A night at the improv

You never get the same show twice when you go to see Glenn Tilbrook. First there are the different variations -- solo acoustic, with the Fluffers and, of course, seminal '80s band Squeeze. But the one thing you'll be sure of is to come out as impressed as ever.

Second, most musicians have a forte -- something they're better at that something else. But not this guy. Glenn is an excellent vocalist (never hits a bum note I believe is the term Mark used), a consummate guitar player, a fascinating writer and a stellar showman.

For his latest gig at teeny tiny Maxwell's in Hoboken, he performed with just a guitar. Unless you count the iPad, which he made use of for accompaniment on select songs. And you can also count background vocals from the crowd, who hung on every word and/or note. (Well most of them, we'll just leave out the throngs in the back of the room who apparently came just to chat it up.)



The first eight or so songs of the set were all requests from the audience, including "Piccadilly," "Touching Me Touching You," "Black Sheep," "Another Nail in My Heart" and "By the Light of the Cash Machine." Nothing fazed the man, although he didn't seem particularly interested in "Maidstone."

But he took control of the setlist for "Take Me I'm Yours," utilizing the iPad (and a member of the audience to control the keys for part of it) to recreate the Middle Eastern sounds that emanated on the version that Glenn and Squeeze partner Chris Difford recreated for album "Desert Roses 2."

Left out of the mix were "Untouchable," which I heard during my exclusive soundcheck access -- OK, I was in the bathroom when he played it -- and the song on my t-shirt, "Black Coffee in Bed." But as a big believer in the art of the setlist, I didn't really miss them none neither. And a lot of songs that crossed my mind during the course of the show -- like "This Is Where You Ain't" and "Vanity Fair" -- wound up being played anyway. But I won't even try to take credit for the unexpected and exuberant "Harper Valley PTA."



In the intimate setting, everything sounded great. Songs that usually get a pass from me on the iPod, like the aforementioned "Black Sheep" and "Cash Machine" sounded fresh and benefited from the acoustic treatment, because the words resonated more. Even better, the likes of "Labelled with Love," "Some Fantastic Place" and "Still," the latter being what Mark probably would have yelled at if he wasn't standing next to a setlist purist.

Of course, he delivered quite a few others from the Squeeze catalog with vim and vigor -- "Annie Get Your Gun," "Up the Junction," "Vicky Verky," "If I Didn't Love You," "Pulling Mussels," "Slap and Tickle," "Is That Love" and "Goodbye Girl." On the first verse of "Tempted," part of the crowd began singing the backup vocals, so on the second verse he had the audience sing the main part and he animatedly took control of the background.

Glenn mentioned that he and Squeeze had been on stage at London's famed Royal Albert Hall weeks earlier. Now it was just him, his moustachioed compadre, his guitar and his iPad and he couldn't have looked happier. Nor could any of us.