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Saturday, July 19, 2003

By John Young

Chris Isaak told the Chevrolet Amphitheatre crowd Thursday night that he had been warned about Pittsburgh audiences: "They give freely of their love or they beat the hell out of you." Isaak inspired a demonstrative love-in under the big white tent, getting a rise out of fans with the magenta suit he initially wore, his humorous monologues and a career-spanning set list.

While clearly inspired by 1950s rock 'n' roll, Isaak and the latest version of his band Silvertone displayed impressive musical range. The show-opening "American Boy," "Let Me Down Easy" and "Somebody's Crying" were examples of straightforward rock full of catchy melodies. "Speak of the Devil" and "Blue Hotel" moved to plucky riffs and indulged Isaak's darker musical instincts. The anthemic "One Day" was masterful, played with more subtlety and sense of musical space than the version on Isaak's 2002 album "Always Got Tonight."

Most impressive, however, were the hushed, spooky ballads "Wicked Game" and "You Can't Do a Thing (To Stop Me)." Isaak played them softly, challenging the audience to really listen. The crowd quieted, intent on his coolly intense vocals and guitar strumming. Isaak also unleashed a great vocal performance during "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing," ranging from his lowest growl during the title phrase to his highest, strongest falsetto at the climax.

Isaak's fun-filled, 14-song set lasted just more than an hour, but he made up for the short show with a loose 30-minute-long encore. He favored his acoustic-oriented tunes like "Return to Me" and "Forever Blue," and indulged in melancholy cover versions of "Only the Lonely" and "It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You." Isaak also sang while walking around the amphitheater in the mirrored suit he'd changed into. As he strolled, an array of young women from the audience danced about the stage.

Much as they loved partying with Isaak, the audience might have been even more generous in their reaction to opener Lisa Marie Presley. Elvis' daughter was treated like American royalty with fans loudly applauding after each song. Presley certainly proved that she's a competent singer and songwriter -- she possesses a dynamic alto voice and has written adult alternative tunes that sound right at home on the radio.

She's hardly a fiery stage presence at this point, though. Presley spent most of her set in front of the mike stand keeping time with her left leg and barely moving. She also needed lyric sheets for her nine-song show, even during a turbid cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Her single "Lights Out" had a bit of a buzz to it, but too many songs were slow to mid-tempo and indistinct.

The crowd loved everything about both acts, though, and both Presley and Isaak smiled often at the vocal support. As Isaak noted, "You can go to Paris or New York, but it's all just a tune-up for Pittsburgh."