Review: José González at Yugong Yishan

Jose Gonzalez
RMB 150.
8pm. Yugong Yishan (6404 2711)

Last night’s snow didn’t stop hundreds of Beijingers from heading over to Yugong Yishan to catch Swedish indie icon, José González. The crowd paid little attention to the soothing melodies of the acoustic guitar/harmonica playing opener, Wu Zhuoling, choosing instead to catch up with one another over a drink in anticipation of the main act. However, the crowd hushed in expectant silence as the lights dimmed and Gonzalez - who proved not to be a big fan of on stage chit chat, saying very little throughout the show aside from the occasional polite xie xie - dove right into his first song.

At times, it sounded as if he had a band behind him. The intricate plucking and strumming kept the audience captivated, as did his clear and pristine voice. The evening livened up when the rhythm became faster during “Down the Line,” from his latest album In Our Nature. The crowd was also pleased when he played the familiar, “Crosses,” from his first album, Veneer. A fan was overjoyed, after continuously shouting for “Cycling Trivialities,” Jose conceded to his wishes and acknowledged him with a simple, “Okay.”

The same fan shouted that he’ll also be attending the show in Hong Kong. Jose will also be making two stops in Shanghai before heading off to Europe.

After “Cycling Trivialities,” González left the stage but the audience didn’t budge as they waited for an encore. The performer didn’t let the crowd down, offering up a rendition of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”

If you tried to beat the crowd to the coat check, you would’ve missed the encore entirely. As one of the unfortunate aspects of the night’s performance was that unless you were close to the stage, it was hard to hear the show over people’s chatter. The acoustics in the bar area were very poor and many had to settle for watching a live video feed projected on to a screen opposite the bar.

The quiet, succinct nature of José González's music tied in perfectly with the hushed snowfall outside the venue’s doors. It made for a very peaceful evening in Beijing’s Dongcheng District.

Links and Sources
José González Official Site
Split Works: José González
Yugong Yishan: José González
MySpace: Wu Zhouling
Photos: Kara Chin