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ACL review: Jenny Lewis
A good chunk of the crowd that was on hand for M. Ward’s fantastic set on the WaMu stage hung around to see Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis perform. Like Ward, Lewis brought out a five-person band, and also like Ward, was a highlight of day one at ACL. Lewis’s solo work is in some ways an experiment in mixing genres, from rock to country to rhythm and blues. All of these forms were on display as she made her way through the set, captivating the audience the entire time.
Lewis played a selection of songs from 2006’s “Rabbit Fur Coat” and her most recent album “Acid Tongue,” which was released earlier this week. She started off on the piano with “Jack Killed Mom,” evoking Dusty Springfield and trading lyrics with her guitarist, and then grabbed the guitar for “Rise Up With Fists.”
Lewis’s bassist Jonathan Wilson stood out on several songs, including “Bad Man’s World” off the recent album, which she dedicated to John McCain. A friend pointed out that Wilson, who looked to be wearing a George Harrison t-shirt, switched back and forth between a Rickenbacker and a Hoffner violin bass, Paul McCartney’s weapons of choice.
The band closed with the driving country-rocker “See Fernando,” also a new one, with Lewis climbing up on to the piano bench and clapping along with the crowd, who were focused on her every move.
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