Concert review: A spellbinding Jose Gonzalez (mostly) hushes State Theatre

If you're the kind of person who likes to shut off all devices and fall asleep to the sound of raindrops on windowpanes, you might have an appreciation of the genteel, finely textured indie folk of singer/guitarist Jose Gonzalez. With precisely intricate fingering and strums and a soothing pulse-like backbeat, the Swedish-born Argentine mesmerized an otherwise rambunctious State Theatre last night.

Gonzalez emerged onstage with a solo acoustic performance of "Crosses," messiah-like, with a spotlight behind him, but for "What Will" and the rest of his set, he was joined by a backing band. Gonzalez's ensemble consisted of Jakob Albinsson (guitar), multi-instrumentalist James Mathe (Korg, handclaps and other miscellaneous handheld instruments), and percussionists Andres Renteria (congas/drums) and Joel Wastberg (drums and intermittent, mood-enhancing clarinet). Trinkets, shakers and instruments hung like rear-view mirror baubles on the cymbal stand, replacing its louder, brassier counterparts. 

Gonzalez's earnest, uniquely quavering vocal conveyed lyrics as austere and subtly powerful as his band's instrumentation. Flanked by a backdrop that featured a whimsically abstract illustration of mountains and stars, the quintet played a combo of songs from González's solo repertoire, his band Junip ("Walking Lightly" and "Line of Fire")  and mellow covers — such as Massive Attack's "Teardrop," as well as a seductive rendition of Kylie Minogue's "Hand on Your Heart."

Gonzalez's popular take on The Knife's "Heartbeats" brought the set to a heart-stopping close. He came returned to a mercifully thinned out crowd to play a stunning encore of three tunes, including his second Junip cut of the night.

The 37-year-old performer didn't converse much with the crowd, but he grinned sweetly near the end and offered a gracious thank you to everyone for coming out, seemingly blown away by the people who'd stuck with him to the end. 

A vocal performance led by bandmate Mathe on "Home" (from his solo project Barbarossa) added a surprising change-up to the show. It was one of many small magical moments that left a big impression. 

State Theatre, usually the host of raucous rock and metal bands, accommodated — albeit with some gaffes and inadequacies — an unusually subdued night of music. Opener Luluc, a coed twosome from Australia by way of Brooklyn, performed a masterfully hushed warm-up set, wielding just acoustic and electric guitars. Before leaving the stage, they registered their complaints about the noisy talkers as did many fans in attendance. Some problems with feedback during Luluc's set probably added to the duo's frustration. 

Alternative venues were pondered for such a show by some. Among my favorite suggestions was Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. It would have been a delight to hear Gonzalez's music under the stars.

Acoustic limitations aside, Aestheticized Presents brought us the type of artist who usually bypasses Florida, and for that we're all supremely thankful. AP honcho Jack Spatafora and co. packed the house and gave Gonzalez a reason to come back to Tampa Bay. Buffered by attentive fans hemmed in by the stage, he was thankfully far enough away from the Douchie-McDouchertons who seemed to be solely interested in attending the Burg's hipster event of the week and screaming nonsensically from the back of the venue.

For those of us paying attention and capable of shutting out the chatter surrounding us, however, the experience proved transcendent.

SETLIST
Crosses
What Will
Hand on Your Heart
(Kylie Minogue cover)
Every Age
Walking Lightly
(Junip song)
The Forest
Stories We Build, Stories We Tell
Let It Carry You
Leaf Off / The Cave
Killing for Love
Home
(Barbarossa cover)
With the Ink of a Ghost
Heartbeats
(The Knife cover)
Encore:
Line of Fire
(Junip song)
Down the Line
Cycling Trivialities 

This article appears in Sep 24-30, 2015.