Quarterlifeparty

Drew Fontaine is a friend of QLP who enjoys pilsner, Menomena, and long walks in the rain.

Jenny Lewis brought a heady mix of the sacred and the secular to D.C.’s beautiful Sixth and I Synagogue last night.

The lead singer of L.A.-based indie poppers Rilo Kiley first surprised fans in 2006 with solo effort Rabbit Fur Coat, which sounded more than a little bit country and little bit rock ‘n’ roll. Lewis has continued in that vein with her brand new release Acid Tongue, which brings gospel and American roots rock flavors to her classic country tunes.

Lewis and her band kicked the night off by processing through the crowd on the way to the stage, singing her acapella tune “Run Devil Run”. From there they grabbed instruments and rolled straight right into “Jack Killed Mom”, Lewis’ sordid but bouncy tale of “momicide”.

Lewis’ coconspirators were Johnathan Rice on rhythm guitar, Blake Mills on lead guitar, Jonathan Wilson on bass, Barbara Gruska on drums, and “Farmer” Dave Scher on steel guitar and organ.

New album cuts figured heavily into the night, including her duet with Elvis Costello “Carpetbaggers” (his vocals handled by Rice) and “Bad Man’s World”. The latter is classic example of the Jenny Lewis songwriting formula: cheery vocals and melodies that belie darker lyrical themes of domestic strife, deception, heartbreak, and mortality.

But Lewis didn’t ignore her first solo record either. “Rise Up With Fists!!”, “Melt Your Heart”, and “The Charging Sky” were a few of the crowd-pleasers included from that album.

In the evening’s most unexpected moment, the rest of the band left the stage while Lewis and Rice shared vocals on a faithful cover of Nazareth’s “Love Hurts”. Before things got too weepy, though, Rice cracked the crowd’s reflective silence with: “Do you hear that? It’s the sound of Sarah Palin answering a question,” referring to the vice presidential debate being held the same night.

Considering the location and the crowd seating in pews, the concert was shaping up to be a fairly subdued one. But late in the set Lewis staged an altar call, insisting the audience come up and join her in front of the stage. The band then tore into rocker “The Next Messiah”, injecting a welcome shot of energy that finally got the crowd moving. It was a moment of holy rock ‘n’ roll.

Folkie Michael Runion and bluesy belter Benji Hughes opened the show.

Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue (MP3)

Setlist:

Run Devil Run
Jack Killed Mom
The Charging Sky
Rise Up With Fists!!
Carpetbaggers
Bad Man’s World
Pretty Bird
Melt Your Heart
You Are What You Love
Acid Tongue
The Next Messiah
Love Hurts

Encore:
Godspeed
See Fernando

Tags: , jenny lewis