(Live Video and tour dates included) Pete Yorn has earned the name “Pete Yawn” in some circles and often for good reason. His songs can be downright boring. So, on the way to Park West in Chicago, I wasn’t expecting too much from him. But I’ll admit – I was entertained. Yorn came to town promoting his latest album, Back and Fourth. I was in good company, so that helped, and the Park West is one of the finest music venues in Chicago – another bonus.

The first thing I noticed was the number of people on stage – seven. When you listen to the studio recordings it doesn’t sound like that many people are involved. But seeing them live, what originally comes across as a simple sound is actually several instruments expertly weaved together for a rich, subtly complex arrangement.

Included in that cast was a tambourine player – the best damn tambourine player I’ve ever seen and easily the highlight of my Pete Yorn experience. This guy jammed. He has the rhythm, the moves and I even spotted him headbanging from time to time. Seriously. He also did the thow-the-tambourine-in-the-air trick, but missed the catch (because he skipped dinner and had a pre-show drink, according to his Twitter update after the show.) Still, I have a new-found respect for the tambourine and so did the rest of the crowd — he earned the loudest praise of everyone (except for Yorn, of course) when introduced. You can see him in the video for “Social Development Dance” below, behind Yorn in the white t-shirt and vest. His name is Max Goldblatt, and he’s awesome.

“Social Development Dance” has another gem – one of the silliest lyrics I’ve ever heard. Watch the video, it’s annotated.

As mentioned previously, Yorn can be a bit of a snoozer, and there were times when I found myself drifting off. That’s personal taste of course, but there’s no doubt that even the slow songs are put together with careful attention to detail. He can rock out too. One of those times was captured in the below video of “For Us.”

Yorn definitely has a niche carved out for himself, evidenced by the slew of single and married ladies singing every song and secretly swooning over him while sitting next to their boyfriends and husbands. But hey, that’s cool.

Fellas, for a romantic evening take your lady. And while she’s getting all misty-eyed, you can jam to rock’s gift to the tambourine.

Videos and tour dates below.

You might also like Alexi Murdoch.

“For Us”

“Social Development Dance”

Aug 7 2009	7:00P	Harrah’s – Voodoo Lounge	Kansas City, Missouri
Aug 8 2009	7:00P	Whiskey Roadhouse at Horseshoe Casino	Council Bluffs, Iowa
Aug 9 2009	7:00P	The Pageant	St. Louis, Missouri
Aug 11 2009	8:00P	Turner Hall Ballroom	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Aug 12 2009	7:00P	Fine Line Music Cafe	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Aug 13 2009	7:00P	Fine Line Music Cafe	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Aug 15 2009	7:00P	Ogden Theatre	Denver, Colorado
Aug 16 2009	7:00P	Murray Theater	Salt Lake City, Utah
Aug 17 2009	8:00P	Knitting Factory Concert House	Boise, Idaho
Aug 19 2009	7:00P	Showbox at the Market	Seattle, Washington
Aug 20 2009	7:00P	Showbox and the Market	Seattle, Washington
Aug 22 2009	7:00P	Roseland Theater	Portland, Oregon
Aug 24 2009	7:00P	The Fillmore	San Francisco, California
Aug 27 2009	7:00P	Henry Fonda Theatre	Los Angeles, California
Aug 28 2009	7:00P	Henry Fonda Theatre	Los Angeles, California

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