We were so bummed to receive an email from the Fremont Theater explaining the Nick Lowe concert was moved to the SLO Brew Rock venue. The Fremont is an old, assigned-seating venue in San Luis Obispo and the SLO Brew Rock is a standing-room-only venue. Big difference. We almost decided to skip the concert. Standing for hours is no longer our idea of fun. Still, you don’t get a chance to see the incredible Nick Lowe very often so I slipped Dr. Scholl’s Float-on-air insoles into our Clark Desert Boots and hoped for the best.
Doors opened promptly at 7 and after a security pat down (You can’t be too careful when the attendees’ average age is 79 years old) we entered the venue to find the promoters had brought in chairs. No standing necessary. The night just got a lot better.
The Cactus Blossoms opened with the amazing harmonies only siblings can achieve and songs that, to put it politely, were kinda boring. Folks were here to hear a song writer with few (if any) peers, so the Cactus Blossoms were at a disadvantage.
Nick took the stage, looking a decade younger than his 77 years, and fired off songs as if he was a jukebox. Was he going to address the adoring crowd? Yes.
When Nick did speak he explained he had such a back catalog of songs to perform, he intentionally goes into rapid-fire mode. “I write short songs,” explained Nick, “So I want to get to as many as possible.” He still found time to explain the back story to many of his compositions without ever crossing into self-indulgence. His banter about his connection to Johnny Cash and Nick’s song “The Beast In Me” was worth the price of admission. Really, his songs don’t need to be explained. This man crafts songs that allow each listener plenty of room for interpretation.
After the encore (with the Cactus Blossoms backing), I looked over at my date (who happens to be my wife) and could see she was as moved by Nick’s beautiful music as I was. It is that moment when you fall in love all over again and Nick supplied the soundtrack.
