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Concert Thu Oct 12 2006
The Evens, Presented by the WPA
Last year, Ian MacKaye and his partner, Amy Farina, released a self-titled album as the Evens. While it wasn't much of a departure from Argument-period Fugazi, sonically, if not politically, it marked a paradigm shift from MacKaye's Minor Threat origins: out with the shouting, in with the whispering. Still, when the pair brought their folk-influenced rock to Pulaski Park Fieldhouse last night, MacKaye pointedly stated that this was to be a punk show. And that's what it turned out to be, if a punk show can be an utterly charming hootenanny based in vocal harmonies. It wasn't all singing softly, though; now and again, the big stick came out, and MacKaye went after the Bush Administration in both his banter and his lyrics. The crowd had clearly grown up with MacKaye -- rather than straight-edge Xs, these hands featured wedding bands -- but for a moment, on the sing-along chorus of album highlight "Mt. Pleasant Isn't," the show's punk ethic reached back for a punk sound. Wedding rings or no, there were fists in the air.
What's most remarkable about MacKaye is the egolessness of his performance; he banters with the crowd as a friend, not an idol, despite his seminal role in independent music for nearly three decades. His voice has been roughened by years in the "Waiting Room," and it makes a perfect complement for Farina's soulful alto; the music, too, is spare, but tight. The band plays another show tonight, Friday, the 13th (all ages, of course). Do yourself a favor, and spend the five bucks.