Classic crooner Bryan Ferry celebrates Roxy Music’s RRHOF Induction by honoring his iconic roots.
With their induction in the 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, British glam rockers/sophistipop pioneers Roxy Music, and their frontman Bryan Ferry have finally received their full American due.
And Ferry is celebrating his former band’s legacy on his current tour, in particular their 1982 swan song Avalon, which saw them embracing New Wave, synth-pop and jazz, resulting in an album that has become the soundtrack for lovers the world over.
Ferry returned to ACL Live following his acclaimed 2017 performance at the venue (click here for my review) with a rapturous audience who were treated to the type of luxurious live event that is in short supply these days.
Ferry was joined onstage by a whopping 9 piece-band, and they made full use of the Moody Theater’s pristine acoustics, kicking off with sultry Avalon numbers India, The Main Thing and The Space Between. The hypnotic bass line on The Main Thing set the mood immediately, and the crowd were melodically hypnotized throughout the evening.
He dug deep into his solo back catalog, starting with The 39 Steps off his criminally ignored 1994 effort Mamouna, and also dusted off Can’t Let Go (off 1978’s The Bride Laid Bare), along with more high profile hits Don’t Stop The Dance, Boys and Girls and Slave To Love, the latter of which brought the crowd to its feet, swaying to its romantic allure.
But his Roxy Music output was the focus of the evening, and focus they did. In addition to pulling heavily from Avalon, culminating in the one-two punch of More Than This and Avalon (the latter showing off the sterling falsetto of backup singer Bobbie Gordon), he pulled from all facets of his band’s career.
This ranged from New Wave chestnuts Dance Away and Love is the Drug to 70s glam bangers Out of the Blue, Editions of You, Do The Strand, and the haunting In Every Dream Home a Heartache (recently featured on the Netflix series Mindhunter).
No Ferry set would be complete without some covers, and this evening include a lively rendition of Bob Dylan’s Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues, featuring a sax vs. guitar showdown between and guitarist Chris Spedding and fiery sax player Jorja Chambers.
Chambers has proven over the years to be one of Ferry’s MVP’s, and she brought charisma and chops to spare, punctuating throughout the set with her stage presence.
The evening ended with another cover, Let’s Stick Together
(Wilbert Harrison cover), and its communal good time feel, augmented by the affectionate interplay between band-members, showed the evening for what it was, a party for all in attendance, with a well-tailored host who made us all feel welcome.
At 74 years, Ferry has lost none of his charisma and charm, and while his croon has groan coarser over the years, it still goes down like a nice stiff drink, lingering long after the evening came to a close.
Setlist:
India
(Roxy Music song)
The Main Thing
(Roxy Music song)
The Space Between
(Roxy Music song)
The 39 Steps
Out of the Blue
(Roxy Music song)
Slave To Love
While My Heart Is Still Beating
(Roxy Music song)
Don’t Stop the Dance
Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
(Bob Dylan cover)
Boys and Girls
Dance Away
(Roxy Music song)
My Only Love
(Roxy Music song)
Take a Chance With Me
(Roxy Music song)
BĂȘte Noire
Can’t Let Go
In Every Dream Home a Heartache
(Roxy Music song)
If There Is Something
(Roxy Music song)
More Than This
(Roxy Music song)
Avalon
(Roxy Music song)
Love Is the Drug
(Roxy Music song)
Editions of You
(Roxy Music song)
Do the Strand
(Roxy Music song)
Let’s Stick Together
(Wilbert Harrison cover)