Rock musician Beck was just a few minutes into performing for a sold-out crowd at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving when fans could tell he was feeling the Lone Star love. After opening his set with the 1996 classic, "Devils Haircut," Beck turned to the audience with a wide smile.
"Dallas!" he said, his black-and-white polka dot button-down eliciting a Buddy Guy vibe. "It's been way too long. We're going to make up for lost time tonight."
That was just the beginning of the Texas shoutouts during Beck's nearly two-hour concert, his first locally since Edgefest 2014 in Frisco. An energetic rendition of the 1994 earworm "Loser" — which included plenty of backup vocals from the crowd — prompted the singer to harken back to the days of playing the beloved (and now-defunct) Dallas venue Bronco Bowl.
"Let's do something down and dirty, Texas-style," Beck beamed before launching into a gritty little number called "Go It Alone." Shortly thereafter, the vibe cooled off when Beck grabbed an acoustic guitar and spontaneously started picking the chorus of "Waitin' for a Train," a 1920s country tune he's performed with Willie Nelson.
But perhaps the best Texas-inspired moment came when Beck decided to freestyle a one-minute love letter to Dallas, dedicated to the "plain old rock and roll at the Bronco Bowl."
.@beck laid the love on Dallas thick last night! I think he misses the Bronco Bowl as much as the locals do. pic.twitter.com/OEiTfiONgt
— Tiney Ricciardi (@tineywristwatch) March 24, 2018
In a time when some concerts can feel cookie-cutter, Beck made a refreshing effort to connect with locals. But those shoutouts were hardly the only highlights of the event. Beck pleased fans of every era with a setlist that weaved through the archive of his early career, touched on his stellar new album Colors, and even showcased a few gems he rarely does live.
Backed by a seven-piece band and kaleidoscope of trippy visuals, the musicians hit the 1990s with "The New Pollution" and "Mixed Bizness," the early 2000s with "E-Pro" and "Qué Onda Guero," and 2017 with latest singles "Wow" and "Up All Night." The lesser performed tracks came primarily from Morning Phase, 2014's beautifully mellow, Grammy-winning album.
It was a hardcore Beck fan's dream concert, to say the least. Indie-pop trio Twin Shadow opened the show, and while the performance was good, it was a distant memory by the time the headliner was through with Irving.
At one point, Beck told the crowd that its excitement made him want to come back to D-FW more often. Here's hoping that he does.
See more pictures of Beck's concert below:
