In the search for light – review of Devin Townsend’s concert in Warsaw, Poland

Last year, after releasing „The Moth”, Devin Townsend informed that he’s planning indefinite hiatus from the touring, justified i.a. by his “need of reset”. Canadian musician who defies conventions, mainly associated among wider audience with prog-metal genre, to the delight of European fans didn’t took too long for them to wait, announcing this year tour across the continent. The series of concerts labeled “Metamorphosis Tour” happened to be a part of Townsend’s previously announced need of change. Solo acoustic tour included over 26 performances with stop in Warsaw, Poland, which literally was its’ halfway point.

DEVIN TOWNSEND – „LEXIN” from “THE MOTH”:

The titular “metamorphosis” (with the note: “From Punky Brüster to The Moth”, hence, since first original record from the early 90’s until the recent, made with orchestra, spectacular rock-opera released last year) can be interpreted in two ways: concert which lasted for over 2 hours was divided into two parts, with short break in-between, and constituted a journey through an extensive Townsend’s discography. During the show the musician shares reflection on his own evolution across over three decades – both as a music creator and as a human being per se. On the other hand, the tour and its’ formula somehow aims to help Devin recapture the meaning, inspire to “reinvent himself” or – as he said just seconds before starting the show – “find the light”.

DEVIN TOWNSEND – „LIGHTWORKER” from “LIGHTWORK”:

Just after entering the stage of Warsaw’s Stodoła club, welcomed by the applause, musician shared the heart-breaking information that this same day he lost his dog Oliver. But even with such emotional toll, couple minutes later, after introduction, he started his performance, and with his unconventional approach to compositions it was guaranteed that the solo acoustic show within this tour won’t be like anything before, even though he used to already play in such format (for instance, in the same place seven years earlier). Known for his witty, almost stand-up-like style, Canadian was able to speak with verve and self-irony about his own struggles and dilemmas, sharing anecdotes related to the music industry and his own life. All of this embellished with acoustic variations of the songs from his extensive catalog. And so, there was no shortage of the back to the beginnings from the times when he was leading the industrial-metal band “Strapping Young Lad” (Love?, AAA, Aftermath), his first solo records (Deadhead, Storm, and the show-opening Funeral, which is one of the first songs Devin wrote when he was a teenager as a tribute to his tragically deceased friend), all the way to more contemporary pieces from his “Devin Townsend Project” era, such as: Kingdom, Hyperdrive, Coast, as well as the compositions from his most-recent albums (Why?, Lightworker).

DEVIN TOWNSEND – „FUNERAL” live for CBC MUSIC:

Part of those songs were played in full, some served as inserts – interludes complementing the stories being told. Such format might have been confusing for some attendees – during the break, one could hear the comments of slightly bewildered participants who seemed to expect a continuous set of songs with only brief introductions, but such reception was in a small minority. Meanwhile, that evening Devin shared longer stories from his career, with great reception from the gathered listeners. Despite the austere, even ascetic, formula, the proportions have been kept – music made up the majority of two-hours long concert. A near-chronological retrospective served as a starting point for an autobiographical narrative, in which the musician shared the insights regarding the creative process behind specific songs, his feelings about touring, and – more broadly – the relentless pressure from the music industry’ establishment and the challenge of navigating the system’s rigid rules, to which Townsend had never seemed to belong and feel fully authentic. Many of these stories allowed the audience to better grasp the meaning of the songs, what „the artist had in mind” – regarding both the lyrics and the music layers. His sincerity and remarkable way of being open with the crowd brought this evening the hallmarks of therapy session shared among more than 800 people gathered at Warsaw’s Stodoła club at the time.

That night, Devin Townsend himself – though at times making impression of being slightly overwhelmed – was in excellent form: his powerful vocals, accompanied only by guitar and – selectively (during two songs) – a backing track, offered the listeners a superb acoustic experience, proving just how incredibly talented and sensitive musician he is. Townsend seemed to also be pleased by the moments spent with the Polish audience, chatting with fans, signing albums and posing for photos long after the performance had ended.

DEVIN TOWNSEND – „JAINISM”:

“Music documents my life”*

The whole journey through songs spanning albums like i.a.: “S.Y.L”, “Accelerated Evolution”, “Physicist”, “Terria”, “Ki” and “Empath” – culminating in a full-circle return to Townsend’s beginnings with “Ocean Machine” (starting with aforementioned Funeral and closing the evening with Life) – left among many attendees reignited curiosity about what the Canadian artist might have next upon his sleeve in the upcoming future. Whether performing solo or backed by a band and his signature “wall of sound” (from which, nomen omen, some might literally bounce back as a listeners, feeling such music not so easy to digest), this exceptional performance offered yet another reason why it is almost impossible to remain indifferent to Townsend’s work or persona.

The artist himself seems to consciously avoid becoming categorized into a specific musical genre, drawing instead from a variety of styles. From the very beginning of his career – a point he also emphasized during his show in Poland – he perceived music as a way to recount what surrounds him, and channel his thoughts and feelings through sound. We can only hope and wish Devin that the current tour in fact will enable him to rediscover the spark inspiring him to write the next chapters of his musical journey.

*The quote is from the podcast in which Devin Townsend talks about his synesthesia:

„The Moth – The War [Live]” will premiere on CD & Blu-Ray on November 6^th. Pre-order is available via Omerch.