live @ the Birchmere 10.26.2000
There is no shortage of opinion on Chris Whitley. Depending on the source, the New York-via Texas guitar slinger is everything from a musical genius to an out-of-control guitar showoff and probably something in between. That he been beset by troubles throughout his career---chemical dependency and record company indifference chief among them---is a fact, and word along his devoted fan grapevine was that his current tour, and its’ star, was often near collapse.
The Chris Whitley who appeared at the Birchmere Wednesday night was entirely coherent, however, and the spectral-blues muse he has so doggedly pursued over the years was occasionally firmly in his grasp. Despite the fact that the show was moved from the ethereal acoustic confines of the Music Hall to the Bandstand area, Whitley’s trio setup---with bassist Sebastian Steinberg and drummer Yuval Gabay of the now (sadly) defunct Soul Coughing---registered well. Beginning with a taut recasting of Bob Dylan’s “4th Time Around” the 50-minute performance was completely solid and occasionally much more.
The whip-crack drumming of Gabay clearly elevated Whitley’s hyper-slide runs and Gabay’s jazz-hop inflections (especially during a barely recognizable version of the Doors’ “Crystal Ship”) gave the blues-based arrangements a Tim Buckley-esque tinge. Clad in his trademark tight, sleeveless undershirt and performing barefoot, as is his custom, the inner-turmoil in the rail-thin Whitley was evident in his haunted look. On this night he rose above it, however, and when his scraping guitar arrows hit the mark---as on “Loco Girl”, “Save You” and an inspired reading of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” ---it was clear why his supporters try to raise him to Godhead status: when connected cleanly with his inspiration, Whitley is a unique and formidable artist.
Washington Post, October 2000
