Coldplay

Even when they were young singer-songwriters with the fledgling Jayhawks, Mark Olson and Gary Louris were old souls. These are songwriters with a rare intuitive feel for making music that belongs to all time.

Their performances in Chicago began with a Live From Studio X appearance, which was recorded at The Hideout. I went upstairs to talk to Mark and Gary before they hit the stage. Mark Olson has a charming homespun affability combined with a sharp eye for irony.
Gary Louris may be the easiest going recording artist I’ve ever met.
Cool and ready for anything.

They played a six song set for a delighted group of XRT VIP’s that began with “The Rose Society,” the first track from their new CD, Ready for the Flood.

We talked between some of the songs. Mark told a great story about the influence of the anthrax scare on the composition of one of their songs. Gary indicated that there was a good chance they would continue to record as a duo.

From The Hideout, we followed them to Park West. No road manager. No guitar tech. Just two veterans of the road climbing on stage with a couple of well-loved old acoustic guitars to accompany their singing.

Now I have enjoyed Olson’s projects after he left the Jayhawks in the mid-90’s, especially his solo release, Salvation Blues. And I have always made a point of catching the Jayhawks every time they came through Chicago without Mark Olson. But when you listen to those two voices fold into each other on stage, you remember that these two men were meant to sing together.

Much of the material centered on their newest collaboration, Ready for the Flood, which harkens back to a time before alt-country had a name. Highlights from the new album included “Bicycles,” “Chamberlain, S.D,” “Doves and Stones,” and a gorgeous number that is listed on the album as a bonus track called “Precious Time.”

We were treated to the Jayhawks classic “Waiting for the Sun” about midway through the concert. A four song encore ended with “Blue.” As Gary Louris’ voice soared to the heavens, I could only hope that this pairing is a new beginning that endures.