Cleveland Review - Tue 11th Oct
Bryan Ferry oozes refined cool in concert at PlayhouseSquare's State Theatre
John Soeder for Cleveland.com
Bryan Ferry is either the best-dressed guy in rock ’n’ roll, or he took a wrong turn on his way to the regatta. And his sophisticated music hasn’t gone out of style, either.
“It’s really great to be back,” the British crooner said Monday evening at PlayhouseSquare’s State Theatre.
Still oozing refined cool at 66, Ferry was debonair in a dark suit. His fashion sense and Las Vegas gestures carried a whiff of Rat Pack, although his avant-pop songs revealed a wide range of other influences.
He’s a serious contender for No. 1 Bob Dylan fan, for starters. Ferry (who recorded a 2007 tribute album titled “Dylanesque”) brought his sharp interpretative skills to bear on no fewer than three Dylan tunes: “Just like Tom Thumb’s Blues,” a poignant “Make You Feel My Love” and “All Along the Watchtower,” complete with occasional bursts of harmonica courtesy of Ferry himself.
This was his first concert here since a November 1994 gig at Music Hall. In the 1970s, Cleveland was a key U.S. foothold for his ultra-chic old band, Roxy Music.
“The Main Thing,” a throbbing invitation to dance off the latter group’s 1982 album “Avalon,” announced Ferry’s arrival. He received a hero’s welcome from 2,500 fans, as did the opening bars of “Bitter-Sweet” and other deep Roxy Music cuts.
By the time a euphoric “Love Is the Drug” was finished, the audience was ready for detox.
When he wasn’t front and center, Ferry played keyboards on several numbers, including the magical “Avalon.”
His 12-piece supporting cast was anchored by Roxy Music charter member Paul Thompson on drums, with four backing vocalists and two go-go dancers for good measure.
Sax player Jorja Chalmers was a standout, especially on the glam-twang hybrid “If There Is Something."
Guitar duties were shared by Oliver Thompson, who lit up “My Only Love,” and veteran Ferry sideman Chris Spedding, who earned a standing ovation for his scene-stealing solo during a transcendent cover of Neil Young’s “Like a Hurricane.”
Ferry didn’t seem overly concerned about plugging his latest release, 2010’s “Olympia.” He performed only two selections from it: “You Can Dance” and “Reason or Rhyme.”
The rest of his 90-minute performance (not counting a brief intermission) showcased older solo fare (“Slave to Love” was a seductive highlight) and impeccable hand-me-downs from other artists, including Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (“I Put a Spell on You”) and John Lennon (“Jealous Guy”). Both of those songs have been part of Ferry’s repertoire for ages, but they were particularly fitting on this occasion. Hawkins was a Cleveland native, and the gig fell a day after Lennon’s birthday.
Arty visuals on a large screen perfectly complemented the music. During “Oh Yeah,” Ferry danced in front of a rolling noir highway.
The only minor disappointments were sins of omission. Ferry skipped a couple of his best-known tunes, including “Kiss and Tell” and Roxy Music’s “More than This.”
All was forgiven, though, when Ferry bowed out with a dignified yet danceable update of the Sam & Dave soul hit “Hold On, I’m Comin’ ” -- even if he technically was “goin’ ” at the time. Let’s hope Ferry doesn’t wait too long before he finds his way back here again.