Andrew Bird’s Gezelligheid events may not have the same name recognition as “The Nutcracker,” but the series — launched in 2009 and in its 14th iteration — bears all the soul-fulfilling sensibility and radiant glow of a seasonal tradition with a rich history. That much was obvious Monday at Fourth Presbyterian Church, where the multi-instrumentalist and singer performed the third concert of his seven-night residency with assistance from bassist-guitarist Alan Hampton and vocalist-guitarist Nora O’Connor.
Dressed for the occasion in a black sportcoat, white button-down shirt and black tie, Bird ensured the 90-minute show imparted the concept of Gezelligheid, a Dutch term that loosely translates to “cozy.” Via the peaceful setting and intimate music, the Lake Forest native indirectly suggested that holiday celebrations can convey a host of gladdening emotions while taking on a different shape than one accustomed to customary rituals — lighting displays, “A Christmas Carol” productions, cookie-baking days, Hallmark movie marathons, gift-shopping outings — might expect.
The atmosphere alone elicited reflection, stillness and elegance. Softly and dimly illuminated, the interior of the Gothic Revival sanctuary communicated stately quiet and focus without having to explicitly state on a sign for people to remain hushed or for phones to be kept in pockets. Chandeliers with candle-shaped lights hung suspended from a tall, arched ceiling. A massive pipe organ peeked over the side of a balcony. Fourteen angel statues peered down from the side aisles. Seated below them in wooden pews, strangers scooted in close to one another to accommodate the packed crowd, stoking the warmth at hand — and fellowship associated with the season.
Perched beneath three large stained glass windows and a decorative wreath, a pair of Bird’s signature Janus twin-horn speakers underlined a sense of wonder and mystery. Unseen by anyone save for those in the very front rows, Bird triggered the horns to spin by stepping on a foot pedal — simultaneously evoking the merriment of a child playing with a new toy and the magic of a time of year devoted to legendary myths, whimsical decorations and unshakeable beliefs, imaginary and otherwise.
Clear, detailed acoustics furthered the feeling of enchantment, and the awareness that a majority of live shows lack the combination of scenery, communality and sonics that make Gezelligheid an experience to savor. Projecting without the need for screaming-loud amplification, notes carried and decayed to the extent you could discern them individually rather than as lumped-together clusters lacking definition. Such transparency exposed the crafty nuances in Bird’s arrangements, the control of his vocal phrasing and the layering of his background loops.
It also meant minor mistakes became audible. And yet, those flaws only served to advance the convivial spirit of the 90-minute affair. They also reminded everyone (Bird included) that slight imperfections or, what the headliner jokingly referred to as “opportunities for human error,” are byproducts of accepting risk, trying new ideas, embracing the element of surprise and offering alternative perspectives. In sum, several hallmarks of great artistry, and approaches with which Bird is familiar.
Indeed, by any creative measure, the 51-year-old multihyphenate has enjoyed a banner year. In the spring, he released “Sunday Morning Put-On,” an intimate album of jazz standards that pays tribute to programs and deejays he heard on local radio stations while living in Edgewater during his 20s. Bird celebrated its release with shows at the Green Mill and Old Town School of Folk Music before embarking on an extensive summer tour. Last Friday, he revisited the work at a concert in Highland Park.
Bird also found the time to honor another piece of the past, its material more obscure than some of the older tunes on his small-combo jazz project. Pairing with frequent collaborator Madison Cunningham, he recently interpreted the 1973 eponymous LP recorded by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks before the pair joined Fleetwood Mac. Out of print for decades and unavailable on streaming services, “Buckingham Nicks” endures in an updated form as “Cunningham Bird.”
Duetting with O’Connor, Bird played one song (the slow, severe “Crystal”) from that effort amid a sweetly melodic set balanced with career-spanning originals, Gezelligheid favorites and well-chosen covers. He nodded to the jazz album with a jaunty adaptation of “Sweet Lorraine,” a 1928 swing number that actually didn’t land on the LP because Bird deemed it “too hot.” He opted for a similarly roundabout detour with a jangly down-home reading of “Oh, Sister,” a Bob Dylan deep cut accessible only on live albums.
Switching between acoustic guitar, violin and xylophone, with his whistling and vocals as constants, Bird huddled with Hampton and O’Connor around a low-slung, vintage-style microphone for an extended sequence steeped in country, folk and gospel. The rustic sessions recalled a bygone era when most Americans, particularly those in rural locations, heard a majority of music from groups who played in the very same configurations inside tiny studios that broadcast their on-air performances over the radio.
Direct, rootsy, deceivingly simple, entirely dependent on the trio’s chemistry and interplay: The mellow songs harbored tangible, familiar qualities and a mix of humor, longing and reminiscence. It seemed that even if the power had failed, the band would continue on as if nothing happened and encounter no issue with being heard. A beautiful, powerful thought.
O’Connor and Bird effortlessly blended high harmonies as Hampton maintained basic rhythms. Pizzicato violin passages skipped akin to small pebbles over a calm lake. Bird’s carefully enunciated words felt especially pertinent with the calendar edging toward mid-December and the joy, sadness, contemplation, promise and uncertainty that tend to accompany the period.
The weary ache of “Alabaster” transmitted messages of fortitude needed to tolerate long nights and dark stretches. The rolling tides of “Sisyphus,” complete with delightful rhymes and Spanish-influenced guitar fills, acknowledged tremendous loss albeit shrugged its proverbial shoulders at melancholy, adopting a live-and-let-live attitude. A honeyed version of “Gentle on My Mind,” the John Hartford ballad popularized by Glen Campbell, warded off loneliness with fond memories and the dancing strings of two finger-picked guitars.
Gracious, and expressing astonishment that people keep returning to Gezelligheid on an annual basis, Bird mirrored the modesty of the songs. He mentioned Christmas just once, in a tender rendition of the Handsome Family’s otherwise solemn “Greenwine.” Thanksgiving arose during a scholarly medley of Vince Guaraldi pieces, with Bird’s graceful violin on “Skating” seemingly tracing the gliding patterns of steel blades carving figure-eights into a sheet of ice.
Sending fans home to bed not with visions of sugar plums but with the flavorful absurdities of “Tables and Chairs” and its impossibly utopian scenario — countries and currencies cease to exist, legitimate worries about global warming get dismissed in lieu of the availability of snack food — Bird tapped into the kinds of wit, comedy and false reassurance that help many of us survive the holidays and life itself.
Until next December, then, god willing.
Bob Gendron is a freelance critic.
Gezelligheid at Fourth Presbyterian Church (126 E Chestnut St.) runs through Dec. 13; tickets and more information at www.andrewbird.net
Setlist from Dec. 9 at Fourth Presbyterian Church
“How Long Have You Been Standing There?”
“Chemical Switches”
“Sovay”
“Plasticities”
“Sweet Lorraine” (Cliff Burwell-Mitchell Parish cover)
“Underlands”
“Thanksgiving Theme” into “Skating” (Vince Guaraldi covers)
“Anonanimal”
“Alabaster”
“Greenwine” (The Handsome Family cover)
“Oh, Sister” (Bob Dylan cover)
“Sisyphus”
“A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left”
“Gentle on My Mind” (John Hartford cover)
“Pulaski at Night”
Encore
“Crystal” (Stevie Nicks-Lindsey Buckingham cover)
“Tables and Chairs”
“Don’t Be Scared” (The Handsome Family cover)
