By Matt Smith, Staff Writer
Xavier Rudd's protest songs closed down City Hall. Literally.
On the night of the historic venue's last concert, Rudd's Australian folk rock fusion gave the place a send-off Nashville would not soon forget.
Despite a late start, the crowd was still eager when Nashville's own singer-songwriter Griffin House took the stage. Though he only brought a guitar and a harmonica to the stage, his energy made up for the lack of variety. His mix of politically-charged folk songs, such as his latest hit "I Remember," invigorated the crowd, while his more mellow love songs gave a nice touch. Overall, his stage presence and lyricism provided a fitting introduction for the main act.
But Rudd's performance was initially anything but fitting for those who had become accustomed to his earlier, softer sound. The difference was noticeable immediately as the normally-solo Aussie brought a drummer to the stage; it was only amplified when he started pounding out Metallica-esque power chords on a slide guitar to a heavy metal drum beat. Yet, within seconds of him singing, everyone realized that Rudd had only changed in substance, not quality. The thrashing backbeat meshing with his pure, yet forceful voice of protest gave the start of his set an almost-hypnotic feel. Despite the change in style, his brilliance both musically and lyrically captivated everyone almost instantly.
However, Rudd had not lost his Australian roots. Behind a wall of exotic instruments, he seamlessly transitioned from shredding to a masterful display of didgeridoo virtuosity; his skill with the instrument from down-under kept everyone dancing despite nothing else playing. As he continued playing non-stop, he quickened the tempo and added in fast-paced drum beats. The result could only be labeled tribal techno, and the crowd responded in kind by shaking the place down.
But the highlight of the show came when Rudd returned to the slide-guitar and launched into a 20-minute jam of "Secrets" from his 2008 album "Dark Shades of Blue." In the middle of the song, he invited singer-songwriter Beth Preston to the stage, whose voice supplemented Rudd's until she took off in an improvised reggae-rap that drew booming applause. Altogether, Rudd's folk ending to the set (which included a funky cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World") made the perfect complement to his experimental first songs.
With his new collection of experimental tunes meshing so well with his renowned folk-rock ability, Xavier Rudd's performance proved that he has the talent and the appeal to become Australia's Bob Dylan.
