OLD OKKERVIL REVIEW

Okkervil River commands stage at The Metro
It felt like a family affair Tuesday night as Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Bears and Crooked Fingers opened for Okkervil River at the Metro in Chicago.
All three bands showed their unwavering support for the others in many ways. As the openers, Black Joe Lewis, rocked out midset, Okkervil River's drummer Travis Nelsen made a surprise onstage appearance. His instrument of choice? A tambourine.
The second act, Crooked Fingers, all sported Black Joe Lewis T-shirts. The saxophone duo from Black Joe played a couple of songs with Okkervil River, even helping them close out the show. Three very different bands. Three very different lineups. Three very different sounds. Yet, it all worked together.
With influences ranging from James Brown and Wilson Pickett to Howlin' Wolf, Black Joe was the biggest surprise of the evening. The eight-piece band, fronted by 26-year-old Austin, Texas, native Joe Lewis played a mix of R&B and soul. The set felt like something straight out of famed Chicago Blues club Kingston Mines. A throwback to sounds of the '60s, the multiracial band's music was pure magic, made even more spectacular by the members' on-stage antics. At one point, the band, sans Lewis, danced their way to the ground, continuing to play their instruments from the stage floor.
The vibe was completely different for the next act, Crooked Fingers. The Seattle-based band, led by lead singer Eric Bachman, tends to have a rotating lineup. Tuesday night, there were just four on stage – Bachman on guitar, Elin Palmer on violin, Miranda Brown on bass guitar and drummer Tim Hussman. Playing their last night in support of Okkervil River before launching their own tour Wednesday night at Shuba's in Chicago, the group played several songs from their newly released album, "Forfeit/Fortune."
Continuing a trend of noise as music, the band relied on feedback and looping to add extra depth to their songs. Palmer's violin and Bachman's interesting vocals combined to create a scattered yet solid rock performance. When Hussman's drum kit began to fall apart midset, it was the drummer from Black Joe that came to his rescue. It was just a continuation of their support for one another.
By the time headliners Okkervil River came to the stage, the anticipation from the crowd had reached a fevered pitch. Chicago has become a home-away-from-home of sorts for Okkervil this year. With four shows in six months – opening for the New Pornographers in April, Lollapalooza in August, an after-show at Schubas and Tuesday night at the Metro – the band has garnered quite the following in the Windy City.
Touring in support of their newest release, "The Stand-Ins" Okkervil chose just a few songs from the 2008 album and reached way into their repertoire for the rest. Lead singer Will Sheff's tangy, raw vocals and acoustic guitar talents added to his showmanship on stage, and it was evident he was simply being worshipped by the crowd.
Okkervil River's multifaceted sound was on full display during the show. At times the feeling ran from "Big Band" to full-out rock show, to somewhat country and back again. It was some old favorites, including "For Real" from the band's 2005 release "Black Sheep Boy" that got the crowd moving.
But it was during the encore where Sheff really shined. Coming out first alone, guitar in hand, Sheff asked the crowd for any requests. It was "Red," from the band's 2002 release "Don't Fall in Love With Everyone You Meet," that emitted the largest response.
The crowd stood transfixed for the next five minutes as Sheff played a flawless, soulful version of the tune. As the full band came out to play one more song, a hush fell over the crowd as they waited to rock out.
By 1 a.m. Okkervil had more than done its job. The band simply left fans wanting more.