Singer/songwriter Josh Rouse, formerly based in Nashville, but now basking in the Spanish sun in Valencia with singer and collaborator Paz Suay, landed at The Pabst Theater Sunday night for a low-priced, general admission show that filled the main level of the theater with devoted fans.
The show was the second stop on an 11-city U.S. tour that kicked off Friday in Louisville and wraps up April 27 in Brooklyn.
Focusing on material from his most recent records, almost entirely ignoring the first two or three, Rouse drew rousing applause after each number and some boisterous whooping and whistling during tunes from “1972,” “Nashville,” “Subtitolo” and the new EP with Suay, “She’s Spanish, I’m American.”
However, the otherwise reserved crowd remained glued to its seats until an encore that felt like an emotional release for the fans who were finally on their feet and feeling like partying.
The chatty Rouse, who looked supremely at home on stage and comfortable in a rumpled cords, button down shirt and sport coat, was backed by drummer Marc Pisapia, bassist James Haggerty and keyboardist Curt Perkins; all of whom have worked with Rouse for many years.
Suay also sang on a handful of numbers in the middle of the set and her haunting and sometimes childlike voice added depth and sugar.
Despite the bare as nails band, Rouse’s music sounded as breezy as ever and had a nice, raw edge. Especially intriguing were the songs from 2003’s “1972,” which is layered with a lovely, mid-‘70s soul arrangement. Stripped of that gloss on stage, the songs shimmered anyway.
It’s almost impossible to imagine that Rouse, who was born in 1972, wasn’t keenly aware of music throughout that decade since all of it is country-informed melodic pop with the same slightly melancholy, very summery vibe that washed over pop music of all kinds in the ‘70s.
Part Paul Simon, part Gamble & Huff, part Morrissey/Marr, Rouse just may be the songwriter of our generation, even if most of us, sadly, don't know it yet.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
