Here lies the truth. It’s going to come at you hard and fast, so buckle up. It might even hurt just a little, but it’s my duty to deliver the message regardless of the consequences. This is it… Damn your idols and forget everything that’s happened in the past ten years because 1995 was right: Jarvis Cocker is the last great performer left in this world. He’s miles beyond whoever else you might think of as “the best” leader of a rock band… Thom Yorke? Cockeyed and mumbly. Wayne Coyne? Overrated. Dave Grohl? Looks like Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Let’s face it, Jarvis out-weirds Björk, he’s got more superstar aura than Jon Bon Jovi, he does the between song banter better than Billy Bragg, he sports nerdy-cool more properly than Elvis Costello, and he strikes poses so sharply even Madonna would be jealous. Actually, it’s larger than that. Jarvis Cocker is a better front person than Jesus.

Jarvis entered the teeny tiny room that is the Music Hall of Williamsburg in very typical fashion for one who wields so much power; but his normal guy-ness ended there as the band immediately launched into two brand new songs, likely from his soon-to-be-released follow up to 2006’s stellar Jarvis. The songs, “Complications” and “Caucasian Blues” were biting (both sonically and lyrically) and propelled by much more overt Jarvisness than the tracks from his first solo effort. Where those songs displayed a certain wistful nostalgia, the new songs were fresh and lively and full of his trademark observational wit. “Girls Like it Too” was a standout in this sense and “Angela”, supposedly a ’sequel’ to the song “Big Julie” (”Angela is Julie’s sister,” Jarvis told us), suggested that Jarvis might just be finding himself once again in a way not seen since the days of This is Hardcore or -gasp- Different Class. The concert had that kind of feeling. The ‘this is something truly special we’re all a part of here’ feeling. You might want to temper your hopes for a Pulp reunion tour for the time being, I have a sense this next solo record from Jarvis Cocker is going to be a classic.

Speaking of Pulp, it was nice to see a familiar face on stage with Jarvis once again. Steve Mackey, longtime bassist for Pulp, provided the low end groove and seemingly went largely unnoticed by the audience. An understandable oversight given how magnetic Jarvis Cocker is on stage. “The crowd gasps at Cocker’s masterful control” of the microphone, and the room, and all of creation, etc etc. All that and then some. He’s like a demi-god. Have I said that already?

As was expected, the concert was a chance for Jarvis and crew to flex some new songs in a comfortable setting. And the new songs were all top-notch. However, it was the blazing perfection of the two closing songs that brought the house down. “Black Magic” packs such a punch in person that’s impossible to convey in words. It’s simply massive and got a response from the audience not unlike what I might’ve expected had he played a Pulp classic. In fact, during the show last year I found myself wishing continually for one single Pulp song - even “My Lighthouse”… anything! - but this time around, thoughts of Pulp songs weren’t on my mind at all. At least, not until the second encore closer “Face It”. The song was a cover of a Master C & J old-school house track and provided a window directly into the influence that brought Pulp out of the doldrums of It and into their signature sound found on Separations and His ‘n’ Hers. Taken in the context of the performance, it was a gentle tip of the hat to an era that’s finally been put to rest. Jarvis Cocker as a solo artist is a force; and somehow, at 44 years old, he’s still getting better and better.

Better even than Pulp? Not so fast. But the two shows I’ve seen Jarvis perform in the past year have me realizing he’s aiming for that level of brilliance once again. The first concert at Webster Hall was nominated as one of EAR FARM’s top concerts of ‘07, the show on July 21st at the Music Hall of Williamsburg was even better. Much better.

Listen:
“Black Magic”
“Face It” (Master C & J cover, live from Pitchfork Fest 2008 - found HERE)

Setlist:
“Complications”
“Caucasian Blues”
“Tonite”
“Girls Like it Too”
“Big Julie”
“I Will Kill Again”
“Angela”
“Told You Twice”
“Big Stuff”
“Black Magic”
–ENCORE 1–
“Fat Children”
“Just a Fucking Song”
“Cunts are Still Running the World”
–ENCORE 2–
“Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time”
“Face It” (Master C & J cover)

Visit Jarvis Cocker on MySpace.