Who is this person on the phone? It sounds like Vic Chesnutt, but it can't be. • This guy is too . . . cheery. • The Chesnutt we came to know in the 1990s was quick to belittle himself, his music and especially his lone foray into acting. • "I sucked," he told the Village Voice last year, referring to his small role in Billy Bob Thornton's "Sling Blade." • But during a recent conversation with Caliente, he was unabashedly upbeat about his two new albums and his current tour, which will bring him to Tucson on Wednesday.
"The whole thing is really the best I've ever been, and the best music I've ever made," he said.
For anyone familiar with Chesnutt's usual demeanor, all this happy-go-lucky stuff is disarming.
Even he doesn't know what to think of it.
"It's weird because I never talk like that because I always think I suck," said the 45-year-old Georgia native who lives in Athens, Ga. "But for now it's like something special is happening at this particular moment. And that's thrilling. Absolutely thrilling."
People are also reading…
Chesnutt, who survived a 1983 car accident that left him paralyzed, has collaborated with the likes of Widespread Panic, Lambchop and Elf Power.
He's now writing, recording and touring like a man on fire. He released "At The Cut" on Sept. 27. Recorded in Montreal with Fugazi's Guy Picciotto and members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and A Silver Mt. Zion, the album has drawn rave reviews.
According to Pitchfork.com, the CD has a "sound that walks a line between country-folk, Southern soul and post-rock, which works because the music's uncertainty about its identity often mirrors Chesnutt's own doubt."
"Skitter On Take-off" was released less than a month later. It was produced by former Modern Lover Jonathan Richman and Richman's frequent drummer, Tucsonan Tommy Larkins.
"Skitter" is less personal than "At The Cut," despite a more stripped-down, intimate sound. One of the songs is called "Dick Cheney," about an "evil" man who happens to be "one of the most talented politicians in modern times," Chesnutt told Prefix Magazine.
The new Chesnutt avoids self-deprecation when talking about his latest studio efforts, and he actually bragged about his live shows.
"People should come to the show especially if they've heard my records and hate me," he said. "Most indie rockers, they hate me. They've heard my records and say, yeah, been there, done that, hate it. But this show will be better than any of my records."
What are you up to today?
"Getting ready to go back on tour. We're taking a one-week break. I'll play guitar for a couple of hours today. For some reason I've been playing Dylan songs this week, like the same eight Dylan love songs over and over."
What's your favorite?
"I'm not sure. I really like 'Positively 4th Street' a whole lot. 'Like a Rolling Stone.' I like the mean ones. But the Dylan songs I've been playing right now are love songs. Like "Sweetheart Like You" off "Infidels."
How's the tour going?
"I'm playing pretty great shows. I'm at the height of my banter game. Twenty years of touring and now I'm finally at the height of my banter game."
Do you have any favorite spots in Tucson? Any places you're looking forward to eating or drinking at? Well, probably not drinking at. You quit drinking, right?
"I don't drink the alcohol. No, I will not. One of the last times I ever drank was in Tucson. That's when I fell off the wagon."
How long ago was that?
"A few years ago. Got all drunk at the Congress. Where am I playing this time?"
Congress.
"Well, I'm looking forward to eating there, that's for sure. I love playing Tucson. My history goes way back because of Howe (Gelb) and Giant Sand."
You've said that Giant Sand is a band you'd like to record with. Why?
"They loom large in my career, Howe does, and in my musical pedigree. A lot of Howe Gelb's influence is going to be evident on stage when I play at Congress with this band. The distortion, which is a big part of my thing, my musical vocabulary, that was all inspired by Howe. I was a folkie until 1990, when I met Howe. I'd already been a fan of Giant Sand, but then when I actually saw him play, it changed my life."
Tucson favorite Jonathan Richman is another of your mentors. What have you learned from him?
"Jonathan has convinced me over the years that my music is worth something and that people should hear my songs. He's convinced me of that, and it's been the greatest gift I've ever gotten."
Who are some of the artists that you listen to?
"I kind of only listen to the same thing since I was in high school. I listen to Nina Simone, Leonard Cohen and Randy Newman all the time. Melanie. That's about all I ever listen to. Maybe some country mixed in there."
It's good to see a Randy Newman fan out there.
"I'm obsessed with him. I think he's one of the greatest things ever. He's hilarious and heavy and makes me shake my fist in the air like a radical. Sometimes I feel like a Black Panther or something, I'm so angry."
Do you think there are people who respond to your music like that?
"I sure hope so."
