 'Jesus' Hands', which dramatically puts the brakes on with a slide into introverted confessional, providing a slightly abrupt ending to a mostly rumpus-like gig.
