Concert Review: Nick Cave Gets Confessional at ACL Moody Theatre–Aussie alternative icon brings empathy and humor to intimate Austin, TX performance.

It takes a mighty big musical presence to compete against this year’s ACL festival. But Nick Cave pulled off this hat trick with a two night residency for his Conversations tour. But with a fanbase as rabid and devoted as Cave’s, this is not an unexpected triumph.

For years Cave has interacted with his fanbase via the Red Hand Files, an online site where he answers every question a fan throws his way. Further knocking down the wall between artist and listener is the Conversations concept, where the singer-songwriter fields questions in-between musical performances.

It’s an extremely intimate affair (even the songs, which are performed only by Cave on piano), and the first night in his Austin stay proved illuminating, humorous and touching.

After playing The Ship Song, Cave began taking questions from the crowd, including everything from the fallout he received after playing in Israel (he countered that many of the attacks reeked of anti-Semitism, and that music is made “for all the people, not just some”, adding that his detractors can “fuck off”) to his formative musical influences, which included Leonard Cohen (of which he covered Avalanche) and Johnny Cash, joking that anytime he faces criticism he just replies that Cash covered The Mercy Seat (which he also performed to rabid applause).

More songs followed, and hearing them transposed to simple piano showcased just how strong the bones of Cave’s compositions are, with fan favorites like Into My Arms and (Are You) The One That I’ve Been Waiting For? bursting with pathos and emotion.

Cave mentioned as much, discussing how his best songs are the most durable and ripe for reworking. As such he added that no songs would be performed from his new double album Ghosteen, because he and his band haven’t had the time to learn them enough to be played in different arrangements.

Cave was often disarmingly frank, especially when discussing the death of his son Arthur in 2015, which he claimed opened up more to empathy and transparency, giving way to this new style of performance. This was reciprocated by his fans, many of whose questions mentioned the loss of a loved one (including an 85 year old woman recounting the passing of her son).

Indeed, at times Cave’s show seemed less like a concert and more like therapy between artist and audience–it is clear his fanbase views him as some sort of father figure, gleaming insight from his lyrics, and viewing him as an elder statesman in how to navigate through the darkness (he even gave tips to aspiring songwriters on how to perfect their craft).

Cave, to his credit, showed genuine affection toward his audience, even when some questions became repetitive, or at times, rambling; After one audience member went on and on (and on) about how to act during an upcoming job interview (in addition to remarks about his children, his life, and The Butthole Surfers) Cave’s reaction was priceless: Go into the room and act like everything is okay…and don’t mention any of this. 

Cave closed his set with several heavy hitters: Shivers (a song from his post-punk outfit The Boys Next Door), Stagger Lee (with a stripped down arrangement that made his murderous lyrics even more unsettling) and the stately and somber Skeleton Tree, all of which showcased the power of his tremulous baritone.

Conversations was a truly unique concert experience, at times unsettling, at others heartwarming, and seeing Cave being so unguarded offered a peek behind the curtain of his artistry. One of his final comments concerned social media, and its effect on children, saying that a parent must balance it by showing their kids “beautiful shit.” For over 2 hours, we were his children, and what he showed us was song-craft and kindness that was indeed a thing of beauty.

Set-list:

The Ship Song
(Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
The Weeping Song
(Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
Avalanche
(Leonard Cohen cover)
The Mercy Seat
(Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
(Are You) The One That I’ve Been Waiting For?
(Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
As I Sat Sadly by Her Side
(Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
Jubilee Street
(Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
Into My Arms
(Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
O Children
(Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
Palaces of Montezuma
(Grinderman song)
Shivers
(The Boys Next Door song)
Stagger Lee
(Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
Skeleton Tree
(Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)