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Preview Mon Apr 29 2013
Preview: Bill Callahan @ Garfield Park Conservatory, 5/6
Venerable lo-fi luminary/folk-hero Bill Callahan will be appearing at the historic Garfield Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave., on Monday, May 6, as part of a short spring series of performances that marks his first live return since touring on the back of 2011's excellent Apocalypse. Courtesy of Land and Sea Dept., Callahan will perform in the pastoral Horticultural Hall, surrounded by "festive flowers" and other assorted greenery, lest any of us forget he is a romantic of the highest, if not most inscrutable, order.
(Here, a break for those not yet poised or privy toward the Callahan cult: After penning the definitive Replacements fanzine Willpower from his childhood perch in Columbia, MD, Callahan rose to prominence in the early '90s under the (smog) moniker, and was an early beacon in the lo-fi indie-rock movement championed by label Drag City, Callahan's longtime home. Emerging under his given name in 2007 with the fantastic Woke On A Whaleheart, Callahan continued producing bracingly beautiful songs, gradually lending his evocative baritone a slight country-troubadour tinge. It suits him well.)
The man, myth (and, increasingly, legend) seems to grow in mystery, depth, and lyrical poise with each album, and Apocalypse in particular emerges as perhaps his best to date. Callahan will be playing material from that record and beyond on May 6th, but listeners should be advised for a stray (Buck Sergeant) Mickey Newbury cover or two. And because floral imagery colors his lyrics throughout Apocalypse, we fully expect his songs will feel right at home among the Horticultural Hall's azaleas and forget-me-nots (because you won't!)
Tickets are available for $25.
