Damien Rice in Minneapolis

I saw Damien Rice again last night at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis after having seen him perform on tour with Fiona Apple. The venues were quite similar, but the energy was very different. Owning the show allowed him more freedom to play with his musicians and the audience. And play he did for, I think, over two hours. At the end of the show, he asked the audience if anyone had a castle that could accommodate the band to extend the show. But then jokingly added, "But of course, you don't have castles over here." Although the show began and ended with him hunched over his piano, the concert showed how sensitive he was to the music going on around him. When Lisa Hannigan(who in her unflattering dress and with her shy way reminded me of a less crazy) and Rice sing together, my heart really creeps into my throat and I also laugh. Their duet, Le Professeur and La Fille Qui Dance was as fun as it was lovely.

What struck me during one of his extended riffs was how much he reminds me of Neil Young (albeit with a much stronger voice but weaker lyrics). When he sets off on a riff as he did with Volcano, I find myself reaching a point where I'm saying to myself, "C'mon. Pay attention to the audience and stop being so self indulgent." But he ends up pulling me back in by finding something new and interesting in his songs. (For example, he ended up on the ground singing into his guitar which produced this really distorted, cool sound.) He comes off as an introverted performer but knows how to command the stage. When he's reaching the highest notes on the keyboard or wallowing in feedback, he's exuding powe.

My favorite song is still Volcano, but my favorite performance last night was Eskimo. It began quietly and rose to a crescendo complete with stunning visuals.



I was disappointed The Swell Seasons didn't open for him. Instead, a Canadian folk singer with a lovely voice but with nothing really compelling to say took the stage. I really found myself bored to tears.