It was Boise Bob who killed Kevin Devine’s 2023 tour, as Devine explained to the crowd gathered at The Echo on Friday night. The Brooklyn singer-songwriter got in an argument with the infamous Idahoan wayfairing honky-tonker about Elliott Smith and Kurt Cobain on that tour and shortly after developed the symptoms that led to a test that led to the cancellation of the rest of the tour, including the California dates, and packing up and going home. Blame Boise Bob.
Far from Idaho, Devine kicked off the continuation of the Make the Clocks Move 20th anniversary tour in Phoenix February 29th and made it to LA for the second date March 1st. Pretty much playing the album straight through, the nearly-capacity crowd sang along with every note, with major highlights including the full audience participation on “Longer That I’m Out Here”, The too-similar-tempo back to back songs (As explained by the singer) “Marie” and waltz “Country Sky Glow”. And before those, after finishing “Whistling Dixie”, you could feel the room fill with anticipation and in the silence one excited audience member shared that he had never heard the next song live he and everyone else joined in singing the classic “People Are so Fickle”.
Devine relayed the story that his father passed away the year the album came out, and he had had a chance to play the album for him and his dad gave him the huge compliment of saying that it sounded like something you could hear on the Grand Ole Opry. Devine then thanked the audience for caring about the album all these years and wrapped it up with the song “Thanks”.
Following the conclusion of Make the Clocks Move — mega Elliott Smith fan that Devine is — played his great take on “Division Day”, which you feel a little more since we were about 5 blocks from Smith’s house, right in his neighborhood.
“Just Stay” from 2006’s “Put Your Ghost to Rest” with it’s refrain “I’m okay, okay, Just stay, just stay” isn’t about the feeling one has at the end of a Kevin Devine concert when they don’t want it to ever end, but it works for that too. The nostalgic feeling, how good it sounds, that this great moment is fleeting and before you know it you’ll be waiting for the next tour.
The night wrapped up with the title track from 2009’s “Brothers Blood”, then Devine was off to the merch table to meet and greet and sell shirts and vinyl it’s a one man show and he does it all!
Words and photos by Tim Aarons
