Magnetic Fields draw devoted fans to six-show Chicago residency

March 14, 2008, at Old Town School of Folk Music

By Kirstie Shanley
Published: March 15th, 2008 | 12:20pm

When you see the Magnetic Fields live, you won't find the distortion the band's new album suggests. There won't be any fuzzy guitar solos inspired by the Jesus and Mary Chain or amps turned up to 11, but instead, a stripped-down affair suggesting the comfort of a living room in the middle of a lazy Sunday afternoon. It seemed fitting that only the most devoted fans could attend one of six consecutive sold-out shows at the Old Town School of Folk Music, as the venue and the demeanor of the band certainly suggest a kind of intimacy.

Of course, some songs in the Magnetic Fields' catalog have always been purely stripped down, as in the case of "Papa Was a Rodeo," which only seemed true to form when played live. Another definite highlight of the set, "Zombie Boy" from Distortion (Nonesuch), reached listeners as a dramatically changed version of the song, sounding more like a ballad than a typical rock-band track. Similarly, "Smoke and Mirrors" felt bare of anything but vulnerability, and all of the pop sensibility of "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend" was removed in favor of a much more sorrowful tune.

As a result, their live style highlighted all of the instruments' elements on stage, from John Woo's guitar to Sam Davol's cello. Claudia Gonson's delicate piano could easily be heard as well as she created lovely harmonies with lead singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt during the majority of the set. In addition, the lyrics could be heard more prominently in these songs, and the audience — who seemed to be composed mainly of diehard NPR listeners — seemed to laugh in all of the right places. Merritt's irony did not seem lost on anyone, but between songs it became clear that Gonson was running the show. The band manager, singer, and pianist introduced and explained the songs as well as added witty interludes. When Merritt did interject a couple of times later on in the set, it was delivered with a monotone reminiscent of Steven Wright.

Playing both recent singles and songs from side projects including the 6ths, the Gothic Archies, and Future Bible Heroes, the format of the set list was anything but chronological. It seemed that when putting together a lineup, Gonson and Merritt tossed all the song titles in a box and chose some at random. However, though the band has diverged quite a bit from some of its previous material, the essence is still caught up among the 69 Love Songs boxed set (Merge). Lyrically, the vast majority of the songs explain the complexity of relationships. The Magnetic Fields have always been able to focus on the art of human conversation and the sarcasm that makes even the most bitter moments humorous and worth remembering. Though, as the song of the same title suggests, “the book of love” is long and boring, but we still all want to hear it read to us.