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Review Mon Mar 08 2010
Chicago's Own Jon Langford Waxes Charm, Hilarity at Schubas
[This guest post was submitted by reader Ciara Shook.]
It was just the man that filled the small stage on Saturday night at Schubas — a rare solo performance by Jon Langford without the accompaniment of The Mekons or The Waco Brothers.
Langford's appearance was part of the screening of the short film "At Last Okehmah!," in which he makes a cameo appearance. The event was part of the Chicago International Movies and Music Festival, and "At Last Okehmah!" told the story of a hipster-turned-folkster who claimed he channeled the late Woodie Guthrie. Langford joked that because the film was just 20 minutes long, it worked to his advantage, because no one left during his set.
Langford's onstage persona is nothing short of engaging — he told colorful stories and carried tongue-in-cheek banter between each song. As two unlikely genres to be represented in the same set, Langford flawlessly blended the punk rock of The Mekons with the alternative country of Chicago's own Waco Brothers. Langford's tenure in both bands is prevalent in his solo songs between his honky-tonk chord progressions and his cow-punk vocals (delivered in a discreet-yet-noticeable British accent) that work seamlessly in both worlds. He joked with members of the audience about the origins of some songs, such as Prince Charles' low approval rating in 1986 (compared to Tom Jones' astronomical rating — a number he claims increases with each telling). The highlight of the set involved audience participation for the sing-along chorus of "Are You an Entertainer?" from Mayors of the Moon, a product of Langford's stint with The Sadies.
Ciara Shook is a senior journalism student at Columbia College and a campus editor for Columbia's paper, "The Chronicle".
bob / March 9, 2010 12:39 PM
welsh! welsh accent!