Paul Weller: That's Entertainment!

Paul Weller, 9:30 Club, Washington DC
September 13

Recommended beverage to go with this show:

Boddington’s, slow poured from can to cup,

from the downstairs left-side bar

It’s rare for any British rock band to play a two-hour set at the 9:30 Club but Paul Weller, with decades of material to choose from, did just that. Playing songs that spanned his career, from his previous bands the Jam and Style Council as well as his solo stuff, the 50-year-old Weller proved he hasn't lost his touch.

He also presented some fresh-sounding new material from his ninth album, 22 Dreams, released this year. The 20-song album features the new single “All I Wanna Do is Be With You,” and a song co-written by Noel Gallagher from Oasis called “Echoes Around the Sun.” Several other guest artists appear on this album as well, including Blur’s guitarist Graham Coxon and Ocean Colour Scene’s guitarist Steve Cradock.

One band member on this tour who particularly stood out was the drummer, who I later learned was Steve Pilgrim from Liverpool. In the midst of Weller’s rocking set, Pilgrim set down the drumsticks and grabbed a guitar to join Weller and other band mates for a short and moving acoustic set. The band then emerged afterward with full power to perform a peppy version of one of my favorites in his solo collection, “Wildwood.”

During one encore, Weller had the crowd in a frenzy with the Jam’s hit “Town Called Malice,” but the show wasn’t yet over. Weller took the stage one last time with his bandmates to perform the Beatles “All You Need is Love.” It was an outstanding show.