There are a few things you can expect at any given Robyn Hitchcock performance — namely humourous and often strange banter, a completely different setlist from the last time you saw him, and ninety minutes of entertainment. Robyn has been a profoundly influential and productive artist for the better part of four decades in a series of different bands and in many different formats. Its truly inexplicable why he does not receive the accolades of some of his contemporaries but he doesn’t seem fazed by it all. For the City Winery shows this past week, Robyn added a new wrinkle. For the November 20th shows (early and late), he promised vintage material and accepted requests, “everything considered, nothing guaranteed.” Fortunately for Andrew our taper on the scene, Robyn played his request “The Ghost Ship”, an ancient b-side that ultimately saw wide release on 1995’s You & Oblivion. The balance of the setlist drew primarily from the early catalog, including quite a few from the late-80s set of Eqyptians records. Robyn was joined midset by the Australian singer-songwriter Emma Swift, who provided ethereal backing and duo vocals, the most memorable of which was her turn in “Pale Blue Eyes” during the all-covers encore segment.
NYC Taper