Only a week before the concert I received an email from the Jason Webley mailing list “LA show this Thursday at Echo Curio.” And yet even with such a short notice and absolutely zero publicity, the venue was packed.  Luckily I was small enough to fit very nicely directly in front of Jason.  Opening was Eliza Rickman, a local singer-songwriter, toting an antique two-octave piano.  Her beautiful voice, victorian shoes and Charlie Chaplin doll charmed her way into my music library.

Jason Webley, for all those who are not familiar, is an accordionist from Seattle who travels around the world with an old vodka bottle filled with coins. He opened with a cover of a song I wasn’t familiar with, followed by my all-time favorite “Map” from the album Counterpoint. He apologized as usual for his lack of new material and played a ridiculously hilarious cover of  ”Sex Mad” by Nomeansno instead.  The show was sold out, but he let in the people standing outside and told us to jump up and shout “Welcome!” and embrace them when they entered.  And we did.

As he played “Dance While the Sky Crashes Down,” Jason stomped his foot so vigorously that the dust from the carpet created a cloud around him.  I inevitably inhaled it.  I was also so close that I was much too embarrassed to whip out my Nikon and snap a photo in his face so I took some inconspicuous shots with the iphone.

Jason Webley at the Echo Curio Performing "Dance While the Sky Crashes Down"

He gave a brief ode to Leonard Cohen and followed up with a cover of “Stranger Song” and  then a crowd favorite, “Icarus” from Only Just Beginning. Again, the dust cloud. But more impressive are his famous (or infamous) covers. Webley is more than a musician or songwriter; he’s a an amazing interpreter of other artists’ music.   Half the songs he plays at shows are not his own, and of course he took requests.  I mean, who wouldn’t want to hear “Billy Jean” on an accordion?  Who wouldn’t cringe with curiosity at the idea of  Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” as a polka?

And so he played several more covers and continued the night off with several of his own songs, “2am” and “There’s Not a Step We Take That Doesn’t Bring Us Closer Together”, which, as usual involved much audience participation.  He jumped around so much his hat kept falling off. And then he played the ubiquitously-adored “Eleven Saints” (Check out the music video made from construction paper, magazine cut-outs and googly eyes.) He finished with a Russian song, (which he sang in Russian), a horribly (albeit amusingly) depressing Christmas song, and his traditional finale, “The Drinking Song”, before which we all spin around twelve times while staring at our fingers pointed at the ceiling and then proceed to sway and sing “La da di! La da da! La da di da da da da!”

Overall all it was one of my favorite concert experiences so far. I highly recommend trying to see him when he’s in town.  He should be going on tour soon with Amanda Palmer of the Dresdens Dolls as they are releasing an album together next month.  Pre-sales start February 16th so mark your calenders!

—Alice