M. Ward, Crescent Ballroom, 4/17/12

By Jason P. Woodbury Wed., Apr. 18 2012 at 9:00 AM

Categories: Last Night

Melissa Fossum

Lonna Kelley and M. Ward

See also: M. Ward Discusses A Wasteland Companion, and His Arizona Ties to The Meat Puppets and Howe Gelb

M. Ward
Crescent Ballroom
Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Following fIREHOSE's blistering set of punk jazz, I was almost worried that the hushed immediacy of Portland-based singer/songwriter/producer M. Ward would suffer by comparison. Don't get me wrong: I love the guys records, including the brand new A Wasteland Companion, and I'm well aware that there are a few cranked-up rock 'n' roll numbers in his repertoire, but how exactly do you pull off a largely subdued sound with such an amped-up audience?

See the full fIREHOSE/M. Ward at Crescent Ballroom slideshow.

Melissa Fossum

M. Ward

Mostly, it turns out, by simply turning up the volume and having fun. On record, Ward's music sounds distant and vague (in a good way), but in concert, he was entirely present. Backed by a solid rock 'n' roll combo, he sang with his distinct voice, but it was full and powerful.

Opening "Vincent O'Brien" and "Fool Says," a pair of songs from 2003's Transfiguration of Vincent, Ward was in good spirits, seeming rested and recovered from any Coachella madness.

Ward's the kind of songwriter who doesn't shy away from paying homage to his influences, and with new song "Clean Slate," he does just that with Alex Chilton, the Memphis songwriter who fronted The Box Tops, Big Star, and had a harrowing, exciting, and eventually jazzy solo career. Ward picks little bits and pieces from all of Chilton's different eras, especially the skeletal rockabilly of "Watch the Show," which the band tore into with off-kilter glee.

Valley songwriter Lonna Kelley joined Ward on stage for two more from Wasteland, a charming Latin shuffle of "I Get Ideas" (sang by everyone from Louis Armstrong to Ricky Ricardo) and Daniel Johnston's "Sweetheart." She seemed a little hesitant during "Ideas," but by "Sweetheart" was ready for her star turn. Ward looked on with a smile as she belted out, "Oh, my love, take my hand; we'll go walking," with a huskier, warmer tone than Zooey Deschanel (Ward's duet partner on the record).