Mark Eitzel, Mercury, June 28

Mark Eitzel

Mercury, June 28

Mark Eitzel's latest release, The Invisible Man, is a departure from his previous work. While in the past, he's worked with collaborators ranging from members of his old band American Music Club to Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley and R.E.M's Peter Buck, this time Eitzel produced and played most of the instruments himself, using mainly an acoustic guitar, a sampler, and Pro Tools on a Macintosh G4 computer. The big news, though, is that besides creating his characteristic dark, dramatic, and emotional moods, The Invisible Man evinces some uncommonly optimistic moments as well as more hooks and choruses than anything he's ever done. At this surprisingly underattended performance, the Bay Area bard was joined onstage by Brian Gregory of Austin's Adults on guitar, bass, and pedal steel, Andrew Plourde on keyboards and electronics, and longtime collaborator Kristin Sobditch on bass and keyboards. The set was drawn mostly from The Invisible Man, and the quartet did a fine job of re-creating its atmospherics and electro-beats, which vary from sultry smooth to deafening roars. To some, Eitzel's songs are a difficult listen. For the most part, he writes linearly, images and thoughts piled one after another, with melodies that follow no distinct pattern. Yet this performance featured musical backdrops that drew the listener into his forlorn world and provided an interesting counterpoint to what at times could have come across as pointless lyrical noodling. One thing that hasn't changed, however, is Eitzel's quirky, self-effacing humor. It's something that his admirers find attractive, if only because it points to his being just another maladjusted everyman. During his between-song patter, Eitzel came across as uncomfortable at times, but it's not a stage persona. One sensed through his music and actions that he really is a geek. Still, he handled those moments good-naturedly and kept them thankfully brief. Toward the end of the set, Eitzel performed the ethereal "The Boy With the Hammer" from The Invisible Man, and it charged the room as if he was finally revealing something deeper, and amplifying the idea that he's indeed changed his style.