Jackson Browne, with David Lindley. At the Lobero Theatre,
Monday, December 4.
Reviewed by D.J. Palladino
Those who guessed that this might be the musical equivalent of a
proverbial That ’70s Show had no idea how oddly right they would
be. Of course illustrious headliner and homeboy Jackson Browne was
the obvious part, as his many didactic anthems — “The Pretender,”
“Running on Empty,” and “Take It Easy,” to name a few — are the
apotheosis of detachment as virtue. They warn us to check our
emotions, get a clear head, and be mellow. And mellow was the
watchword of this show and those wide-lapelled years, too.
But even the opening act was a little reminiscent of shag rugs
and mood rings, though it seemed more a warm wave toward the
1990s-brand multiculturalism known as World Music. Kiko Veneno,
Browne’s friend from Seville, played a personal mixture of
flamenco, propulsive pop, and dance music with all the dexterity
and tireless self-indulgence of fusion jazz figures from the 1970s
like Al Dimeola. Here were sweet effervescent sounds that lasted
long enough to showcase everybody’s virtuosity. The performance was
clearly beautiful but a little sleep-inducing for we who don’t
rumba so long.