Chris Isaak performs sultry love songs and rock n' roll to an adoring crowd in Auckland at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre. NZ Herald Photograph by Ben Dickens
Chris Isaak performs sultry love songs and rock n' roll to an adoring crowd in Auckland at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre. NZ Herald Photograph by Ben Dickens
OPINION:
Chris Isaak arrived at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre as a full-on, proto-American, bonafide 1960s rockstar. With his tailored blue bedazzled suit and his Southern American charm, he transported me into an alternative American age that as a Kiwi, I have never known.
He made me long for sitting all night in ‘60s diners, driving low and slow through America and feeling a heartache like Isaak has.
He has the face and charisma of a true clean-cut American. A straight-up showbusinessman, he wants every single person to feel seen and to have a good time at his show.
Chris Isaak performs sultry love songs and rock n' roll to an adoring crowd in Auckland at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre. NZ Herald Photograph by Ben Dickens
His first song up was American Boy, and straight off the bat we got our smooth-talking American boy all right. With a five-piece tight as can-be blues band, the groove of the night was set.
Early in the set, he knocked into his most popular song, Wicked Game. His sultry baritone, pitch-perfect notes and the quiet but iconic understated lead guitar riff raised hairs as the crowd leaned forward from their seats.
Some people may think Wicked Game is Isaak’s only successful song and from this concert, I can tell you that any nay-sayers are certainly wrong. However, Wicked Game does strike a chord of melancholy mixed with ecstasy that is hard to find in this day and age.
Straight after it, Isaak bellowed: “You’ve been sitting too long, it’s rock ‘n’ roll time!” He then proceeded straight into Go Walking Down There and busted out some old-timey rock moves, akin to the king of rock ’n’ roll, Elvis.
Chris Isaak performs sultry love songs and rock 'n' roll to an adoring crowd in Auckland at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre. NZ Herald Photograph by Ben Dickens
To my surprise, Isaak is really funny. Throughout the night, he stopped and told stories and quips that consistently got laughs from the audience. I couldn’t believe it, this man could do it all, the looks, the voice, the moves, the humour. I certainly wasn’t the only one who thought so too. All night long from different parts of the audience I heard the one, solitary word shouted at Chris. “NAKED!” And to be honest, I didn’t blame them; his sex appeal was off the charts.
To make us all fall in love with him even more, Isaak then rolled into a string of downbeat songs, saying “If you like sad songs, you’ve come to the mother lode.”
Toward the end of the main act, he grinned to the crowd and said: “My whole career I’ve only done what has made me happy, that’s what kept me off the charts.” This made me realise he is truly a man who makes songs from the soul, irrespective of music industry expectations, a true musician’s musician.
Soon after, like an Elvis reborn, he sang Can’t Help Falling in Love and dedicated the song to love and how quickly life can pass by without us even realising it had gone. This is a song made for a man like Isaak to sing, his voice oozed passion and romance and as he finished the song and the lights dimmed, he said “Now’s the time to kiss her”.
Isaak was the man in blue all through the night. Blue suit, the blues and a performance of the song Blue Hotel. Notice the Ring absolutely soared with key solos and then we rolled straight to San Francisco Days, followed by the show-stopping Big Wide Wonderful World to finish the set.
Chris Isaak performs sultry love songs and rock n' roll to an adoring crowd in Auckland at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre. NZ Herald Photograph by Ben Dickens
With his encore lasting a very civilised length of time, Isaak returned wearing an even sparklier suit and took us in a stinking groove. Voice low and long notes singing Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing, Isaak had the audience wrapped around his little finger. When he offered a few audience members the chance to come onto the stage and dance with him and the band, several literally jumped at the chance.
As the song came to a close, he smoothly segued into a sensual jam of the James Bond theme song like he was Sean Connery himself. It was here I realised this man truly is a modern-day rock ‘n’ roll James Bond.
All good nights must come to an end and Isaak closed with The Way Things Really Are; a bittersweet farewell with harmonies from his drummer of 40 years that carried us down from the rock ’n’ roll high and out into the night.
