Davis Square's Somerville Theatre is often considered one of the best places in town to catch a spur-of-the-moment movie given it's convenient location. This past Saturday, however, the venue transformed itself from a local movie theater to a folk music celebration with singer/songwriter Jess Klein. Featuring songs primarily from her most recent CD release on Rykodisc, Draw Them Near, Jess Klein and her band tore up the stage with some great tunes and gripping lyrics for nearly two straight hours.
Special guest Lori McKenna, who will be headlining at the Somerville in February, got the audience geared up for an evening of fabulous folk music festivities. The combination of Jewel-esque finger-picking, a versatile voice, and unique lyrics made for a vibrant opening act. McKenna and her guitar seemed perfectly at home on the Somerville's stage. She told stories while tuning her guitar, making sure that the audience laughed here and there at her anecdotes. Guitarist and singer Meghan Toohey helped McKenna out on a few songs during the 45-minute set. Her electric guitar gave a little extra body to McKenna's acoustic strumming. Some subtle yet striking harmonies helped McKenna's lyrics soar to new heights in songs like "Hardly Speaking a Word."
Klein finally took to the stage following a brief intermission. She began the set solo with the title track off Draw Them Near before bringing out the rest of her band - a drummer, a guitarist, and a bassist. The four followed each other's musical lead such that they blended together seamlessly in each song. They reached their height towards the close of the evening's performance with "Goodbye, Goodbye", a song with a driving beat that rocks hard while remaining faithful to Klein's acoustic background.
Klein's voice is versatile enough to range from blues--y to soft and sweet to rock 'n' roll. Despite this, she failed to pick and stick to a style in many of the songs. The music got stuck somewhere between acoustic folk and wired rock, and she rarely made the necessary distinction between the two musical genres. Her performance Saturday night faltered as a result.
Klein and the rest of the band were undoubtedly at their best when she gave into her musical instincts. She let her acoustic prowess shine through in songs like "Draw Them Near" and the old favorite "Romeo", specially requested by an audience member. She was able to pull off the metamorphosis into rocker chick with the sexy and suggestive "I Sure Would", a tune that proved to be a breath of fresh air after songs like "Open Me" and "I Tried," which struggled in their half-hearted attempts at straying far enough from Klein's acoustic roots to be called rock.
There's no denying the talent of this three-time Boston Music Award nominee. The Boston Globe has called her "one of the most expressive and exciting vocalists in town," and her potential is more than evident in this latest collection of songs. Still, Klein appeared to be holding back on stage at the Somerville this weekend, and the audience picked up on it. There was no ignoring the distance that existed between Klein and her fans. Her attempts at humor gave the impression of having been rehearsed backstage and came off as disingenuous, insincere, and unoriginal. The audience ignored them most of the time, with the exception of a forced a laugh here and there for Klein's sake. She lacked the kind of spontaneity on stage that can make or break a folk performance.
Despite her less than perfect performance at the Somerville this weekend, Klein is a gem of a musician and songwriter. Her lyrics are powerful, honest, and inspiring. They succeed in conveying their message despite the fuzzy musical style she and the band seem to get stuck in. Jess Klein has the talent and the spunk to pick a musical direction and fly with it, and she's certainly well on her way.
