bedgerton
10-28-2005, 09:32 AM
Nickel Creek staying close to fans
By Michael Parrish
Special to the Tribune
Having already garnered gold records and a Grammy, it would be tempting for Nickel Creek to aspire to barnlike venues and the inevitable alienation from its audience. Instead, the acoustic trio seems content to sell out cozy halls like the Vic Theatre, where they played Wednesday night, and to embrace the intimacy and connection with their loyal fan base that such settings inspire. During their 90-minute set, the three musicians repeatedly moved to the lip of the stage for instrumental breaks and often faced off nose-to-nose to achieve the intricate, finely attuned instrumental interplay that is a group trademark.
Touring after the release of their most aggressive album to date, Why Should the Fire Die? Nickel Creek demonstrated brilliantly that electric instruments are not necessary to fuel powerful rock tunes like mandolin player Chris Thile's When in Rome, in which Thile's power chords and the exotic Middle Eastern drone of Sara Watkins' fiddle made plenty of beautiful noise. Later, in an extended version of Thile's melancholy power ballad Helena, the trio built to a dramatic crescendo underpinned by Sean Watkins' rhythm guitar and the masterful playing of guest bassist Mark Schatz.
Although they have played together for well over half their lives, Thile and the Watkins siblings showed dramatic artistic growth in the two years since their last Chicago appearance. They continue to play straightforward bluegrass pieces, but the group's original tunes mainly defy ready categorization, with pieces like Jealous of the Moon and Somebody More Like You featuring the distinctive melodies and inspired arrangements that categorize the most timeless pop tunes.
The group has also grown vocally, summoning up crystalline two- and three-part harmonies on most of the new tunes. On the vitriolic Best of Luck, the usually angelic Sara Watkins unleashed a bilious vocal that the most aggressive punk rocker would envy. She quickly regained her demure persona as the trio crowded around a single microphone for the sweetly goofy Anthony.
The trio's choices of covers were diverse and inspired, as they explored the hidden melodic core of Radiohead's Nice Dream, and Thile tried gamely to cop Prince's falsetto and some of his stage moves during a frenetic reading of Britney Spears' Toxic. Later, the group delivered a faithful rendition of The Band's Up on Cripple Creek as an audience participation number. In such moments, Nickel Creek knows how to minimize the barriers between band and fans, providing an audience experience not unlike having the band playing in one's living room.
By Michael Parrish
Special to the Tribune
Having already garnered gold records and a Grammy, it would be tempting for Nickel Creek to aspire to barnlike venues and the inevitable alienation from its audience. Instead, the acoustic trio seems content to sell out cozy halls like the Vic Theatre, where they played Wednesday night, and to embrace the intimacy and connection with their loyal fan base that such settings inspire. During their 90-minute set, the three musicians repeatedly moved to the lip of the stage for instrumental breaks and often faced off nose-to-nose to achieve the intricate, finely attuned instrumental interplay that is a group trademark.
Touring after the release of their most aggressive album to date, Why Should the Fire Die? Nickel Creek demonstrated brilliantly that electric instruments are not necessary to fuel powerful rock tunes like mandolin player Chris Thile's When in Rome, in which Thile's power chords and the exotic Middle Eastern drone of Sara Watkins' fiddle made plenty of beautiful noise. Later, in an extended version of Thile's melancholy power ballad Helena, the trio built to a dramatic crescendo underpinned by Sean Watkins' rhythm guitar and the masterful playing of guest bassist Mark Schatz.
Although they have played together for well over half their lives, Thile and the Watkins siblings showed dramatic artistic growth in the two years since their last Chicago appearance. They continue to play straightforward bluegrass pieces, but the group's original tunes mainly defy ready categorization, with pieces like Jealous of the Moon and Somebody More Like You featuring the distinctive melodies and inspired arrangements that categorize the most timeless pop tunes.
The group has also grown vocally, summoning up crystalline two- and three-part harmonies on most of the new tunes. On the vitriolic Best of Luck, the usually angelic Sara Watkins unleashed a bilious vocal that the most aggressive punk rocker would envy. She quickly regained her demure persona as the trio crowded around a single microphone for the sweetly goofy Anthony.
The trio's choices of covers were diverse and inspired, as they explored the hidden melodic core of Radiohead's Nice Dream, and Thile tried gamely to cop Prince's falsetto and some of his stage moves during a frenetic reading of Britney Spears' Toxic. Later, the group delivered a faithful rendition of The Band's Up on Cripple Creek as an audience participation number. In such moments, Nickel Creek knows how to minimize the barriers between band and fans, providing an audience experience not unlike having the band playing in one's living room.