Image of Tallest Man on Earth in front of Swedish movie depicting young boy just having been put in a frilly dress by some little people. No, really.
Opener Red Cortez was an impossibly adorable quartet of Southern California cuties playing an interesting variety of poetic saloon music. The band's van, called either Velvet Underground or White Light White Heat depending on whether you believe the lead singer or the bassist (we'll go with the bassist—they're usually more reliable than singers), had broken down just before the gig; TMoE would later say he wished he were a mechanic so he could help out his openers. Red Cortez's music spanned an interesting spectrum from Bono-like vocal melodramatics to circus-like player piano machinations on keyboard. Singer Harley Prechtel-Cortez gave a "Song of Myself" shout-out at one point, and seemed surprised that the audience could identify its author; maybe they're not as smart out there in California? Anyway, we liked the music best when it veered away from pop and closer to country, and almost wished the band members were wearing old-timey suits to go with their throwback sound. The whole set seemed like it should've been sepia toned, perhaps with the musicians holding guns instead of guitars. Maybe the band members can get a covered wagon to replace their van?
After Red Cortez's pleasant lead-in, The Tallest Man on Earth (Kristian Matsson) came out on stage, revealing that he is not only not particularly tall, but may actually have The Skinniest Legs on Earth (though some members of Red Cortez rivaled him on this point). Legs and height aside, he had a subtly commanding stage presence, perhaps related to his poufy hair and gravelly voice. TMoE played solo with a black and white film projected behind him; he said "I got to have some Swedish friends with me." We wish we knew the film's name, but all we can say is that it features an odd young boy, an alcoholic chain-smoking aunt, an alcoholic candy-offering and hot dog–clothing butler, and a lot of little people. If you know this film, please enlighten us immediately!
TMoE opened with "I Won't Be Found," a delicate tune representative of his quirky pop-folk tendencies. The sweet tunes contrasted interestingly with the bizarre action on screen; we spent some time trying to figure out the meaning of any correlations between the music and movie—such as when characters in the film peer out like the mole referenced in "I Won't Be Found"—but soon the absurdity overcame the interest and we decided to just enjoy the show.
Other songs included "Honey Won't You Let Me In," "Shallow Grave," "Into the Stream," and "Where Do My Bluebirds Fly," all tracks from TMoE's debut full-length, Shallow Grave. The show was an appropriate mix of upbeat and dreamy songs, all united by TMoE's delicate playing and Dylan/Waits voice. On record, the voice sounds natural, but in person it seemed almost like an affectation, as though TMoE is more than capable of singing straight. We'd be interested to hear the songs rendered in a different voice: does the interest come from the vocals, or from the guitar? We bet it's a blend of both and think that a different singing style would lend the songs an intriguing new dimension.
The Tallest Man on Earth warned us the the film behind him "won't end happy," but his show definitely did, as he graciously bowed out for a moment before doing a several-song encore and receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. All told, it was an endearing performance from a promising artist who doesn't resemble Dylan quite as much as everyone thinks he does. We'll be on the lookout for his next performance and/or record.
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