POP MUSIC REVIEW : Isaak Extends His Reach at House of Blues

With Chris Isaak at the House of Blues on Monday, the house was really blue. In observation of the San Francisco singer’s new “Forever Blue” album--purportedly an exorcism of a busted love affair--the club’s exterior was bathed in blue floodlights.

And on stage, Isaak himself was clothed in cobalt from shoulders to toes. That ties in to his trademark song aesthetic--tortured tales of loss and regret that he sings as if he’s channeling Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. That’s all well and good, but for 10 years now those elements have left him mired in cult noveltydom.

Perhaps with that in mind, on Monday the chiseled musician and actor wasn’t content to rest on his reputation as the Heartbreak Heartthrob. He was also the Rajah of Randy Rock, with a passel of frisky numbers to complement his expected haunted howls. Notable on these was new guitarist Hershel Yatovitz, whose roadhouse and countrypolitan licks aren’t as distinctive as predecessor James Calvin Wilsey’s atmospheric twangs, but which provide more propulsion.

And to further liven things up, Isaak took his familiar role of the Yeoman of Yuks, with some at-times off-the-wall introductions and digressions. If this guy’s hurting, he hides it well.

Of course, it probably helped take his mind off his pain that he was constantly showered with squeals from smitten female fans, accenting the overall vibe of the night that after a decade as a perennial gonna-be, Isaak’s time for stardom has finally come.