“We wrote that song down the street,” explained David Berman after the end of the Silver Jews’ first number, making it clear that he used to call the Pioneer Valley home.
The Jews’ Thursday night performance at the Iron Horse was a homecoming of sorts for Berman, who took graduate classes and taught at the University of Massachusetts in 1993. The aforementioned first song, “Trains Across the Sea,” was penned during this time, eventually appearing on the Jews’ first full-length, 1994’s “Starlite Walker.”
Berman certainly looked the part of one immersed in academia. His borderline-ghastly brown wool suit coat was reminiscent of that of your high school chemistry professor, or possibly your creepy uncle. His band swayed in its matching black suits and red shirts, making them the Nashville eye-candy to his Robert Palmer.
The Jews cycled through their entire discography, playing tunes from all over their 15-year catalogue, though they went a bit heavier on material from their latest release, “Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea” (2008).
Highlights from the new record included “My Pillow Is a Threshold” and “Strange Victory, Strange Defeat,” though both were trumped by a gorgeous version of “Suffering Jukebox,” which offered the spotlight to Berman’s wife Cassie for her lush vocal part in the chorus.
Berman, though never physically smiling, made amusing small talk with the audience between throwback songs. After a solid “Horseleg Swastikas” from 2001’s “Bright Flight,” Berman asked the crowd, “What does a mother buffalo say to her kid when he goes to school?” The curious crowd waited for, and guffawed at, his response: “Bi-son.”
Other older tunes included “Black and Brown Blues” from “The Natural Bridge” (1996), “Smith and Jones Forever” from “American Water” (1998) and the surprising pick “I’m Gonna Love the Hell Out of You” from the “Tennessee” EP (2001).
While the Silver Jews’ sound certainly is not precisely the same as it was 15 years ago, the splicing of old material with new was hardly noticeable. The same simple percussion, meandering bass lines and dynamic guitar tones rang out, underscored by subtle keys and united under Berman’s Johnny Cash meets Stephen Merritt monotone.
After a healthy portion of songs, the band left the stage only to return for its obligatory encore. Berman thanked stone-faced, gravelly-voiced, hunting cap clad opener Mike Flood (who took the liberty to throw rock ‘n’ roll devil horns after every song) before diving into the final four songs.
The first was “Pretty Eyes,” another older one from “Natural Bridge,” where Berman clearly outlines the politicized statement “When the Governor’s heart fails, the state bird falls from its branch.” “Wild Kindness” from “American Water” was next, followed by “Tennessee,” which once again featured Cassie’s sweet vocals.
The last song was “Punks in the Beerlight,” from 2005’s “Tanglewood Numbers,” as Berman put the cap on a night of crooning to and making affectionate gestures towards his wife with the lyric “I always loved you to the max.”
If nothing else, this is proof that great music can be born from love, and through think and thin, Berman has let it all hang out.
Ian Nelson can be reached at [email protected].
