Jonathan Coulton has never achieved the fame he deserves. His music spans a variety of genres, and his ability to mix catchy melodies with clever lyrics is unmatched. But he has managed to build a fan base that loves his talent. This was evident at his sold-out performance Thursday evening at Chicago's City Winery. Many in attendance sang along to each of his songs. And he drew massive applause when he introduced songs with descriptions such as "Here is a song I wrote for a video game" ("Still Alive") or "Here is a song about zombies" ("Re: Your Brains")
With a catalog spanning hundreds of songs, Coulton announced that he developed an algorithm for deciding which songs to play in which order. The algorithm consisted of playing them in alphabetical order. He admitted the system was "stupid," but it had the advantage of letting the audience immediately know if he was skipping their favorite song, so they wouldn't have to wait to be disappointed.
Although he performed almost all originals, he did an impressive version of Billy Joel's "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" - a mini rock opera that featured horns, strings, and orchestration on Joel's original recording. Although Coulton played an acoustic guitar unaccompanied by a band, he emulated the other instruments with his voice to the amusement of the crowd. His only other nod to another composer was his French tribute to Rick Springfield ("Je Suis Rick Springfield") in which he sang a few lines of "Jesse's Girl" to the tune of "Code Monkey."
He deviated from his guitar once when he picked up a zendrum – an electronic percussive instrument that he used to remix the funk dance break "Mr. Fancy Pants."
I felt a part of this show. When the MC asked who was a Vinofile member, I was the only one who clapped. When Jonathan took the stage, he pointed me out as the only member and even remembered me when we met briefly after the show.
Coulton opened his encore set with a cleaned-up version of his racy anthem "First of May," replacing a four-letter word with "hug" to the amusement of the crowd.
Part of me wishes Jonathan Coulton had achieved more commercial success. But another part of me is grateful he is still playing intimate clubs like the City Winery. It was a show everyone should see.