The Album Leaf + Sea Wolf - Doug Fir Lounge (Portland, OR; Feb. 5, 2010)

So let’s get some full disclosure out of the way right off the bat: I’ve liked The Album Leaf for a long time. Whether I’ve ever been an Album Leaf fan, however, is another question. In fact I’d say I haven’t. Not really, anyway. Not in the sense that I buy anything Jimmy LaValle puts out, or that I keep a lookout for similar artists. My interest has never run quite that deep. I did hold out some hope, though, that Friday night might change all that. With the Anomie Belle String Quartet lending a hand for this gig, I had high hopes for a spirited performance that belied the ethereal sound that LaValle lays down in his studio work. Alas.

The omens in advance of the show seemed pretty favorable. Tickets were gone by the official 9 pm start time, and the Doug Fir was hopping from the basement to the patio. The music had just started as I descended the stairs, and it was refreshing to see that the floor in front of the stage was pretty well packed, something of a rare treat for opening acts at the Fir.

Los Angeles folk rockers Sea Wolf, essentially a vehicle for singer/songwriter Alex Church, opened the night with a fairly upbeat set. And while they were generally well received, their sound—about as Tom Petty as you can get while still employing a cello—was in stark contrast to the ambient tendencies of the headliner. This observation annoyed me at the time; in retrospect, I’m inclined simply to judge Sea Wolf on their own merits rather than their qualifications as an opener, and settle for the fact that their set was fairly entertaining and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

With only two acts on the bill, the Album Leaf were due to come on stage at 10:15. Having successfully jockeyed for position near the corner of the stage, I had an excellent vantage point as, shortly after the appointed time, the stage filled with no less than ten musicians. This being a larger crew than I’d been given to expect, I remained optimistic that I was going to witness an excellent performance. Instead, it quickly became apparent that there was no such thing in store.

Seated at his keyboard, LaValle seemingly checked whatever charisma he possessed at the door. And while the music he and his oversized band produced was predictably lush and beautiful, there was little happening, either onstage or within the music itself, that really compelled one to stand and watch. I for one had had enough rather quickly, and removed myself to a distant seat at the bar, where I could sip a beer and enjoy the performance for what it unfortunately was: background music.

I’ve heard it said that listening to the Album Leaf live is exactly like listening to the Album Leaf on record. Believe it. If this ten piece band succeeded in translating Jimmy LaValle’s gorgeous recorded sound to the stage, it’s also true that they didn’t add anything that couldn’t be done just as well in the studio. Sure, I could stand near the front and watch them play, and perhaps it would be a cruel exaggeration to say that I could just as well sit around watching grass grow, but the comparison nevertheless seems apt. In fact, my enjoyment of the show didn’t change whether I was standing up front or seated at the back of the room—a fact that bodes well for conversation, I suppose, but is less fulfilling for those expecting to be entertained.

The rest of the audience seemed to be struggling as much as I was. Undoubtedly there were those who enjoyed themselves, and in fact the music was every bit as good as one could expect, but there seemed be a listlessness that permeated the venue. Applause at the end of each song seemed rather muted, and as the set wore on, the room seemed to get progressively less crowded.

As the crowd filtered out at the end of the show, I contemplated how creating such well-crafted music could still make for such a lackluster concert experience. It comes down to, I think, a sheer lack of stage presence. Ten musicians can fill up the tiny Doug Fir stage with relative ease, but these ones seemed merely to occupy it. What they did, they did well, but it was the things they didn’t do that defined the experience for me. That experience didn’t put me off of the Album Leaf entirely, but one of the greatest virtues of a live performance is its capacity to enhance the audience’s appreciation of the recorded music. This show fell pretty far short on that front. That constitutes a disappointment for me, and a missed opportunity for Jimmy LaValle. His studio work is lovely, if not particularly dynamic. That he manages to bring nothing more to the stage, though, leaves the unfortunate impression of talented artist treading stagnant water in spite of himself.

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