We all have our off days, and expecting perfection from an artist--however you choose to define that term–isn't really fair. Growing and maturing also involves taking risks, and not all risks pay off, so I can forgive an artist for a film or music performance that isn't up to their usual standards. Or maybe it is, but it just isn't to my taste.
Nonetheless, despite their human frailties, and the ups and downs of their lives, some artists always deliver. In preparation for a 2022 Rock and Roll Globe piece about Jane Birkin, I listened to every album she released during her 43-year career (most all of them are on streaming).
I liked some more than others, and some songs didn't quite work for me, but to my surprise, she never released a bad studio recording, even as she mixed things up with different languages, collaborators, and the like. This is all subjective, of course, but I was impressed, since a lot of my favorite artists have released some real clunkers. It happens.
It's also true of Jane's daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg. Granted, I don't count 1984's Charlotte For Ever, the record she made as a child, because that was her father Serge Gainsbourg's doing; the songs, the arrangements–everything except for her tentative vocals. Since resuming her recording career as an adult, however, she hasn't set a foot wrong.
I would say the same of Kim Deal. I'm not counting the Pixies, not because she wasn't an integral part of the band, but because that always felt more like Frank Black's project, and towards the end of their initial run, she was more like a guest than a full-fledged member.
As a fan of her contributions as both writer and singer, I expected good things from the work to come, but the Breeders' 1990 debut, Pod, was better than I expected--better even than the Pixies at their best (your mileage may vary, but for me that means the pre-Elektra material).
To prepare for Kim's show at the Neptune last night, I revisited all five Breeders full-lengths, in addition to the 1992 Safari EP, and I enjoyed them all. If anything, 2002's Title TK and 2008's Mountain Battles sound better now than they did at the time. I can't be the only one who hoped they would sound more like Pod or 1993's Last Splash, but there was a lot going on at the time, with lineup changes, Kim in and out of the Pixies, and care duty after her mother's dementia diagnosis.
Nonetheless, the band sounded revitalized on 2018's All Nerve, and that's the last time I saw Kim in concert. The show was at a venue, Showbox Sodo, that leaves a lot to be desired, but it was really good. Not great, necessarily, and I don't recall any surprises, but I left happy.
Last fall, Kim released her first solo album, Nobody Loves You More, at the age of 63 (she turns 64 this June). There are only so many artists who wait that long to strike out on their own, and it isn't always worth the wait, but it's among the best things she's ever done–possibly the best–and she's been pulling out all the stops for her tour. In the Pixies, the Breeders, and the Amps, Kim was mostly playing with three other musicians. Last night, she was joined by nine. Maybe even 10.
I should backtrack, though, to mention the opening act. I wasn't familiar with Morgan Nagler, but my friend Tony and I made sure to get there in time for her set, and it was totally worth it. A former child actress with dozens of credits at the IMDb, Morgan is a charming presence with a voice and vibe that reminded me of Susannah Hoffs in her early Bangles days, though with less of Susannah's mod '60s style.
Though her name didn’t ring a bell, Morgan has played with or written for a number of acts with whom I have some familiarity, including Haim, Jenny Lewis and/or Rilo Kiley, and Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. In 2014, she and Kim released the single "The Root," which they performed as part of the headliner's two encores. Their voices work beautifully together, and I like the way the song recalls the spirited sound of Holly Golightly with or without the Headcoatees.
Perhaps because Kim had such a sprawling ensemble, Morgan played as part of a drum-less trio, including her friend and producer Kyle Thomas of King Tuff–Tony and I saw him at the Neptune just a few weeks ago opening for Ty Segall– and author and musician Orenda Fink from Azure Ray. Beyond the guitars and bass, Orenda played melodica during one number and multi-instrumentalist Nick White, from Kim's band, added keyboards to another.
Like Kim, Morgan did her time in bands, mostly Whispertown, before striking out on her own. She turned 47 last night, and her Kyle Thomas-produced debut will be appearing sometime later this year. On the basis of the material she performed, it should be quite good.
Kim and company then proceeded to play every song off Nobody Loves You More, and everything sounded fantastic. I'm not certain whether she retained the sequence from the album, but I think she did.
Tony and I agreed that the title track recalled Love, circa 1967's baroque-rock masterpiece Forever Changes. I had expected a rock combo, but the horns, strings, and backup singers, including twin sister Kelley, made everything richer, fuller--more special--than it would've been otherwise. Due to the Neptune's fuzzy acoustics, I couldn't hear everything she said, but that had no effect on the sound of the music or her voice--which hasn't changed since her 20s.
The venue was packed, possibly even sold out, and there was a lot of yelling between songs, which Kim took in stride. Tony speculated that it's probably been happening at every show, and that seems likely. When she mentioned the Pixies, for instance, a woman yelled, "You were the Pixies!" (Well yes, and no.) Sometimes it was a bit much, but I understand the impulse. She just means that much to so many of us.
Towards the end of the evening, she acknowledged that her album only provided around 35 minutes of material, not enough for a full set, so she performed other songs from throughout her career, both solo singles and Breeders songs, like "Safari," which Tony and I were thrilled to hear. If anything, I prefer the Safari EP to Last Splash, the slightly more polished, platinum-selling album that followed.
At various times, Kim introduced members of her band, rather than all at once. I could make out some of her introductions, but not all. She introduced Kelley by saying she's from Dayton, Spencer by saying he's from Cincinnati, and "Allison is from Albini–she's from Chicago." It was the second Steve Albini reference of the night, and he really was one of the Breeders' best engineers–one of the Pixies' best engineers, too.
Though I took notes, I won't list every song she played--I counted around 20--because I'll probably get it wrong, but the last one was "Do You Love Me Now?" from Last Splash, and it's been stuck in my head ever since, especially the line, "C'mon c'mon come back to me right now," mostly because it's so catchy, but maybe, just maybe because the whole show was so good, I wouldn't mind doing it all over again as soon as possible. Kim Deal really is one of the all-timers.
Update: set list here (they count the first encore as a second set).
Morgan Nagler will be opening for Kim Deal's next four California engagements. Find more tour dates here. All photos by me.
