American Music Club were one of the great bands of the late 80’s/early 90s to come out of America, Mercury and Everclear are two of the best albums recorded during the 1990s. The band’s singer and songwriter, Mark Eitzel, has continued to release excellent underrated albums since their demise (excepting a five year reunion period) and has a new album out later this month. As such it seems wrong somehow that one of his only two UK dates is on a makeshift stage in the corner of a pub in Hove.
Small Town Jones
However, what this does mean is that those that have bought tickets for the sell-out show get treated to a wonderfully intimate show with one of the most unique performers in modern music.
Up first is Small Town Jones, a North Devon band who are signed to the record label of the evening’s promoters, Brighthelmstone Promotions. The band have a warm sound with a pleasant country feel and the vocals and guitar playing are accomplished. The duo set-up suits the songs, but does lead to a slightly samey feel after a while with the mid-tempo tunes crying out for a bit more variety. I’ll be looking them up to hear their recordings and would definitely check them out again to see them in full band format.
Up next, shuffling nervously on to the stage is the man himself, accompanied only by a keyboard player so he can perform in “the lounge style”. The familiar hat and beard frame the face of a man who seems happy and relaxed despite his typically nervy overall demeanour.
Mark Eitzel
The set is predominantly based around his more recent solo material with typically upbeat titles like ‘Why I’m Bullshit’ (from 2009’s Klamath) and ‘I Love You But You’re Dead’ (from the forthcoming Don’t Be A Stranger) sounding wonderful in the intimate and low-key environment.
Eitzel live, especially when not with a full band, is as much a confessional stand-up show as it is a musical performance. The stories that come between songs are a part of the experience and are often as hilarious as they are sad. He is perhaps even more self-deprecating than he was the last time I saw him, at the Pavement ATP festival in 2010.
Later in the set we are treated to a few numbers from his American Music Club back catalogue including a typically passionate ‘Patriot’s Heart’ (from their come-back album Love Songs For Patriots) and ‘I’ve Been A Mess’ from the brilliant Mercury. These songs sounding just as good arranged for c]=vocals and keyboard as they did with the full band on record.
At the end of the show Eitzel reluctantly (after a couple of false starts and trying to leave the stage at least once) finishes with a Barbara Streisand cover, Streisand being the subject of an earlier anecdote. It is a slightly strange end to a an exceptional evening of music from one of the unsung heroes of American recording.
Eitzel has no more UK gigs planned, but US based readers can see him play one of 11 gigs scheduled from November through to January.
Watch Mark Eitzel get style advice from Billy B, style consultant and makeup artist for Lady Gaga here.
By Dorian Rogers
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