Jenny's precedent
Since it's fashioned after Glastonbury, Fuji Rock tends to lean more toward English rock than American, which probably explains why Amerindie and, particularly, alt country don't get much representation at the festival. Consequently, it seemed doubly odd that former Rilo Kiley vocalist Jenny Lewis was given the 11 pm slot at the Red Marquee on Sunday night, a place normally reserved for dance or techno acts. For sure, there were only about 50 people in front of the stage when Lewis came out with a full band, including the Watson Twins on backing vocals. Lewis came to dazzle, as demonstrated by her silver lame minidress, which was complemented by the Watsons gold lame shifts. And dazzle she did. Jenny Lewis performed the only encore I saw all weekend.
In a way, Lewis's music isn't completely alt-country. She did some gospel, some rock, a cover of the Traveling Wilburys "Handle With Care," a version of the doo-wop classic "I Met Him on a Sunday," and an indie folk song. She did some choreography with the twins, whose twin thing seemed to spook the audience. She even ended with a spritual. Granted, the audience didn't exactly swell, but those who deigned to hang around were rooted in place. Jenny Lewis has the voice of an angel and the constitution of a rock star. Let's hope her success drops a hint. Maybe next year...Lucinda Williams?
