USA Spirit Bird Tour feat. Xavier Rudd – REVIEW

We had the great pleasure of reviewing the Australian musician, Xavier Rudd’s recent tour titled the “USA Spirit Bird Tour” with support from Yeshe. The Chicago date of the tour was held at the House of Blues. You can check out our review after the break.

Xavier Rudd is a musician that I instantly fell in love with after hearing only one song.  Xavier has a sound that is so incredibly unique and intriguing; this was a show that I just couldn’t miss.  Xavier came to Chicago’s House of Blues venue on November 17 for a 17+ concert with Dusseldorf-native, Yeshe.  What drew me to this particular tour was the pure foreign feeling that the music gave me.  With Xavier Rudd hailing from Australia, and Yeshe from Germany, the uniqueness of not only the sound but the instruments too is what made this show extra special.

I unfortunately had to miss Yeshe’s performance due to some scheduling issues.  As I was heading to the House of Blues I was kicking myself for having to skip what I’m sure was an incredible set.  Days before the show, when I was doing some research on these artists, I ended up listening to quite a bit of Yeshe’s global-roots tunes.  I can’t quite comment on his live set that I missed, but Yeshe’s exotic instruments and foreign influence make for some seriously creative and enjoyable music.  Most of Yeshe’s music is a great addition to anybody’s library and is very useful for when the mood is calm.

When first entering the House of Blues I was struck with how many people were at this Wednesday night show.  The crowd filled the dance floor and the balconies, and mostly consisted of folks between the ages of 23-35.  I walked in on Xavier’s set a few songs in and once again was disappointed in myself for not planning accordingly.  Immediately after entering the music hall I was hit with the deep rumbling of the didgeridoo.  Xavier’s stage set-up included three or four of these long pipe-like instruments, along with drums and several guitars.  Xavier showed true musicianship with the folk, indie, blues, and reggae genres that he displayed.  With ease Xavier played harmonica and steel guitar along with the other instruments that were a part of his set-up.  Xavier Rudd’s set seemed to me like an hour-long jam of seamless instrument changes and song combinations.  Xavier had very few words to say in between his set, which is just how I prefer it.  For most of his set he jammed alone on stage, surrounded by his instruments.  For a short session, however, Yeshe came out to play with Xavier in what I would describe as being an incredible duo of exotic instruments and sounds that collaborated into an amazing harmony of music.

This show was truly different than anything I have ever seen before.  I have been to all the metal, reggae, rap, country, and indie shows before, but never have I witnessed such an amazing and foreign sound.  As much as I feel people might think didgeridoo and steel guitar music isn’t danceable, trust me when I say it is.  I don’t usually go to shows with music that you can’t dance to, and this certainly wasn’t that.  I think more people need to give this roots music a fair shake because once they do I know they’ll fall in love.  If nothing else, popping on some Xavier Rudd or Yeshe and kicking back is an excellent relaxation technique, and is extremely enjoyable.

Tour: USA Spirit Bird Tour feat. Xavier Rudd
Artists: Xavier Rudd, Yeshe
Reviewer: Michael Nutting
Date: November 7, 2012
Venue: House of Blues in Chicago, IL