Squeeze, Aimee Mann live!

Squeeze, Aimee Mann
Ravinia, Highland Park
Sunday, August 31, 2008

Given the perpetual solo tours from co-frontmen Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook (along with original pianist Jools Holland and his one-time replacement Paul Carrack), it doesn’t seem like 10 years since the last Squeeze studio CD and road trip. But just because the songs traveled, they never equalled the anticipation for them. The new test is if they can when offered by Difford, Tilbrook, longtime bassist John Bentley, new keyboardist Stephen Large, and drummer Simon Hanson (both from Tilbrook’s solo band, The Fluffers).

Though not the ideal incarnation, Squeeze had no trouble packing Ravinia throughout a retrospective set, pitting the British Invasion against new wave recreations and timeless, harmony-heavy pop. Given the group’s demise in the second half of the ’90s, the fivesome focused on everything prior to that, the best of which was just compiled (for what feels like the billionth time) on Essential Squeeze (Universal). Even with their age, melodic chestnuts like “Up the Junction,” “Piccadilly,” and “Black Coffee In Bed” proved vital and benefited from earthy arrangements that peeled back any hints of dated production.

The series of sing-alongs followed at lightning speed, from the dance jangle of “Annie Get Your Gun” to the rockabilly-strung new wave in “Cool For Cats” to the eternally enduring “Tempted” and even a clubbed-up version of “Hourglass” with four impromptu female dancers (who could’ve jumped straight out of a cake or a Robert Palmer video) as a joke for Tilbrook’s birthday. Add a little “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell),” and Squeeze’s influence upon younger acts like Fountains Of Wayne, Ron Sexsmith, and even Kasabian was readily apparent.

Opener Aimee Mann certainly assisted with the show’s drawing power as she’s capable of selling out a club or theater. Although best regarded as an indie icon these days, the singer-songwriter first rose to fame right alongside Squeeze (whom Difford and Tilbrook often applauded and collaborated with) during her tenure with ‘Til Tuesday. Yet nostalgia was nowhere in sight throughout her 50-minute set, which was justifiably locked in present tense thanks to her stellar new @#%&*! Smilers (Superego).

Tracks like the synth-pop shine of “Freeway,” the Jimmy Webb-inspired “Phoenix,” and the sardonic, anti-aging anthem “Thirty One Today” were all stellar, split between societal observations, colorful characters, and personal reflections. In fact, Mann’s showing was so strong it erased painful memories of last year’s ill-fated holiday tour (when she spent more time acting out skits than singing), also suggesting that while it will always be hard to top 1999’s blockbuster Magnolia soundtrack, @#%&*! Smilers is the closest she has come this decade.

— Andy Argyrakis

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly