Bobby Long at the Hi-Dive
The bar had been set unfairly high for Bobby Long’s show at the Hi-Dive this past Wednesday, which had nothing to do with the performer himself. After a flurry of comments (130 and counting) on a purely informative (albeit mildly snarky) A.V. Club preview for the show, it seemed like this concert was going to be a legendary event, some sort of spectacle forcing the singer-songwriter’s devotees out in droves. (It was such a big deal, if fact, our own Adam Cayton-Holland took the issue on himself.) But it wasn’t. In fact, crowd chatter during Long’s set was so loud, his gritty voice barely registered on an otherwise regular Wednesday evening.
But the sweet and tempered Long preserved, and in an intense hour-long performance, gave all of the Internet fuss some backing with his emotional delivery. Coy but not shy, Long flirted with the audience through “The Bounty Of Mary Jane” and “Who Have You Been Loving," his eyes shifting in and out of view as he brushed the sweaty hair from his face. Between-song banter was short and clever, Long’s heavy accent becoming sharper as he shared anecdotes about traveling, airplane sickness, and the saltiness of Salt Lake City. The few rows of doting fans at the front of the tall stage stared up at Long as he crooned through “Left To Lie,” one of the many songs that found the singer wincing and yelping his words.
Long’s performance was by all accounts a great one, and the bluesy vocalist put on a surprisingly heartfelt show to a crowd that felt a little bit distracted. While he lived up to his fans' hype, it was hard not to notice how many of those fans probably didn't show up. Long is set to return in November, so maybe then his vocal legions of fans will finally appear.
