Son Volt's Jay Farrar strikes gold onstage

SON VOLT, ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO, Red Butte Garden, Sunday

For Jay Farrar, it's black gold on that thar' stage.

While Son Volt is and always will be about Farrar, the current backing lineup has seemed to invigorate him in a way that nobody has done in more than a decade. Sunday night at the Red Butte Garden ampitheatre, when that partnership was put on full display, the results were nothing short of astounding.

From the opening chords of "Satellite" to the closing feedback of Neil Young's "Powderfinger," Son Volt tore through a 25-song set that gave very little chance for breathing. Nearly every song provided a highlight — musically or lyrically.

Although songs that jump out from the band's albums, such as "Methamphetamine," "Windfall," or "Jet Pilot," sounded as good or better live, Son Volt really shined when filling out less obvious songs. Among the best of those was "Highways and Cigarettes," which chronicles a journey through an America missed by interstate travelers, and the resigned protest of "Underground Dream."

Farrar owes much of his rejuvenation to his new band members, most of whom only joined in the past couple of years, seemed most apparent when tackling old Farrar songs. Those included solo tracks, early Son Volt recordings, or even a couple of Uncle Tupelo selections.

Some of those were practically unrecognizable but for the lyrics, including a searing twist on "Voodoo Candle" and the suddenly anthemic "Life Worth Living." Others walked with new life, whether because of the country-Western moan of "Tear-Stained Eye" or the Delta blues take on the originally otherworldly "Damn Shame."

If any criticism can be leveled, it would be at the crowd, many of whom seemed more intrigued than excited about songs from Son Volt's latest album, "The Search." The shame is that it is possibly the best Son Volt album and demonstrates an evolution that very few songwriters ever complete (a statement made with full realization that the band's 1995 debut "Trace" is almost a perfect album).

For any doubters, check the lyrics, as "The Search" contains the best line of 2007: "Who the hell is Dow Jones anyway?" on "Beacon Soul."

For the more sentimental, there is the heartbreak of "Adrenaline and Hearsay," when he sings that "She said I still love you/But I don't know if I want to spend/The rest of my time with you/The rest of my life with you."

Possibly the biggest challenge facing Farrar was of his own doing. With Alejandro Escovedo as his hand-picked opener (he also joined Son Volt for the finale during its second encore performance of "Powderfinger"), the bar became very high.

Escovedo and his collection of musicians, which included cello and violin, put on an hourlong set that moved from flat-out rock to delicate, almost orchestral, ballads. The highlight was a midset stretch that included "Sensitive Sons" and "Rosalie."

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E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com