STEVE POLTZ
CLUB CONGRESS
Thursday, July 16
A modest crowd of devoted fans, several of whom he knew by name,
gathered to witness the genius and unshakable honesty of Steve Poltz’s
songwriting. The rigors of constant touring don’t seem to have an
adverse effect on him; he’s visibly energized by the steady schedule of
gigs with his band, the Cynics. Poltz, who co-wrote “You Were Meant for
Me” in 1996, propelling folk songstress Jewel to untold amounts of
fame, was clearly content to be in Tucson in front of a handful of
devotees.
They opened with “Slovenia Breeze,” a solemn alt-country tune.
Guitarist Christopher Hoffee produced gorgeous slide effects on his
12-string, and there was an endearing semi-sloppiness about Poltz’s
vocals; it added to the feeling of familiarity with his songwriting
themes. The drummer, Patrick Dennis, also took on the high end of the
harmonies with Poltz. From there, it was a mix of frankness and sarcasm
regarding family, single life, sexuality and relationships, all to the
tune of equal parts country and rock ‘n’ roll. It was musical
storytelling at its finest.
While recently in Australia, Poltz was given a challenge by another
band’s drummer to write a song containing the words “butter,” “jacket”
and the Australian city “Maroochydore.” He ended up crafting a sweet,
perverted number about dirty love and the effect it can have on the
heart. It somehow involved Frank Zappa and Marlon Brando. You really
had to be there.
The trio appeared to be close friends, and it made for some comical
moments between both the band and the audience. At one point, Poltz
dropped to his knees during an instrumental piece, his head directly in
front of Hoffee’s crotch. During their performance of the popular
sing-along “Handjob on a Church Bus,” Poltz found his way into the
audience, and someone named John simulated a handjob on him while
backing him on the chorus. The good news for fans is that the
performance was recorded, and a copy was available on CD for purchase
following the show.
I got a sense that Steve Poltz genuinely adores his fans as much as
they adore him. There’s no doubt he’ll be back to the Old
Pueblo—and I’m positive he will bring a smile to everyone’s face
yet again.
This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2009.
