Beck’s Acoustic Outing Is Quirky, Rewarding

Shortly into his special “Beck Acoustic With Friends” concert at the El Rey Theatre on Wednesday, the singer acknowledged to the audience that the energy level was a little lower than that of his usual rock show.

Not that he was going to do much about it.

He and his musicians had a bluegrass rag they pulled out to jump-start things now and again, but the show--a platform for the eclectic performer’s folk and country side--had meandering, demanding stretches that he’d never allow in his fast-paced, eager-to-please regular concert.

In that sense, the 90-minute-plus set recalled his early days as a guerrilla troubadour, when people couldn’t figure out how Woody Guthrie and Mississippi John Hurt could go together with screeching sonic experimentation and living-room hip-hop.

Beck’s achievement in reconciling those, along with many other, elements is what has made him pop music’s most fascinating figure of the past few years. His “Odelay” was resoundingly declared the best album of 1996, and the high spirits and good nature of his concerts have taken the edge off his past image as enigmatic provocateur.

That stature and goodwill gave him some license at Wednesday’s show, and the crowd didn’t seem put off by the sometimes flagging pace, some unfamiliar material and the absence of rock dynamics. Taking advantage of the format, Beck dug up some rarely played items, including tunes from his folk-rooted indie album “One Foot in the Grave” and an unreleased Springsteen-Mellencamp sendup, “Heartland Feeling.”

Not that it was a funereal evening. Beck was backed by a country-flavored band that included pedal steel player Jay Dee Maness, fiddler Gabe Witcher and Little Feat keyboardist Billy Payne. They often picked up a good head of steam, as well as creating an inviting, “Basement Tapes”-like atmosphere.

Beck’s quirky humor helped. They opened the show with a down-home version of “Light My Fire,” and some of his surreal narratives and droll patter brightened the show.

When he isolates this folk-country side of his music, Beck is an engaging oddity--less a commanding creative force than a kid-next-door with a deep, drowsy voice and a clear, strong connection to the living roots. It was invigorating to watch him test the capacity of traditional music to accommodate idiosyncrasy.

When things needed a final push, Beck turned to some proven staples: the Sonny Terry-style harmonica stomp and preacher-man rant of “One Foot in the Grave,” and a closing triptych of “Odelay” songs that were as charming and magical in these dusty duds as they are all dressed up on the record.