By: Andrea Myers
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Jose Gonzalez - Photo by David de Young (click for larger version)
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It’s not often that I can go into a show without a clear expectation and leave wiping a tear off my cheek, but it happened Friday night at the Cedar. Gentle singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez played a short, intense set to an unsettlingly quiet audience of admirers, and for perhaps the first time in my journalistic career I can honestly say that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house by the show’s end.
Hailing from Göteborg, Sweden, and of Argentinean descent, Gonzalez creates music that is intimate, painfully simple, and like nothing else in pop music today. With a career that has rocketed from critical acclaim to cult fanaticism to international stardom in a mere three years, it is remarkable that the traveling Swede has stayed so close to his original creative voice. His impressive resume (he has opened for – get this – the Dalai Lama, among many others) and unique stage presence made his trip to Minneapolis a treat for fans and newcomers alike.
During his set at the Cedar, Gonzalez performed a good portion of his beloved 2003 release, Veneer, including fan favorites like the docile “Slow Moves” and heartbreaking “Lovestain.” The true highlights of a Gonzalez set, however, are not his original songs, but rather his reinventions of old songs that are barely recognizable yet hauntingly familiar. One song that he played, which is also included on Veneer and now a hit across Europe, was a cover of Swedish band The Knife’s “Heartbeats,” while another was a surprisingly emotional rendition of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”
The real show stopper, however, came up unexpectedly and left the audience stunned. While I didn’t even recognize the song as a cover, it was actually a reworking of Kylie Minogue’s 1989 single “Hand on Your Heart,” which was delivered so vulnerably and sensitively that I was able to look down my row and see each person dabbing at the corners of their eyes and sniffling quietly. The lyrics, though uncomplicated, translated into a powerful tale of heartbreak. Jose sang:
I want to hear you tell me
You don't want my love
Put your hand on your heart and tell me it's all over
I won't believe it till you
Put your hand on your heart and tell me
That we're through
Put your hand on your heart
Hand on your heart
Look me in the eye
And tell me we are really through
Gonzalez returned after a short break to play a 4-song encore, but it was clear that everyone in the audience was left wanting more, and I was among a large throng of people who rushed to the merch booth immediately after the show to purchase his album and sign up for his mailing list.
Openers included Psapp, a quaint British act that incorporated children’s toy guitars, kazoos and horns into their music to create a sound that was delightfully playful and angelic, and Juana Molina, an awkwardly charming solo performer who looped guitar riffs, synthesizer beats and her own beautiful voice to accompany her slow Spanish compositions.
Location Info:
Cedar Cultural Center
Artist Info: Jose Gonzalez, Juana Molina, Psapp
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