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monica and i saw mark eitzel at the tin angel last sunday night. for as many times as i’ve seen him with a band and amc play, this may have been the first time i’ve seen a full-on solo set consisting of any real length (the last time i saw him solo may have been opening for low at the ethical society with five or six songs). the smug philebrity plug/dis “depressive alcoholics and the women who love them will be mildly interested to find that mark eitzel is, in fact, still alive and singing” used to advertise the show reinforces my belief that eitzel’s reputation always sold short what he has to offer as a performer and songwriter.

and what exactly what does eitzel have to offer after all these years? he writes about real things in a poetic, raw and moving yet uplifting manner. unlike a lot of artists who seem to be competing for who can be most sad, he doesn’t revel in being emotional or the gloominess of the songs. instead, he celebrates the hope and beauty within them. i remember reading an interview where mark expressed his disdain for his image as an alcoholic misanthrope (and i’m paraphrasing here): “no one ever told neil young he should see a psychiatrist. no one ever told joni mitchell to take prozac. in america, people think that if you’re depressed that you need to be fixed but it’s just part of life.” people who “get” eitzel understand that too and it’s a weird cross-section of fans. sure, there’s your smattering of grinning hipsters but also in attendance are their parents, lawyers, secretaries, barflies, people of upper, middle and working class of all ages.

anyway, the show was great. mark was hilarious, engaging and in great spirits while being simultaneously captivating and heart-wrenching. at times the show seemed on the verge of degenerating into self-parody - on several occasions he would stop mid-song to poke fun at his chord selection (”this is the chord of sadness. this is the chord of resolution!”) or the number of people going to the bathroom - which would lead to awkward moments during songs where people didn’t know whether to laugh or not. case in point, “myopic books” has a great opening verse:

…i was just hoping for a bookstore like the one i prayed for
and the music they play there would be dinosaur jr.
and the people who worked there would be super skinny, and super unfriendly
and that would make me happy

which got some good laughs from the crowd. but in the next verse he sings about his late mother:

…i’ll find a bookstore and buy saul bellows
and one about old ruins for my mother
you never met her, she liked manhattans
they taste like mouthwash

it might not seem like it in text but it’s an extremely poignant line. there were a few chuckles from people who enjoyed the line but didn’t know that eitzel’s mother had passed away. you honestly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. it was followed by a beautiful yet heartbreaking moment of him onstage with his eyes closed and singing the line “maybe the worst is over”. i guess what draws people into these songs is the humanity within them, that feeling of going through all the loss we experience in life yet still finding that germ of hope that says it’s ok to go on.

man, i write stupid things when i’m short on sleep.

set list (to the best of my recollection):

last harbor
jenny
heart and soul
western sky
only love will set you free
another morning
sleeping beauty
ladies and gentlemen
my father’s house
my pet rat st. michael
patriot’s heart
home
jesus’ hands
johnny mathis’ feet
myopic books