"I'm a changingman built on shifting sands," sang a fired up Paul Weller during a hammering take of "The Changingman" before a sold-out audience at the Vic Theatre. The ageless Modfather of The Jam and The Style Council returned for his first Chicago performance in two years to promote his upcoming seventh solo album As Is Now. Weller and his band mixed up a terrific selection of his ever changing moods from his days with The Jam to the present.When it comes to a Paul Weller album fans may not know what they're going to get. Weller, like Neil Young, has successfully made a career by constantly reaching for the next step without fear of slipping. Rare as it been for an artist from a noteworthy band to excel their creative output they produced while in that band. Take for instance Pete Townshend of The Who: his solo career had a shining moment of commercial success with Empty Glass (1980), but he has never maintained a steady pace of solo work; opting to wear out The Who catalog on countless tours and make promises of a new Who album (minus deceased members John Entwistle and Keith Moon). To Weller's credit, he has never cashed in on his days with The Jam or ever hinted at reuniting the band, which he broke up in 1982 at the height of their popularity. Weller avoided that which he never wanted to become: an aging musician holding onto the glory days of the past.
The words "Fire & Skill" were taped onto Weller's amplifier, and they sum up a lot about where he finds himself today. Adulthood has become part of his craft, applying his years of experience into his music, but what hasn't been lost is Weller's intense drive to press forward. Weller's solo career has been squarely focused on living in the present day rather than attempting to recapture his past. Only in recent years has Weller began to explore his past work with The Jam in concerts. But another word that should have appeared along "Fire & Skill" is "Style." On a night where U2, Beck, and Franz Ferdinand were all performing at various venues in Chicago, Paul Weller proved that he has a fashion sense that all three artists would envy and a body of work that demands respect even if not the buzz artist on American charts.
As Is Now was not released in the U.S. yet (due October 11), but Weller gave his fans a nice sampling, performing seven songs from the album. "Blink And You'll Miss It" kicked the night off with a little funk and soul, led by Weller's distinguishable vocals. Giving Weller the bulk of his sound were bassist Damon Minchella, guitarist Steve Cradock, and drummer Steve White--White has been Weller's drummer since The Style Council at the age of 16. All throughout the evening, Weller either sang with grace or choked every note possible out of his electric guitar in the heat of a rocker. Song after song, Weller's reputation as an artist who doesn't disappoint on stage remained intact. The show built itself more on Weller's past releases while carefully adding the new material to maintain a flow. Songs like "From The Floor Boards Up," "Paper Smile," and "Come On/Let's Go" were some of the most rambunctious, straightforward rock tunes Weller has written in years since Stanley Road (1995) and Heavy Soul (1997). "Here's The Good News" recalled Randy Newman of the 70s; "Roll Along Summer" and "All On A Misty Morning" were smooth with romance and sophistication.
The energy between Weller and the audience grew in volume as the band dipped into Weller's past. The Vic Theatre rumbled as the first couple notes of The Jam's classic "In The Crowd" echoed in the air. It was almost as if Weller wrote the song yesterday. Weller led the song into an all out jam sensation as he and Cradock traded some hot guitar solos leading up to the adrenaline high of White's drum solo. Weller provided more Jam treats with fresh renditions of the cryptic "Tales From The Riverbank" and the social consciousness of "That's Entertainment."
From the psychedelic twists of "Foot On The Mountain" to a Style Council favorite "Shout To The Top!", Weller masterfully brought the audience to a peak, leaving them wanting more. In the final encore, Weller pushed the heights of the night. The raw and whimsical "Hung Up" was followed up by a gorgeous tribute to New Orleans in "Broken Stones." Finally, Weller and the band gave the most sharply tuned version of "Town Called Malice" to end the night on a definite high note; the audience vigorously booed the house lights coming on. It was a two year wait for Weller's return to Chicago. Hopefully, it will not be another two years for an absolute musical gem like Weller, in the creative prime of his life, to come back and shower a crowd with his Mod magic.
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