Nick Lowe's Quality Rock 'n' Roll Revue at the Bowery Ballroom

In Suffolk, England, Nick Lowe began his musical career in 1967, when he joined the band Kippington Lodge with his school friend Brinsley Schwarz. They renamed the band Brinsley Schwarz in late 1969 and began performing country and blues-rock. Lowe left Brinsley Schwarz in 1975 and in 1986 began a solo career as artist and producer (Elvis Costello's first five albums, the Damned's first album, the Pretenders' first single, Graham Parker's first and third albums), and also played bass in rockabilly/pop rock quartet Rockpile, co-led with guitarist Dave Edmunds. Rockpile split in 1981, and Lowe toured in 1982-1983 with his band Noise to Go and in 1984-1985 with the Cowboy Outfit. In 1987 Lowe was also a member of the short-lived Little Village with John Hiatt, Ry Cooder and Jim Keltner. In 2009, Cooder and Lowe toured as a duo. Periodically, Lowe performed solo acoustic. Since 2014, Lowe has been touring with Los Straitjackets  (guitarists Eddie Angel and Greg Townson, bassist Pete Curry, drummer Chris Sprague) as his band. Following Lowe's 14 solo albums, his most recent product is a four-song EP with Los Straitjackets, Tokyo Bay, on June 15, 2018; their Love Starvation / Trombone EP will be released on May 17, 2019. Lowe lives in London, England.

Billed as Nick Lowe's Quality Rock 'n' Roll Revue Starring Los Straitjackets at the Bowery Ballroom, tonight's performance featured Lowe singing with support from the luchador-masked, surf-rocking Los Straitjackets. Curiously, the match clicked, as the band took ownership of the songs even as Lowe fronted. Lowe sang pop melodies but most of his familiar songs now had a vintage country, rockabilly or Americana roots twist. This aged flavor did not draw a curtain on Lowe's pop sensibilities, but it did establish that Lowe was not frozen to the same place where he was in the 1970s. He had not divorced himself entirely from that era, however, as he gave the audience what it came to hear: "So It Goes", "Cruel to Be Kind", "I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding." His final encore was a solo acoustic version of Elvis Costello's "Alison." In the end, Lowe proved that he was a credible rocker with roots.

Setlist:

1. So It Goes
2. Ragin' Eyes
3. Without Love
4. You Inspire Me
5. Shting-Shtang
6. Raincoat in the River (Dig Richards cover)
7. Somebody Cares for Me
8. Tokyo Bay (followed by a Los Straitjackets mini-set without Lowe)
9. I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass
10. Sensitive Man
11. Love Starvation
12. Blue on Blue
13. Half a Boy and Half a Man
14. Cruel to Be Kind
15. Heart of the City
16. I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)

Encore:

1. When I Write the Book (Rockpile song)
2. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding (Brinsley Schwarz song)

Encore 2:

1. Alison (Elvis Costello cover)