Tag: jenny lewis

Jenny Lewis, den mother of millennial hippies and all bespeckled in her sherbert rainbow pantsuit, made a triumphant return to the Georgia Theatre this past Wednesday night. Why triumphant? As Lewis noted in between divinely delivered pop geodes, the last time she played Athens – or tried to – the Theatre was going through some fire troubles. “The marquee was a melty ‘Jenny Lewis’ for weeks,” she joked. But thank goodness GATH was still standing this time around, because man, what a show.

Despite the highly anticipated Voyager-themed stage set, one Lewis described as “bronies on acid,” she played a pretty even mix of new material, old solo songs, and Rilo Kiley classics. Of course she played “Portions For Foxes,” but she also dug up older stuff like “With Arms Outstretched” and “You Are What You Love.” Every song was met with more rapturous applause and girlish (for some, guyish) screaming than the last. The audience, a near sold-out crowd, was in one of two modes: transfixed or Beatlemania-ing. It was like seeing their hero transported them back to the first time one of Lewis’ songs spoke to their souls (probably somewhere around their first breakup, but that’s just a guess), which is exactly what great music is supposed to do: act as a time machine.

But the only person in the room even happier than the crowd was Lewis herself. Even though she tried to play coy by busting out her evident acting background – strutting around stage with her hand in her pocket like a self-important businessman, gingerly handing a fan a single rose, taking every opportunity to climb monitors like a conquering Athena. But eventually neither she nor her band could hide their sheer joy at every singing-along face. They were even good sports when humongous pink and blue balloons were unleashed, and certain audience members thought it apt to keep punching them onstage. When they closed out their pre-encore set with “A Better Son/Daughter,” it felt like a genuine call to arms for anyone going through a sea change (get it? Nautical puns?), and Lewis dedicated “Girl On Girl” to women in bands everywhere – a much appreciated dedication these days. After the band took their post-encore bows, it was implicitly clear that the Theatre’s comeback wasn’t official without a, er, metaphorical Jenny Lewis barnburner.

Bonus fun fact: Lewis’ favorite shoe store is Kum’s, for when she’s in need of mismatched Keds from the 1980’s.

SETLIST:

• Head Underwater
• Silver Lining
• The Moneymaker
• The Next Messiah
• With Arms Outstretched
• Just One Of The Guys
• Slippery Slopes
• Close Call
• Pretty Bird
• You Are What You Love
• The New You
• She’s Not Me
• Portions For Foxes
• A Better Son/Daughter

ENCORE:

• The Voyager
• Girl On Girl
• Love U Forever
• Acid Tongue

4/5