SAN FRANCISCO — Fresh from opening slots on tours with Semisonic and Blues Traveler, Pete Yorn launched an outing of his own Sunday with the first of two sold-out shows at Bottom of the Hill.
The 26-year-old singer/songwriter and
his band charged through an hour's worth of heartfelt songs about love gone wrong from his March debut, Musicforthemorningafter, and the packed house sang along as though they were old favorites.
Taking the stage in a red thermal shirt and jeans, the shaggy-haired Yorn began the set with a slower, heavier take on the Smiths classic "Panic."
After charging through his first single, "Life on a
Chain," Yorn thanked the rowdy crowd for coming, then attested to his rising
popularity: "We were here in October, and there were 10 people here." Though
his lyrics tend to lean toward the jaded and lovelorn — "I am just for you/
As you are not for me," he sings on "Black" — Yorn kept the mood light, putting all the energy of an opening night into kicked-up versions of such already upbeat tracks as "Closet" and "For Nancy," which would sound at home in a John Hughes movie.
Yorn continues in the cynical yet romantic tradition of artists like Matthew Sweet, whose bittersweet songs often pair melancholy lyrics with bouncy power-pop melodies. With his gruff voice and curious Southern drawl, the New Jersey-born Yorn charmed the audience with his unpretentious demeanor and easy stage presence, trading harmonies with guitarist Craig Wazbinski and bassist Terry Borden.
Yorn and company went on to plow through a more countryfied take on the twangy "Strange Condition" and kept the crowd dancing with the lively, rocking "Murray."
The evening wound down with the ballads "On Your Side" and "Lose You." As Yorn crooned, "I don't need a better thing/ I'd settle for less ... I just have to wander through this world alone," it was clear from the waving lighters and the reverently upturned faces that the audience could relate.
This report is from MTV News.
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