Sheik performs a moody set at El Rey

 By JOSH CHESLER
Staff Writer

On his two albums, Duncan Sheik can easily be confused with any number of sensitive male singer-songwriters who populate the playlists at Star 98.7 and Starbucks. In concert at the El Rey Theatre on Tuesday night, however, he and his dynamic band offered compelling evidence that Sheik does have more to offer than the average coffeehouse crooner.
Although Sheik's new album, Humming, ambitiously augments its folk-pop tunes with help from the London Session Orchestra, the songs proved to possess more vigor and edge sans string arrangements (despite the occasional intrusion of taped samples). Sheik's band provided more than enough musical flavor to propel the songs, and they created a rich, atmospheric space. Lead guitarist Gerry Leonard, who also opened the show with his side project Spookyghost, consistently provided clear, ethereally cinematic melody lines to augment Sheik's at-times rigorously complex chord changes.
The real genius, however, lays in the hands of multitalented percussionist Juliette Prater. She not only complemented drummer Matt Johnson's steady rhythms, she took off into realms of her own, providing mesmerizing Eastern and Western vibrations on the tabla, congas and tambourine. She also provided the backup vocals that Sheik's voice often craved. This interplay reached a high point on Sheik's mystical tribute to Jeff Buckley, "A Body Goes Down."
As for Sheik, his rather thin voice carries true conviction behind it, and when he trusted the songs over the performance, he was most effective. Songs like "Wishful Thinking," the opening "Rubbed Out," and the smoking "Serena" provide plenty of melodic grist for his contemplations on love and spirituality. Less successful were his rock star-like poses and more energetic riffing. Sheik is not commanding enough of a performer for this more raw elements to truly have an impact.
In fact, he seems to shun the rock-star persona as much as possible. One song, "Nothing Special" admonishes rock celebrities that you are nothing special / You're no more celestial than anyone. And by the time he got to his hit single "Barely Breathing," he grudgingly acknowledged to the audience his intention to play it. Despite the adulatory crowd, his understated, innocent qualities belie a serene focus and a refreshing lack of pretentiousness.
Opening act Hooverphonic also proved to be much more immediate live than on album. The songs from its new album, Blue Wonder Power Milk, had a deeper, groovier, more sensual feel in concert, thanks in large part to the great acoustics in the El Rey. Lead singer Geike Arnaert lacked confidence, but she proved quite an attractive presence with her shy charisma and operatically high voice. As its set and Spookyghost's merged fluidly into Sheik's, the evening maintained a consistently warm, mellow vibe that left few unsatisfied.

Copyright 1998 by the Daily Trojan. All rights reserved.
This article was published in Vol. 135, No. 58 (Tuesday, December 1, 1998), beginning on page 9 and ending on page 11.