Recap Ray Davies at Pabst Theater

Just prior to playing the beloved Kinks classic “Waterloo Sunset,” Ray Davies proclaimed, “I don’t write love songs.” The funny thing is: It’s kind of true. The Kinks’ biggest hits, “You Really Got Me” and “All Day And All Of The Night,” evoke lust over romance, and after the next single, “Tired Of Waiting,” there’s barely a mention of love in the Kinks’ discography. But there was plenty of love in the Pabst Theater on Wednesday night as Davies rolled out a crowd-pleasing set of mostly oldies from his quirky back catalog.

Predictably, most of the highlights came during the acoustic portions of the set, featuring just Davies and guitarist Bill Shanley perched on stools and strumming away. Davies’ banter was sometimes comical, but at times it seemed that even he was growing tired of the script he’s been using for ages. (“I’m gonna fine myself $5 every time I say the word ‘Kinks’,” etc.) But the crowd took it all graciously, even when Davies got frustrated with either the crew or the equipment after four songs and walked offstage, declaring, “I’ll be back in five minutes.” He returned with a bottle of Spotted Cow and launched into a roughshod rendition of the lost Kinks nugget “Alcohol,” and the crowd joined in gleefully.

For the full-band effect, Davies brought The 88 along for the ride, a group that must have a well-connected manager. These straitlaced L.A. cats played a 40-minute set by themselves to start the show, looking and sounding like they were assembled to make your mom feel hip for liking them. Every word of banter and physical movement was a cliché, and they seemed incredibly nervous for a bunch of dudes that have been together for nearly a decade. The 88’s sound wasn’t exactly retro, but it was about as modern as toilet paper. Still, Davies isn’t trying to recreate The Kinks, presumably; all he needs is musicians who aren’t likely to make mistakes—and on that score, The 88 delivered admirably.

Davies’ best music is a little rough around the edges, which made the acoustic portions of the evening much more authentic and engaging. Obviously, the big rockers brought the fans to their feet, and overall there was no fault to be found: “David Watts” and “Till The End Of The Day” and “Celluloid Heroes” were definite high points of the night, along with “You Really Got Me” and “All Day.” But the first half of Davies’ set was the best; his craggy voice singing “Sunny Afternoon, ” “Apeman,” and particularly “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” displayed the unique genius that sets Davies apart from most of his peers.