Dec. 08--Holiday traditions abound in Chicago, but few tout the hyper-local feel of Andrew Bird's intimate Gezelligheid shows, named after a Dutch word that loosely translates to "extra extra cozy."
After taking a break from the somewhat-annual concept in 2014, on Monday the multi-instrumentalist/vocalist treated the first performance of his sold-out four-night stand at Fourth Presbyterian Church as a homecoming, with an emphasis on regional flavor. (Bird also headlines the Hideout on Friday.)
Although he now lives in Los Angeles, Bird's heart still seems to reside in Illinois. The Lake Forest native surrounded himself with a Chicago-centric cast and constants. Local vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz opened. Longtime collaborator and area mainstay Nora O'Connor joined Bird on a handful of songs. Per usual, Humboldt Park-based Specimen Products designed the vibrant array of horn speakers -- dubbed "sculptures" -- lining the stage. And the Michigan Avenue venue provided spiritual ambience further enhanced by soft lighting.
Bird even chose the city as the sole location of this year's Gezelligheid. Having announced he just finished recording a new studio album last week, he used the 90-minute set as an opportunity to premiere several new works. Indeed, as he continues to toy with the musical approaches, Bird has never wavered in his view of the residency as an elastic series free from the static formats associated with conventional concerts.
"It feels like ages since I've done this," Bird announced, expressing his passion for Gezelligheid. He woodshedded fresh ideas, refreshed old favorites and entertained requests all the while maintaining a tranquil disposition that suggested he was back in his living room playing for a few close friends. Concise arrangements that relied less on pop effects and more on elegant instrumentalism added to the focus on simplicity. Bird also made minor mistakes and laughed them off, valuing mood and improvisation over fancifulness and precision.
His signature ability to loop whistled melodies, violin passages and guitar fills on songs such as "Lull" didn't interfere with the stripped-down vibe. Save for turning "Scythian Empires" into a piece meant for a small orchestra and ending "Plasticities" in a blur of feedback, Bird shied away from creating enveloping cathedrals of sound. His quirky symphonic fare even followed lithe, refined contours and adhered to slower tempos. Visually and sonically, Bird appeared intent on peeling away complex layers to reveal human dimensions.
Gathered around an old-fashioned microphone, he and O'Connor achieved such emotional purity on a string of country-themed duets -- including "Effigy" and a cover of the Handsome Family's "Frogs" -- that sounded as if they could have been broadcast over the airwaves from the Grand Ole Opry decades ago. The similarly poignant "Pulaski at Night" emerged as a love letter to Chicago, a fitting seasonal gift to a place still vital to the development of Bird's art.
Bob Gendron is a freelance critic.
