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Mulvey works magic yet again
Crowd pleased with “No Gasoline Tour” performers at Turner Hall Ballroom
By Zachary Hoeppner
The evening began with the usual sort of thing any concert fiend would expect. Preshow music facilitates conversation and a thirst for supplemental libation. And a spry young woman traipses about, platter in hand, eyes panning the crowd in search of thirsty patrons.
In September 2007 he completed the circuit. Now in 2008 he has done it again. Milwaukee’s own singer/ songwriter Peter Mulvey rode his bicycle on the 400+ mile “No Gasoline Tour” throughout Southeast Wisconsin.
An eager throng of astonishingly attentive listeners made their way out to Turner Hall Ballroom this past Saturday night in support of Mulvey’s homecoming show.
The evening began with the usual sort of thing any concert fiend would expect. Preshow music facilitates conversation and a thirst for supplemental libation. And a spry young woman traipses about, platter in hand, eyes panning the crowd in search of thirsty patrons.
Set to a backlit stage and the inviting glow of candle light, the evening opened with resounding applause as Milwaukee’s Chip Cruz finished his first song and proceeded to toast the air with his pick.
With his ponytail flopping about behind him, the charismatic fellow loosed a sprawling cascade of delightful notes.
At times however, the meter of his guitar playing drifted aimlessly about, evoking a sense of experiencing an early rehearsal.
Chip Cruz left the applauding Saturday night audience with a performance of deeply politically based songs dwelling somewhere between solid and unrefined.
Antje Duvekot, singer/songwriter, moved into the batter’s box and proceeded to hit a home run.
Drawing on imagery from nature, she emitted folky vibes more intoxicating than the swirl of pheromones in autumn.
For over thirty minutes she treated the audience to a transparent and majestic performance that was at the same time subtle and expansive.
Possessing a voice that could charm a den of snarling lions and an attention to pitch as steady as morning freeway traffic, Antje Duvekot most certainly has the goods.
If you’ve experienced Peter Mulvey’s music, it will please you to know that he was in prime form as well on Saturday.
A storyteller and historian, Mulvey’s gravelly baritone sent out confident waves of description accompanied by an ample display of trickery on the fret board.
Mulvey is a Milwaukee native with a background in theatre. While becoming attuned to life on the stage he learned the arts of character and storytelling, both of which played a vital role in his captivating performance.
Along with 17 years of touring experience he has released a slew of records, the earliest of which dates back to 1992.
After living in Dublin, Ireland and Boston, Mass., he returned to our fair city to share with us his catalog of hysterical stories and homespun music.
Peter Mulvey is part raconteur, part troubadour, and he definitely pulled out all the stops, finishing off his set with a convincing encore of The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.”
As a general assessment of the evening’s performance, it is safe to say that Peter Mulvey’s cup of showmanship done runneth over.
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