“Clapton is God.” That phrase has been around ever since he became a legend in the London underground. He has been a major player in the blues rock scene his entire life, and fans take his word as law. So when, in an interview with Rolling Stone discussing the death of JJ Cale and the fate of blues music, he said “Blake Mills is the last guitarist I heard that I thought was phenomenal,” people listened. Mills just released his great new album Heigh Ho, and played to a sold out show at the Sinclair.
yMusic started off the evening with their own experimental take on classical music. The six musicians sat in a semicircle, music stands and all. The venue was a seated event, and the intimacy provided from the setup worked well for the band’s aesthetic.
yMusic’s style was bright and full of off-kilter staccato numbers. Every song constantly evolved, never staying in one dynamic place. The constant shifting of their versatile soundscapes held the audience’s attention well.
Their cover of Andrew Norman’s “Music In Circles” was a definite standout number. yMusic was a band that captivated not only sonically, but visually as well: you were almost forced to watch them just to figure out how they were getting those sounds out of so few instruments.
It was clear from the moment he began playing that Blake Mills is a whole different class of musician. Beginning the concert with “If I’m Unworthy,” Mills plucked a crunchy guitar tune, and was eventually joined in by his backing four-piece band for a massive mid-song crescendo.
Mills hand-picked such fine musicians to back him up that at times they sounded almost too perfect. One of the them, Rob Moose, who is also the violinist for yMusic and contributed all the strings on Heigh Ho, added a unique flare to the mix. His solos were never flashy, but very intelligent by design.
Drummer Stuart Johnson, who played with Mills in their old band Simon Dawes, proved himself to be quite skilled. During one particular drawn-out blues jam, Johnson repeatedly stripped down his playing from the full kit to clapping to playing only a pair of scissors. He, like Mills, had an ear for texture and expertly helped craft each song to perfection.
Mills played a charming cover of Joe Tex’s “I’ll Never Do You Wrong” among his other songs. He seemed well-versed in traditional blues, and it was especially apparent through his guitar playing. Mills toyed with tone and volume to craft his signature style. He took his time on every solo—never compromising substance for flash.
Then came the cherry on top of an already stunning concert: Fiona Apple came out to perform three songs with Mills. Yeah. Fiona fucking Apple. For her first song, Apple sang a cover of Conway Twitty’s “It’s Only Make Believe” in a husky, bluesy tone with Mills focusing solely on his guitar.
Next she sang “Don’t Tell Our Friends About Me,” as a duet with Mills; Apple also appeared on this track in Heigh Ho. It’s Blake Mills’ most popular song, so it’s almost pointless to say that the audience went nuts for it.
The song notoriously uses the phrase “I know I fucked up” 16 times in its especially personal third movement. Right before they began, both artists expressed their frustration with the music industry and radio censorship. Jokingly, they said “fuck it” and sang the song in all its uncensored beauty. Their two voices blended surprisingly well into one soulful, raw sound.
For their last song, “Seven,” the two sang another duet with Mills playing an incredible solo in the middle. Apple left to a thunderous applause, and when she was gone, the audience seemed to still be in disbelief of what had just happened.
The audience gave him a standing ovation, and even remained on their feet for the encore, which was a heartfelt cover of “Tomorrow Night” by Lonnie Johnson. As the concert came to a close, it was obvious that Blake Mills had proved his deep knowledge of the folk and blues tradition. Whether it was through his extensive knowledge of the genre, or through the refreshing style he brings to it, Mills provided an excellent concert. Phenomenal indeed.
