Beck Hanson has worn many hats during his eight years in the spotlight, but for his acoustic mini-tour, he has once again reverted to the blues-folk troubador that is responsible for his critically acclaimed “Mutations” album. Beck, touring to promote his forthcoming album “Sea Changes,” an album very much in the blusey “Mutations” vein, has been playing intimate, stripped down shows, giving him the opportunity to devote entire concerts to the more introspective, delicate music in his repertoire. The tour is “something I’ve wanted to do for about eight years” he said. Performing at Harvard’s Sanders Theater--a classy, church-like hall that has been host to classical concerts and economics lectures--Beck daringly straddled the line between reverential musician and free-wheeling showman, and it is to his credit that in neither role did he
seemed forced.

Wearing a dark sports jacket, loose tie, dark slacks and red shoes, Beck came out to sit in the solitary spotlight, grabbed an acoustic guitar, perched himself on a stool (“They told me I needed this at ‘Unplugged’ School” he joked, making a reference to the MTV series), and started off the evening by singing “Cold Brains” from the “Mutations” CD. The acoustics of the theater were excellent, giving Beck’s vocals a haunting quality which served the material well. After he finished, he disappeared into the darkness, only to reappear with a toy guitar/beat box, which drew laughter and cheers. Beck was to maintain this balance of reverence and humor throughout the evening, interspersing songs like Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and the beautiful new songs “Already Dead” and “Guess I’m Doing Fine,” with the donning of a professorial robe and making droll comments about the haughty, educational nature of the venue. Beck charmed the crowd, keeping the tone very informal, at one point beginning the “Where It’s At” piano riff on a wurlitzer, but quickly veering off into a humorous, stream-of-conscious vamp about Boston, the thirst quenching power of Gatorade, and the benefits of working out. He became contemplative, however, when it came to playing songs like “Nobody’s Fault But
My Own,” which featured a harmonium, or the delicate “Lazy Flies,” which featured intricate interplay between Beck and second guitarist Smokey Hormel.

“I have a little confession to make--I didn’t get to eat dinner tonight,” Beck said, and with that, he sat down at the piano to a plate of food, making amusing quips while Hormel played bossa nova dinner music to pass the time. Coming from another artist, this may have seemed pretentious, but coming from Beck, who is expected to be different, it was just part of the show, and the conclusion of his dinner earned him another round of applause. For the homestretch, he pulled out songs like “Bottle of Blues,” “We Live Again,” “Dead Melodies,” and several new tunes, all mellow folk blues songs which were quite enjoyable. In a moment of seriousness, Beck thanked his audience for indulging him his love of his moodier music, and with an extended encore of “Tropicalia,” the show was over. For Beck, this tour was one of the first times he’s been able to perform in such a relaxed, honest atmosphere, and one hopes that it will not take another eight years to recreate the moment.

-Neal Alpert