Western Sky

Le Divan Du Monde - 18 March 2008 - American Music Club

I have never been at the right place at the right time to catch an American Music Club gig. In the past I even had to travel as far as New York, Madrid or Brighton to attend a performance but this time I was lucky enough to find myself in Paris for a few days at the same time as one of the rare Parisian appearances of Mark Eitzel and his band. To be honest, even though I have always been a great fan of their recorded music, I have often been disappointed by the lack of osmosis of the band on stage. But now is a new line up and it results in a completely different vibe. The group finally seem happy together and it brings a new and fresh approach to Mark Eitzel's emotional songs. Tonight's show was graced with beautiful and sometimes nearly funky renditions of old classics (Western Sky, Revolving Door, Johnny Matthis' Feet...) as well as tracks from the latest album (Lost Souls, Sleeping Beauty, Windows of the World). Probably the best gig as a band I have experienced to date (My fondest memory, mostly for personal reasons, remains a solo acoustic concert in the intimate cellar of the Madragoa in Madrid - 3 May 2003).