Posted on March 14, 2010 by Greg

Lon Langford solo acoustic

Schubas Tavern
Saturday, March 6, 2010

If you have been in Chicago for any length of time and are at all tuned into the arts/performance scene, you probably have heard of Jon Langford. If not from his work with The Mekons, The Sadies or The Waco Brothers, then you may have heard him on WXRT’s The Eclectic Company or NPR’s This American Life. Or you may have seen one of his Chicago theater collaborations with House Theatre or Collaboraction, read his writing, admired some of his paintings, or drank a Dogfish Head beer and seen his artwork on the bottle. The guy is a force of nature. We caught up with him when he played a rare solo acoustic set at Schubas as part of the Chicago International Movies and Music Festival (CIMM).

The evening started with a movie by local writer/director Michael Glover Smith called At Last, Okemah! Co-written by Michael Selzer and starring Chicago actor Kevin Viol, this was a film about a record store hipster who transforms himself into an “authentic” folk singer and hits the road in search of Woody Guthrie’s birthplace, Okemah, Oklahoma. The film was genuinely funny, featured a lot of original music played by the versatile Viol, and of course, there was a cameo by Jon Langford! So we can add film acting to his lengthy resume.

Shortly after a Q&A, Langford hit the stage by himself and launched into an intimate and utterly charming performance for the full house. I have to admit with embarrassment that I had never actually seen him perform live, and this was a real treat. His songs are full of wry observations, melancholy details, warm wit, old-fashioned drinking and brawling…anything you can set to music is in his body of work somewhere.

[[grooveshark]]

He often introduced songs with anecdotes about how they were written or first performed. He spoke of his home in Pontypool, Wales and the work he has been doing recently with a Welsh men’s chorus. This led to a funny story of his young son looking for him at a gig: upon seeing the chorus’s many white-haired Welshmen holding drinks and smoking, the boy got confused, approaching each with a hopeful, “Daddy?” (Langford can count himself among equals in a crowd of white-haired beer-drinking Welshmen). I honestly would pay just to watch this guy drink and tell stories.

It was such a great evening for me. I have long admired Jon Langford’s work, and to see him perform it stripped down in a relaxed setting greatly enhanced my already-high opinion of him. It also enhanced my already-high opinion of Schubas as a venue. It’s a very cozy place with great management, a nice wood-framed stage and fantastic sound. The whole set was crystal-clear, just like the many sets I have caught at this place over the years.

Chicagoans, if there’s a band out there that you’re even mildly interested in seeing, and they’re playing at Schubas… see them there. You won’t be disappointed. It is a real Chicago treasure, as is the mighty Jon Langford.

– Greg at The UnCool

Editor’s note from Margaret:

Having seen Jon Langford perform live at many of the major points along his career trajectory (Mekons, Waco Brothers, solo live acoustic), I’m blown away by his versatility. This guy was born to tell stories and sing while we all sit at his feet. Despite admiring his musical career, I was clueless about the other facets of his creative career. He’s a fascinating force of nature who’s pretty fun to look into. If you would like to learn more about Jon’s art, or his influence on other Chicago musicians, here are few sites to check out:

http://www.jonlangford.de/mojo.htm

http://www.furious.com/perfect/jonlangford.html

http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/artist/jon-langford

http://www.myspace.com/jdfanglord

http://www.myspace.com/mekons

And this (I’m warning you … pretentious) Village Voice article…

http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/rock/langford-03.php

Oh, and this is just adorable…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nr295cfu9Q

Enjoy!

– Margaret at The UnCool

The UnRecorded | Concert Review: Jon Langford at Schubas10.0105