Cass McCombs has frequently been described as a man forever on the road, a nomad of sorts. This constant upheaval transcends the man’s music and storytelling ability emphatically .
The year 2013 was one of mass production and consequential success for McCombs, releasing a stellar double LP – his seventh studio album, Big Wheel And Others.
The Northcote Social Club contained a stretched age bracket of McCombs loyalists who eagerly anticipated the singer-songwriter’s arrival. Many questioned what would be on the ever-changing setlist for the evening.
McCombs barely wasted a minute of the audience’s time as he and his band of three took to the intimate stage. When the house music paused, McCombs anxiously shouted, “Hey! Keep that music on!” as he and the band turned to share a couple of words of encouragement.
Eyes closed and hands gripped tightly on the mic, McCombs dropped straight into Big Wheel And Others track ‘Big Wheel’. The wall of sound that emitted from the four-piece slapped faces without apology, to which the crowd reaction was of utter exuberance.
Continuing with the more straight-up rock feel, McCombs delved into ‘Love Thine Enemy’ from 2011’s Humor Risk. In front of the moving feet, the dominant, fuzzy bass reverb was highly reminiscent of The Velvet Underground cult-classic ‘Sister Ray’. The band splashed into an all-out instrumental jam and were met with a sea of cheers as McCombs proclaimed, “I love love love thine enemy/but I hate their lack of sincerity!”
Pausing for quick guitar change, the performer began his harsh acoustic strum of fan-favourite ‘Name Written In Water’. The soft Americana vocal delivery was chorused by the matching hushed whisper of “…my name written in the water water wat-er”.
After the shift to a more toned down level, the alt-country riff of ‘Brighter!’ began to tease. Extending the intro to a sea of appreciation, the frontman parted his lips as his whimsical vocals wavered, “Brighter Venus, brighter stars, brighter genius, brighter guitar” before the utterly infectious “I stopped in for a little while”. The song resonated with the Lou Reed lyric, “I watched it for a little while” from ‘Satellite Of Love’. Sadly, the presence of studio duet partner Karen Black was sorely missed, however the four-piece still managed to triumphed without their lady.
The best songs of the evening were in fact played back-to-back, the first off Big Wheel And Others’ ‘Aeon of Aquarius Blues’. Contemporary alt-country is undoubtedly McCombs’ strongest suit. This genre was utterly exemplified by the incendiary pedal steel guitar introduced in ‘Aeon’, transporting the Melbourne venue to a midnight gaze in the lone star sky. Then arrived the smash hit single from 2009’s Catacombs, ‘Dreams Come True Girl’. Once again, the omission of Black briefly inflicted pain, but her absence was trumped by the incredibly hard-working McCombs.
McCombs’ set comprised of many tracks from his decade-spanning, illustrious career, including ‘Morning Star’, ‘Mystery Mail’, ‘City of Brotherly Love’, and ‘Lionkiller’.
The dreamlike ‘County Lines’ witnessed the band soar through an extended rendition of the beautifully painful standout from 2011’s Wit’s End. As McCombs’ rising falsetto cried “You never even tried to love me/what did I have to do to make you want me?”, the Northcote Social Club was brought to a standstill, all eyes seemingly transfixed upon the bleeding troubadour as he left the stage.
The demanding crowd did not allow the American crooner to break away for long. When he returned, the climactic curtain-drawer for the evening began – the foot-stomping, pedal steel guitar led ‘Angel Blood’. Yet another flawless shift of tempo, the quartet were unable to wipe the smiles from their faces as they seamlessly glided through the final song.
It’s common knowledge that McCombs always mixes every setlist he performs substantially, something that has been lost in many live performances today. It truly was inspiring to see a man with such a huge catalogue stick to his guns and play exactly what he felt for the evening. Indeed, it’s a live show that promises a unique sincerity, and that’s exactly what Melbourne received Thursday evening.
