James O'Brien takes the stage like he's defending his turf. His fingers curl around the smooth guitar in his hands and riddle out taut melodies with in-your-face political lyrics. Energy is high the moment his boots hit the carpet of Club Passim's stage, and it holds you there until the last encore. His voice yells to you from under the lights, and you hear it echoing long after you've gone home.
On Wednesday night, James played to an audience of approximately 50 fans. That's a medium-sized crowd for the venue, but a good-sized crowd considering it was a weeknight. O'Brien didn't seem to notice how many were in the room, just that they were there, waiting for him to interact with them. Communication, after all, is why his fans are so enthralled with him.
James' songs relay his thoughts on almost every topic imaginable, from the current state of the nation ("I did not start the war ...") to gender discrimination ("It doesn't matter what they look like, what they wear, what dangles between their legs ...") to religion ("The thing about God is that She's a good surfer ...") to surrealism ("I am a rain cloud in my own country ..."). It's a personal art being presented on stage, and the raw music holds each individual listener spellbound. Between songs, James talks with the crowd. He informed the audience Wednesday night that he had called the Pentagon with some good news. He left a message:
"Hello, I don't know what office I'm trying to reach, but I got the anthrax, and folk music seems to be helping. Just thought you should know."
Since that phone call last weekend, he said, mail service at his apartment apparently halted and his phone was disconnected. Audience members were amused. James also had a conversation with the listeners about his playing style:
"I'm already f-cking with the drummer!" he shouted happily. "The last thing I want is a studio sound band, where you know they can count to four."
James' performances are not for the weak of heart - they don't always rhyme, but they're often profane, profound, and gut-wrenching. A new song about the events of the past month includes in the chorus: "Nine o'clock in the morning, Sept. 11, the finger of God came down, and it touched me, and it touched you ..." Some audience members had the suspicion of tears in their eyes.
Dylan-esque folk legend Dan Bern greatly influenced O'Brien's style, so it is very appropriate that James has an upcoming show with Dan Bern at the Middle East on Nov. 6. Buy tickets early to get a good seat - it's should be an outstanding concert in a very full room.
James O'Brien's most recent album, Life Underwater, is available from his independent label, Life Underwater Music.
