Live Review: Benmont Tench at Garcia’s • Chicago
Benmont Tench
Benmont Tench
Garcia’s Chicago
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Jim Snyder.
To say Benmont Tench made a rare visit to Chicago on Thursday would be inaccurate. The keyboardist and songwriter has been here practically countless times in his pivotal role with American rock and roll band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The Heartbreakers’ last performance in town packed Wrigley Field on a rainy night in June 2017. To this writer’s knowledge, however, Tench’s prior local performance without his beloved bandmates was with Jon Brion at Union Park for the Intonation Festival in 2006.
Accordingly, the room at Garcia’s was full of fans expecting a special evening from one of popular music’s finest and most distinctive keyboardists. Tench delivered, connecting via stories and emotive performances that centered upon the songs and tone of his new album The Melancholy Season. Sitting alone at a Yamaha grand piano in a black suit, neckerchief, and white fedora, Tench performed songs that paid tribute to his influences, touched on his musical legacy, and revealed where he is today. The performance also represented a triumph over personal adversity.
The concert began with an admission that help set expectations. “I twisted my tongue, so I thought I should start with a tongue twister,” said Tench as he began “The One That Got Away.” “I’ll tell you more about it later, “ he added. While Tench played an effervescent boogie woogie with a walking bassline, he sang a wry lyric about a heartbreak that served as a blessing in disguise. Tench’s reedy tenor may have lacked the robust sound of a Top 40 pop frontman like his old boss Petty, but his relatable tone and interactive approach made him seem like the life of any party. If his delivery seemed a bit difficult or thick at times, it was nonetheless remarkable given the circumstances he eventually described.
A meditative version of “Today I Took Your Picture Down” was drawn from 2014 Blue Note album You Should Be So Lucky. Without the album’s band arrangement, the sense of loss in Tench’s forlorn lyric and the song’s gentle Irish folk-influenced melody were amplified. “One of us had to go,” sang Tench as the sad song concluded. The room became pin-drop quiet as Tench performed a deconstructed interpretation of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” “The evening has a theme,” said Tench afterward, referring to the string of songs about unhappy endings and broken romance. “If it’s not apparent, this song should make it obvious,” he added, as he launched into the rollicking Fats Domino-styled “Welcome to Hell.” The song described a love-forsaken afterlife with a population of two: “Little old me, and the lack of you.” “Under the Starlight” was a gentle waltz describing the unfathomable scope of isolation that accompanies loss and endings.
Afterward, Tench moved into a string of likeminded songs from others. “I liked this guy,” he said. “He was a good songwriter.” The crowd cheered as Tench began playing “Straight into Darkness” from the recently reissued and expanded album Long After Dark by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Next came The Grateful Dead’s “China Doll.” Tench described his choices as songs drawn from the Great American Songbook. “This one’s from St. Louis,” he said, beginning the chugging Chuck Berry rocker “Bye Bye Johnny.” Tench praised Berry’s famous sideman, pianist Johnnie Johnson. “That’s how I wish I played the piano,” said Tench. The flowing and melodic title track “The Melancholy Season” and the album’s careworn “If She Knew” followed. Tench’s sandy voice was accompanied by his expressive but understated playing. The solo presentation highlighted the sensibilities that Tench brought to his arrangements with the Heartbreakers and general excellence as a coveted session player.
After a haunting performance of Bob Dylan’s “Blind Willie McTell,” Tench offered the promised explanation of his recent challenges. Recent cancer treatment has included the removal of parts of Tench’s tongue, and a portion of his jaw was replaced by bone from his leg. The fact that the musician is out playing and singing is a testament to his stubborn willpower and refusal to withdraw from the music he loves. The inspiring story drew a response of appreciation and strong support from the audience.
With its New Orleans inspired setting and rhythm, “Wobbles” was updated to include the lyric that was not included on the Glyn Johns-produced You Should Be So Lucky. That album’s title track was offered as a murder ballad from a woman’s point of view. “Fellas, that’s a cautionary tale,” said Tench upon completing the song’s grim tale. “Like Crystal” and “Not Enough” cemented the mood of The Melancholy Season. “I want to know why love is not enough,” repeated Tench during the latter with its foundation of stormy piano. “I told you what the theme of the record was,” he said afterward. The album’s lightest fare still burned with bitter embers. “Dallas, you’re a damn good town to leave,” sang Tench bluntly, drawing laughter from the crowd. “If someone here is from Dallas, remember it’s just a metaphor,” said Tench with a wicked smile.
The main set neared its conclusion with a final song from The Melancholy Season. “This song is about not having to hate people even if they’re being hateful,” said Tench. “You should try it,” he suggested as he began playing “I Will Not Follow You Down.” The set’s final song was a rousing version of the Velvet Underground’s “Rock & Roll.” The crowd joined Tench to sing in falsetto about the rapture of hearing “fine, fine music” on the radio. “It was all right,” Tench and the crowd sang in call and response. Tench returned for an encore with a hushed and stirring interpretation of Heartbreakers anthem “American Girl.” Throughout the set, Tench had “called audibles” and paused to relaunch the rare fumbled lyrical phrase. He explained that these were things an artist could do in a solo setting. “There are certain things you can do when there’s not a drummer going ‘bap!’,” said Tench. The approach also allowed the performance to seem more conversational and intimate, with Tench relating to members of the audience as if one-on-one.
Category: Live Reviews
