For the second time this year, we had the chance to take in Cass McCombs as he began a tour in his current hometown of Los Angeles as he supported a new album. But, to think that you might be in for the same show as he delivered a few months earlier at The Troubadour would have been an unfortunate and false presumption. While his earlier date highlighted the low-key WIT’S END, Wednesday’s affair was in support on the louder and more straight-forward Humor Risk. Likewise, the show wasn’t even billed as “Cass McCombs,” but as “Cass McCombs Band.” Sure, it was the same band he has toured with for while, but on this night, they were more than just a backing piece, as the group found resonance as a collective, showcasing a bit of Cass that we haven’t previously seen.
Performing on a completely darkened stage, the only illumination was provided by a backing display of blinking yellow lights provided by previous McCombs collaborators Jake and Mollie. This resulted in the band looking like little more than silhouettes, with McCombs’ face only really visible when he would turn to the side to watch his bandmates, on bass, keys, pedal steel, and drums, like a proud teacher watching their student exceed their expectations. And, from the organ solo in “Dream Come True Girl” to the subtle percussion and bass flares throughout, the band indeed was given ample opportunity to seize the non-existant spotlight.
Set wise, surprisingly little of Humor Risk and WIT’S END were showcased. “Robin Egg Blue” appeared early in the set, fitting easily between two Catacombs songs, as if it belonged better in that era of McCombs’ career. “The Same Thing,” the most instantly recognizable song from Humor Risk, answered a call from the audience to “play some heavy shit,” and signified a change in the latter half of the evening that allowed McCombs to rock out as much as he is known to do. And, crowd favorite “County Line” received audience participation for the “whoa whoa whoa whoa”-part, making a show that featured many in the crowd mouthing the lyrics along a full-scale singalong.
Otherwise, McCombs dug deep into the back catalogue for the majority of the material, including two songs from his first E.P. in 2002. We were also treated to a song written about “Bradley Manning” and the closing “I Cannot Lie,” which got help from additional guitarist Blake Mills. The sold-out crowd seemed to be McCombs veterans, quickly exiting at shows end rather than asking for an encore they knew they would not receive. But, the appreciation was palpable, as the audience knew they had the privilege of watching one of contemporary music’s strongest songwriters in an atypical form. Anyone who might have found a McCombs show slow previously were sure to gain a different perspective by the end of this night.
Setlist:
My Master
Dreams Come True Girl
Robin Egg Blue
Prima Donna
My Sister My Spouse
Angel Blood
County Line
The Same Thing
Bradley Manning
That’s That
Not The Way
Your Mother and Father
I Cannot Lie
