Dutch Air Guitar Championships

Chris Isaak has got it all. Good looks. Charisma. A great career in the movies (Twin peaks, Silence of the lambs). A good musician with a great voice playing fun music and capable of giving a great performance. As a musician, he has had major succes as well, hitting the big time at the beginning of the nineties with the song ‘Wicked Game’. Last night, he and his band played the Paradiso, Amsterdam and the venue was absolutely packed. Isaak gave the audience what they came for, a great performance and show including hits like ‘Blue Hotel’, ‘Dancin’ and ‘Wicked game’. Finally, I got the chance to see my favourite ‘under the shower-singer’: ‘Whoooohooohooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooo’. Yesterday, Isaak was a great crowdpleaser and the closest thing you’ll ever get to see a living ‘Elvis Presley’ without seeing an impersonator. But in the end, Isaac made one mistake.

What a great night it was, and what a legendary night it could have been. Isaak and his band played most of the best songs of their catalogue and started out furiously. After two songs, Isaak announced he would play all the songs he and the band knew, and because today (the 12th) is his day off during the tour, he and the band could and would play on and on. Hey, what else can you do in a city like Amsterdam when your a musician? And after announcing he would play a Blue Oyster Cult song, I coulds hardly wait to hear it and expected a legendary performance.

Man, this guy’s got charisma. Singing in his glittery blue suit, and later wearing his famous mirrorsuit, Isaak showed he has got more talent than he probably even knows himself. His voice was top of the bill and the band suited him like, well, like his suits. Of course, ‘Blue Hotel’ (even doing ‘Shadows’ steps with his band) and ‘Wicked Game’ were the highlights of the show, together with Dancin’.

In between songs, Isaac told all kinds of silly stories, which was great at the beginning but led to a lack of speed at the end. Some covers were played, like ‘I want you to want me’ (which by the way is a Cheap Trick song and definitely NOT by the Blue Oyster Cult) and Don’t Be Cruel (Elvis). At the end of the show, Isaak asked a few girls from the audience to dance on stage, typically something that leads to amusement in Anglo-Saxon countries, but in Holland it did not add to the show. Isaac simply does not need to use techniques like these, he is entertaining enough himself.

And then, after 1,5 hours, the anti-climax. Exactly at ten o’clock, the show was over, leaving the enthousiastic audience startled and ultimatly even booing. “He said he would play all the songs, didn’t he. He didn’t have anything else to do, so why stop after exactly 1,5 hours?” Instead of playing a legendary concert, Isaac chose the easy way out. A mistake. A pity, because he is probably a better singer and entertainer than he believes to be himself. But hey, it was well worth the long wait and yesterday, 1.500 Isaac fans couldn’t be wrong: it was still a good and entertaining concert.

Air guitar score: