By ANTHONY PIDGEON // Nick Cave’s current Wild God tour, supporting his latest album of the same name, is his first North American performance with The Bad Seeds in 7 years, and last Saturday at Theater of the Clouds in Portland, 3,000 lucky fans experienced nearly 3 hours of inspired collaboration.
Nick Cave’s journey from shadowy cult figure to musical and literary icon has been a fascinating, rocky, and ultimately empowering for fans to follow. His ability to embody the inner machinations of the maniacal characters of many of his narratives in one moment, then burrow into the delicate fragility of our collective hearts with insightful sensitivity in another has resulted in an impressively divergent body of musical and literary work. His vividly rendered explorations of various states of the human condition have continued to resonate with increasing numbers of fans over his 40+ year career.
Cave’s current creative surge has roots in his ascension out of profound sorrow following extended periods of grief following the deaths of 2 of his 4 sons (Arthur in 2015 and Jethro in 2022). Over time and a 3 album cycle exploring grief and redemption, his sharing of deeply personal aspects of these heart wrenching experiences ultimately lead to his reconnection with others, and with joy. The process of opening up has has become an increasingly satisfying and empowering journey in and of itself that he’s shared through his music, writings, and via his correspondences with fans via his Red Hand Files, leading to an intensely positive effect on his personal view of the world.
Cave’s current Wild God tour, supporting his latest album of the same name, is his first North American performance with The Bad Seeds in 7 years, and last Saturday at Theater of the Clouds in Portland, 3,000 lucky fans experienced nearly 3 hours of inspired collaboration.
Under the backdrop of spectacular lighting and an expanded 10 piece Bad Seeds band, including 4 backup singers, new layers of orchestral lushness unfolded, adding depth and passion to the slower dirges and ballads, and ramping up the barely contained chaos of Cave’s more raucous early songs.
Punctuated by somber ballads at the piano, Cave spent the majority of the nearly 3 hour show energetically prowling the narrow catwalk in front of the stage, grasping the hands of fans and holding them tightly, at times leaning so far into the adoring crowd that they were fully supporting him as he exhorted them with a repeated “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!!” call and response. Longtime Bad Seed Warren Ellis was also a prominent part of the action, alternately careening wildly about or rocking hypnotically in place playing guitar, violin, keyboard, or accordion before collapsing dramatically into a chair to count off the next tune.
The set was heavy on newer work, including lush renditions of Frogs, Jubilee Street, Bright Horses, Long Dark Night, Joy, Conversion, Cinnamon Horses, and Wild God, among others. Earlier work was also well represented, including From Her To Eternity, The Mercy Seat, Red Right Hand, Tupelo, Henry Lee, and The Weeping Song, slowly building to a meditative finale with Cave alone at the piano for Into My Arms, the audience carrying the last verse alone.
After years of antagonizing his audience in pursuit of artistic tension, Cave has embraced both his humanity and his cultural impact, becoming increasingly willing share himself with fans in a more personal way. He now sees connecting with his audience, and specifically touring, as almost a form of duty, viewing music as “a way to offer a transcendent experience” and to help “feel that the death of my children had some value” As such, there has perhaps never been a better time to experience Nick Cave live with The Bad Seeds; as an artist at his peak, stepping into the spotlight and embracing both his audience and his place as an icon of his generation.
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Apr 22, 2025
By TOM D’ANTONI // Molly Tentarelli is with Paul K Ward at his studio, I’m at my desk in NW Portland. Molly is as versatile an artist as it gets. Find out how and why. Listen to her sing at the end of our conversation.
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