Jens Lekman @ Webster Hall

Last night Karen invited me to see Jens Lekman. I met her in front of Webster Hall at nine. We walked in just as he was starting his set.

He stood center stage flanked by women dressed in white. To his left were two string players, to his right two horns. Behind him sat the drummer, a pair of red glasses were embroidered on her lapel. I couldn't tell what was stitched to the shoulders of the other players. A bassist stood off to the side, and an androgynous figure stood behind a laptop. I asked Karen if they were supposed to be dressed as nurses. She shrugged.

We stood in the back and listened as he played. He told the story of arriving in Berlin to see his girlfriend to discover she had told her parents they were engaged. He played "A Postcard To Nina" between his storytelling. Then he told another story which lead into "Black Cab." I danced; Karen laughed. When the song was over, Karen looked at me; he had played our two favorite songs. "O.K. we can go," she joked.

All too soon the concert was over (or rather it was the exact length of time). As he played I had detected influences ranging from R.E.M. circa Green to Jeff Buckley to Motown to 70s soul and had loved every minute of it. I thanked Karen profusely as we slowly shuffled to the exit. She wondered how tall he was. She was hoping to catch a glimpse of him in the crowd. I told her I was half-hoping he'd cover a Prince song.

At one point, he encouraged the audience to talk. He said he liked the New York accent and was hoping to hear people speaking. As he wound down his set, he said he wanted to keep playing. He told us that he'd come out into the audience and if anyone had any suggestions he'd go there and play more. A woman behind us yelled out, "I love you. You can come home with meeeeeeeeeeee," the vowel long and drawn out until it disappeared into the cavernous hall. Posted by eku at October 28, 2007 10:15 AM