Pendarvis Farm
Details
- Date
- August 04, 2017
- Venue
- Pendarvis Farm Happy Valley, Oregon
- Billed As
- Robyn Hitchcock
- Gig Type
- Concert
Reviews
Online review by Bearded Gentlemen Music
If the Friday morning wake up call in a tent wasn’t sitting well with people just realizing that this ain’t their normal bed, Robyn Hitchcock was a welcome surprise of cheeriness and wit. This comes as no surprise to longtime fans of the former Soft Boys legend.
Even before the set, Hitchcock was not shy about his cheeky sense of humor, his affinity for the city of Nashville, or his natural talent for people watching and observational humor. Package that all with complementing songs off of his new self-titled solo album (“I Want To Tell You About What I Want”, “I Pray When I’m Drunk”), and here lied a bright start to the first full day on my listening adventure.
Online review by Monster fresh
After waking up in the tent and pre-ordering a new Ricky Powell book on my phone, Friday began with us making our way back to the main stage to see Robyn Hitchock. The 64-year-old Englishman entered solo with his acoustic guitar. His stark white hair contrasted with his dark sunglasses and he was wearing turquoise pants, and a matching flower print button-up. The first thought that popped into my head was that he looked almost too much like Robyn Hitchcock, as if they had hired some uncanny doppleganger to appear at the festival. This guy was good.
It was a relaxed scene with the songwriter pulling from different eras of his 40-plus year career. I first became aware of him as the namesake behind the 1980s/early-90s project, Robyn Hitchock & The Egyptians and, during his set, he reached back to some of the more abstract material that he’s known for, like “My Wife And My Dead Wife” from his 1985 debut album with the group, Fegmania!. But Hitchcock‘s first real notoriety came in the late 1970s as the frontman for neo-psych folk outfit, The Softboys. The group originally disbanded after their universally acclaimed Underwater Moonlight LP [1980], from which Hitchcock performed the song, “I Got The Hots,” displaying the humor that his songwriting is also known for.
His personality and light-hearted interactions with the audience played an equal role in his performance and appeal. Early on, he joked in his British accent, “As you can probably tell, I’m from Nashville, Tennessee,” clarifying later that he actually does, in fact, reside there now. And, before diving into a new song, he would address the soundman, at random points in his set, with requests like, “Sam, could you make this one sound like it’s fun?” or “Make the guitar sound like a full band produced by Tony Visconti.” Referencing his drug and sex-filled youth, he stated, “I was young once, but have no memory of it.” Adding, “I only remember older people telling me I was having the time of my life.” Based on what we saw, Hitchcock seems to be enjoying himself plenty these days, as well, and he’s happy to carry his fans along with him.
Online review by Spectrum Culture
Seeing Hitchcock alone on the big Mt. Hood Stage, dressed in a paisley shirt and green pants just after noon, may have been a bit disconcerting. His solo set, featuring little more than an acoustic guitar, seemed more suited for a more intimate venue such as the Lucky Barn (which he would play on Sunday). However, Hitchcock has the magnetism to make up for wide open space. Between his outrageous demands for the sound guy and his between-song banter, Hitchcock mixed old favorites such as “Madonna of the Wasps” with new tracks from his self-titled album. Much later that evening, I was taking a rest near the food carts and saw Hitchcock wandering about, examining his options with frustration. At one point, he stood with his hands on his hips and huffed. As he walked by me, I heard him mutter, “Stumptown Roasters” under his breath. He eventually opted for a scone at the pie truck.
If the Friday morning wake up call in a tent wasn’t sitting well with people just realizing that this ain’t their normal bed, Robyn Hitchcock was a welcome surprise of cheeriness and wit. This comes as no surprise to longtime fans of the former Soft Boys legend.
Even before the set, Hitchcock was not shy about his cheeky sense of humor, his affinity for the city of Nashville, or his natural talent for people watching and observational humor. Package that all with complementing songs off of his new self-titled solo album (“I Want To Tell You About What I Want”, “I Pray When I’m Drunk”), and here lied a bright start to the first full day on my listening adventure.
Online review by Monster fresh
After waking up in the tent and pre-ordering a new Ricky Powell book on my phone, Friday began with us making our way back to the main stage to see Robyn Hitchock. The 64-year-old Englishman entered solo with his acoustic guitar. His stark white hair contrasted with his dark sunglasses and he was wearing turquoise pants, and a matching flower print button-up. The first thought that popped into my head was that he looked almost too much like Robyn Hitchcock, as if they had hired some uncanny doppleganger to appear at the festival. This guy was good.
It was a relaxed scene with the songwriter pulling from different eras of his 40-plus year career. I first became aware of him as the namesake behind the 1980s/early-90s project, Robyn Hitchock & The Egyptians and, during his set, he reached back to some of the more abstract material that he’s known for, like “My Wife And My Dead Wife” from his 1985 debut album with the group, Fegmania!. But Hitchcock‘s first real notoriety came in the late 1970s as the frontman for neo-psych folk outfit, The Softboys. The group originally disbanded after their universally acclaimed Underwater Moonlight LP [1980], from which Hitchcock performed the song, “I Got The Hots,” displaying the humor that his songwriting is also known for.
His personality and light-hearted interactions with the audience played an equal role in his performance and appeal. Early on, he joked in his British accent, “As you can probably tell, I’m from Nashville, Tennessee,” clarifying later that he actually does, in fact, reside there now. And, before diving into a new song, he would address the soundman, at random points in his set, with requests like, “Sam, could you make this one sound like it’s fun?” or “Make the guitar sound like a full band produced by Tony Visconti.” Referencing his drug and sex-filled youth, he stated, “I was young once, but have no memory of it.” Adding, “I only remember older people telling me I was having the time of my life.” Based on what we saw, Hitchcock seems to be enjoying himself plenty these days, as well, and he’s happy to carry his fans along with him.
Online review by Spectrum Culture
Seeing Hitchcock alone on the big Mt. Hood Stage, dressed in a paisley shirt and green pants just after noon, may have been a bit disconcerting. His solo set, featuring little more than an acoustic guitar, seemed more suited for a more intimate venue such as the Lucky Barn (which he would play on Sunday). However, Hitchcock has the magnetism to make up for wide open space. Between his outrageous demands for the sound guy and his between-song banter, Hitchcock mixed old favorites such as “Madonna of the Wasps” with new tracks from his self-titled album. Much later that evening, I was taking a rest near the food carts and saw Hitchcock wandering about, examining his options with frustration. At one point, he stood with his hands on his hips and huffed. As he walked by me, I heard him mutter, “Stumptown Roasters” under his breath. He eventually opted for a scone at the pie truck.