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The intimate and acoustic setting of the Java Jive series is perfect for folky and upbeat music. Unfortunately, as was the case Tuesday night, it does not always make for a great evening.
Former University of Maine student and Presque Isle native Shane Allen offered a solo set of acoustic covers and originals.
The opener, U2′s “One,” was thoughtful and almost cheery, but sadly lacked any of Bono’s lamentations. An earnest version of Neil Young’s anti-80s anthem “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” followed, featuring some nice guitar work but sparse vocals and little of Young’s emotion.
Throughout the show, Allen seemed to fit each song to his vocal style or mood. In some cases, this worked beautifully. Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” was transformed from straight-up rock to a mellow tune. Instead of Petty’s bravado lyrics, Allen posed them almost as a question.
A cover of Coldplay’s “Green Eyes,” from the new album A Rush of Blood to the Head, was also well done.
Allen’s style did not always fit, however. His version of the Foo Fighters’ dark and moody hit “Everlong” was ruined as a folk song. A rendition of Fuel’s “Shimmer” was semi-hopeful, but the complete butchering of Coldplay’s “The Scientist” was anything but. Allen seemed to have taken all the sentiments and feeling out of the song and replaced it with textbook acoustic rifts.
Throughout the evening, Allen also mixed in original songs. He rarely gave titles, and skipped from one tune to the next. Some songs were decent, a mix of poetry and passion. But his repetition and style would unravel the set. It was hard to distinguish songs, and each of the covers lacked their intended meaning.
The finale, an intense version of Bush’s “Come Down,” was too little too late.
Allen, a graduate with a degree in mass communications, now works as a media buyer in Portland. Among his influences are Coldplay, Tom Petty and Nirvana, which was apparent during his set. He said he usually goes on stage with about 50 songs in mind, and then plays based on either his mood or the audience.
Recently, Allen has been working on writing and recording a demo. He holds a standing gig every Tuesday evening at the Ale House in Portland.
He described his songwriting process as different for every song.
“It’s really good when the words and music happen together,” Allen said. “It’s cool to see people in the crowd in the same place I am.”
Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, Allen seemed to be in the same place the whole show. It was hard to differentiate the music and words of his originals, and the covers seemed to follow the same basic pattern. What could have been a great show was simply defeated by monotony. While some of the titles on the set list were great, the attitude of apathy in his playing killed Allen’s set.
Dylan once said all you need to be a rock and roll star is a guitar. He failed to mention heart. Sadly, Allen also forgot to bring his.
Bangor Daily News