It comes on the “Best Shows” list, which I hesitated to post before the very end of the year but did anyway. Boy, was I jumping the gun, because Richard Hawley’s set at the Abbey Pub last night was almost the best show I saw all year. The crowd was perhaps the sparsest I’ve ever seen at the Abbey, but the weather last night was ridiculously bad and (I hate to say it but) the $15 ticket price may well have kept out the more budget-conscious fans of dreamy songwriter pop. Hawley was magnificent, the richness of his voice elevated by the incredibly warm tones he pulled from his collection of vintage hollow body Gretsch and Gibson guitars. The crowd was a mix of Gen X hipsters, curious younger folks, and rockabilly pompadours, all willfully enveloped in Hawley’s cozy melodies and the ambiance of the white Christmas light-strewn music room. It was absolutely enchanting.
That said, the ‘Superbird’s best shows’ list now reads:
10. The Swell Season at The Vic/Chicago, 11/25/07
9. Bishop Allen at the Mohawk/Austin, 11/15/07
8. Daft Punk at Lollapalooza/Chicago, 08/03/07
7. Ryan Adams at the House of Blues/Chicago, 01/17/07
6. Andrew Bird at the Hideout Block Party/Chicago, 09/08/07
5. Jim Bianco at The Living Room/New York, 10/17/07
4. Spoon at Schubas/Chicago, 07/13/07
3. Richard Hawley at The Abbey Pub/Chicago, 12/06/2007
2. Wilco at Millenium Park/Chicago, 09/12/07
1. Jon Brion at The Hideout/Chicago, 03/11/07
4 responses so far ↓
steve // Dec 7, 2007 at 6:27 pm
i hate you for seeing Richard Hawley. I lhad to leave town the night he played NYC. Two years of waiting for nuthin’
Listless in 2007: Top albums by solo dudes and dudettes | No Dessert For You // Dec 12, 2007 at 12:09 pm
[…] Richard Hawley/Lady’s Bridge (Mute) - I’ve written a lot about Sir Hawley lately, and with good reason - you’ll be hard pressed to find a more elegant songwriter with more warmth in his voice and understanding of the role of pop music in the lives of his listeners. […]
Listless in 2007: The best of the rest | No Dessert For You // Dec 20, 2007 at 9:31 pm
[…] Richard Hawley/Lady’s Bridge (Mute) - I’ve sort of stroked Sir Hawley a lot lately, but I can’t apologize for it. Like White Rabbits, he makes both my top shows and top albums list. Good on ya, mate - keep shining the lovely, nostalgic pop of a bygone era and PLEASE, come back to the U.S. soon. […]
LG // Feb 8, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I was at 50% of those with you this year. . though it will not top Flaming Lips 2006. . .I think my fav from your list was probably the Ryan Adams show!
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