Tall and lanky, Nick Lowe looked every inch the dapper English gentleman standing onstage at the Pabst Theater Thursday night. He didn’t say much, but you could hear the whispery Sussex lilt in his speaking voice. With his trim white hair and horn-rimmed glasses, he also looked like a Mad Men account exec just coming off the 18th green.
That image is telling, because despite his English roots and demeanor, Lowe has a quintessential American sound. Playing through his songbook with a four-piece band – the first time he’s played Milwaukee non-solo in some years – he sounded like an encyclopedia of classic American pop.
“You Inspire Me” could have been right at home in the Nat King Cole songbook, or perhaps even Johnny Mathis. “Letting This Slide” evoked classic hard-luck-at-love songs that made George Jones famous. And of course, with Matt Radford driving the rhythm with the slap of his stand-up bass, there was the classic rockabilly sound of Johnny Cash and his Sun Studio cohorts. Through all the styles, Lowe’s expressive but understated voice captured the wit and hard-fought wisdom of every song.
Lowe’s pianist Geraint Watkins opened, showcasing stellar roots piano playing and a soulful, twilight voice.
