Music News

Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe, Juliette Commagere & Joachim Cooder
Brisbane Convention Centre
Saturday November 21

On any other gig, Juliette Commagere would have stolen the show. The ex-Hello Stranger front woman (renowned for brandishing a ‘keytar’) and wife of Ry Cooder’s son Joachim, opened the show for Cooder and Nick Lowe last night with an exquisite set of art-pop that was like sonic architecture in its meticulousness.

Backed by a bassist, guitarist, Joachim on drums and backup singer and keyboard player Alex Lilly, Commagere played keys and mandolin and sung flawlessly to produce the kind of woozy, early ‘90s pop that would sound perfect on a David Lynch soundtrack.

Aided by the remarkable acoustics of the Convention Centre’s Great Hall, it was rendered perfectly, without so much as a hair out of place. Lilly and Commagere sang together like they were born twins (and would demonstrate this again as backup vocalists for Ry and Nick) and Joachim’s creative drumming contributed significantly to the band’s unique sound.

Everything was in place for a spectacular main event and we weren’t disappointed. Cooder (in trademark loud Hawaiian shirt) and Lowe (sleek in all-black), sauntered out like a couple of bespectacled amiable grandpas, and gradually beguiled all before them with a combination of charm, chops and great songs.

To think about the combined catalogue of songs from which this duo could potentially draw boggles the mind and they barely had time to scratch the surface tonight.

Though the pair traded off songs, it was predominantly the Ry Cooder show; his incredible guitar work and less conventional and more expansive compositions drawing the spotlight.

Lowe mainly stuck to the bass, though he did pick up the acoustic guitar for a few of his own songs, with Joachim on drums and Lilly and Commagere stepping in and out as backup vocalists, swaying sultrily on the side of the stage and nailing all those Latino vocals on Cooder’s songs like ‘Chinito Chinito’ (not surprisingly, seeing Commagere actually sang the recorded parts on Chavez Ravine).

Other highlights included: a version of Jim Reeves’ ‘He’ll Have To Go’; Lowe’s ‘Half A Boy And Half A Man’ being followed by a strange new Cooder composition ‘The Shrinking Man’; Cooder’s ‘Fool For A Cigarette’; and a phenomenal encore featuring ‘(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love And Understanding’, Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman’s ‘Little Sister’, and ‘How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live.’

Cooder’s guitar playing was spellbinding throughout. It was too much for one robust, bald headed fan who kept leaping to his feet and dancing in front of the stage, despite the reprimands of security (and no, Brian, it wasn’t me).

It’ll be interesting to see whether they vary the set list much from night to night. From reviews of the NZ concerts, it appears they’re not. Doesn’t matter, by the time the finale rolls around, you feel they’re only just getting warmed up and are left hungering for more. Such are the rarest of concerts.