Euros Childs, supporting those up-and-coming San Franciscans the Dodos, was his usual self. Which is to say, somewhat unusual and unapologetically his own man.

Playing live with just the accompaniment of a multi-instrumentalist, who covered the requirements of drums, bass and keyboards, sometimes playing two roles at once, Childs was freed to focus on his own keyboards, guitar and vocals.

As might be expected from this, the songs lacked something of the fleshing-out a full band has given Childs’ material on previous tours. This wasn’t evident on every song, but after a rollicking start, his move to slower material veered towards droopy, rather than reflective. Despite this, he’s a fine frontman, utterly consumed in the deceptively childlike world his music conjures.

Although looking something like an eternal student, he’s clearly no chancer and his fine voice and sometimes idiosyncratic delivery maintained interest, even in the slower parts. Quietly funny, he didn’t banter long between songs, but it was enough to keep waverers involved and gave some grounding to the strangeness the stripped down arrangements revealed.

Beyond a strong desire to see him in front of a proper band again, this was fine stuff.

photo: Rachel Lipsitz