The forceful cheeriness of the holiday season is now upon us but it is not for everyone. Not all Christmas songs are about comfort and joy. Singer, songwriter, violinist, sometime actor (he made his acting debut in Fargo), and whistler extraordinaire Andrew Bird inherently knows this, which is perhaps why he appreciates Yuletide songs that have a mournful touch set in minor keys.
At the Fourth Presbyterian Church on North Michigan Avenue, the Illinois-born Bird held his 14th annual series of Gezelligheid concerts before a hushed and attentive crowd. (As most Bird fans must know, ”Gezelligheid” is a Dutch term that roughly translates as “cozy.”) And cozy it was as the audience huddled together in the church pews sitting cheek by jowl in darkness. Accompanied by bassist and guitarist Alan Hampton and singer-guitarist Nora O’Connor (a member of Chicago supergroup The Flat Five), Bird displayed his virtuosity on several instruments, performing nearly 20 songs. The indie rocker’s shows combine elements of folk, Americana, country, and jazz but all contain his indelible touch.
Although it can hardly be called a Christmas concert—only two songs in the set list are seasonal and both appeared on his 2020 Christmas album Hark!—the show nevertheless represented the epitome of the Christmas spirit: friends and strangers alike coming together in an intimate setting. Literate and cerebral, his show was part whimsy and part joyful celebration but with a touch of melancholy and as quirky as the man himself.
Wearing a black suit, white buttoned-down shirt, and black tie, Bird walked onto the stage without saying a word before promptly singing the first song of the evening, “How Long Have You Been Standing There?” Afterward, he offered a friendly, “Hi, everybody,” while commenting on the inevitable passage of time. Fourteen years is a long while, and, he chuckled, “not entirely welcome.”
Bird’s Gezelligheid shows are also a visual treat, as they are accompanied by dazzling multi-colored light displays and a marvelous contraption called the Janus Spinning Horn, consisting of twin rotating speakers and made by the Humboldt Park luthier Ian Schneller. Known for its clarity and lack of distortion, it is a wonder to behold.
The acoustics allowed the audience to luxuriate in the full-bodied warmth of his expressive violin playing and also marvel at his whistling. At times it was reminiscent of Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti western scores. Sometimes Bird played his violin like a guitar and sometimes he switched between violin and xylophone. On the lovely “Sisyphus,” his violin evoked the sounds of a Spanish guitar.
Bird’s choices of musical selections were telling. He played some favorites, such as Vince Guaraldi’s “Skating.” Kindred spirits, he shares a musical DNA with the gothic country/folk duo, the Handsome Family, formerly of Chicago but now based in New Mexico. His rendition of their “So Much Wine”—which he calls “Green Wine”--received a rousing response from the crowd. Accompanied by O’Connor on vocals and guitar, Bird’s “Green Wine” melded together the traditional melody of “Greensleeves” with the Handsome Family’s dark hymn of family dysfunction at Christmas. A countrified version of Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy’s “Oh, Sister” from Dylan’s 1976 album Desire, was another musical gift--here, it became a sophisticated hoedown—as was the unexpected rendition of John Hartford’s “Gentle on My Mind.”
But Bird featured his own songs as well, such as his singular “Pulaski at Night,” his nocturnal homage to one of Chicago’s less celebrated streets. The evening ended with several encores, including Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham’s “Crystal” and “Don’t Be Scared,” another selection by the Handsome Family.
Andrew Bird’s Gezelligheid concerts are a treat for the ears, eyes, and soul.
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