PHOTOS: RICHIE DOWNS | On Sunday evening, an enthusiastic crowd gathered for an early show at Sixth & I historic synagogue where Pete Yorn‘s banter and rock- and folk-inspired music lived up to the tour’s claims of “You & Me Acoustic.”
Yorn, dressed in slim jeans and a plaid shirt, his shaggy hair obscuring his eyes, sauntered through the pews from the back of the room, climbed on stage and perched on a stool, where he sat alone with a couple of guitars and a harmonica.
He is unassuming in person, and seemed genuinely excited by the crowd’s energy. Looking around the venue as many artists do, perhaps a bit perplexed finding himself in a synagogue, he remarked, “This isn’t the 9:30 Club. This is something else.” It was just the start of an unusually intimate show. Without a band backing him, Yorn took advantage of his freedom. He was relaxed and playful, offering anecdotes and sound bites throughout a set that spanned his entire catalogue, and more.
While the scene of Yorn alone on stage evoked an amateur open mic night at a local coffee shop, the reality was anything but. Yorn’s voice is just as smooth in person as it is on his recordings, and his talent and versatility on guitar allowed him to easily fill the venue’s open space.
Yorn has six full-length albums plus a number of EPs and singles, beginning with his 2001 breakthrough debut musicforthemorningafter—it’s quite the catalogue from which to draw. Although he advertised the flexibility of these shows, including playing without a set list and taking audience requests, he could have easily stuck with well-known favorites.
He did not.
The set kicked off with “All At Once,” from 2003’s Day I Forgot. It was a slow, melancholic version until he psyched the crowd out with a false ending, clearly delighting in telling the audience “It’s not done yet!” during the applause before launching back in. He then transitioned to the up-tempo “Life on a Chain,” one of the hits from musicforthemorningafter. If you’ve heard one Pete Yorn song, it’s probably this one. With the crowd clapping along, Yorn yelled out, “This house was built for singing!”—though the audience certainly didn’t need his cajoling.
A few songs in, he paused to explain that he was willing to take requests. In the midst of a barrage of shouts from around the venue, Yorn zeroed in on a young man close to the front, asking his name (Jason) and where he was from (Charleston, South Carolina). Yorn was impressed with Jason’s commitment to get to the show, and promptly played his request, “Turn of the Century.”
While the remainder of the set was filled with eager fans yelling out favorite Yorn songs, he deftly ignored the cacophony when there was a song he wanted to play or a story he wanted to tell. Yorn recounted a trip when he was 14 to visit his brother at the University of Maryland, “where all the debauchery started for me.” It was a significant trip for Yorn. He had started learning guitar six months before the visit, and his repertoire mostly consisted of Poison. But after, he told the audience, his tunes changed. To illustrate, Yorn then played a slow, personal version of The Smiths’ “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.”
Yorn’s ability as a storyteller shined in his music as well as his words. He pulled out the harmonica during “Splendid Isolation,” a Warren Zevon track that Yorn has been covering for years. Along with the strumming on his acoustic guitar, it was addition that enhanced the loneliness inherent in the song’s music and lyrics.
Yorn has a natural ease on stage, and a playfulness. He stumbled on lyrics or chords on a couple of songs, particularly ones he hadn’t played in a while, but laughed his way through it until his memory caught up with the song. Instead of detracting from the experience, the crowd seemed excited for the seldom-heard tracks and encouraged Yorn to keep going.
Toward the end of the set, Yorn assured fans that he has a new solo album in the works, and played a new song, “Lost Weekend,” which “may or may not” end up on the album. A rock song heavy on the guitar, it was consistent with the rest of his music.
Yorn has a particular sound and fits easily into a singer-songwriter niche. His music isn’t for everyone, and this show wasn’t about to turn any converts. But Yorn embraces his strengths. This is a tour for those already into Yorn’s music, a chance for fans to sing and joke along with the artist—a rare opportunity to truly share a night of music with a loved musician. Not bad for a Sunday night.
The show ended with “For Nancy (‘Cos It Already Is),” another off of musicforthemorningafter. It’s an upbeat rock song with a strong beat and intense lyrics. Keeping beat on a foot pedal, Yorn sang over and over again, “Convince yourself that everything is alright / Cos it already is.” For Yorn fans singing along at Sixth & I, there was no convincing necessary.
