Eventually I opened my eyes and returned to Chicago during the sinful Man from San Sebastian. Jeanie Schroder’s voluptuous bass was caught in a web of fiery electric guitar and Tom Hagerman’s syncopated accordion. Drummer Shawn King’s beats caught hold of my waist and rattled my hips with the help of guest percussionist Mauro Refosco. Vocalist Nick Urata accentuated the romance with his seductive, full body voice. His long winded vocals projected like a foreign language of deep lunged sound waves resonating off a cliff into endless open air.
After an hour set of original compositions DeVotchKa encored with an intimate duet of Neil Young’s Only Love Can Break Your Heart, featuring Urata on acoustic guitar/vocals and Hagerman on accordion. The evening ended with Ranchero, a progressive classical piece of European fusion rolled into one. The band certainly gave the finale their all and let loose. Urata played both bouzouki and Theremin, ultimately using his bouzouki to play the Theremin. Throughout the show Urata raised a bottle of wine in the air and toasted the crowd. For his final toast of the night Urata employed the wine bottle as a slide on his bouzouki, the perfect sign off to a superlative performance.
