Chris Isaak is a crooner, a dancer, a comedian, and an all-around good guy. In short, he’s a crowd pleaser.
Throughout his show at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, the consummate performer played a setlist full of his own hits like “Somebody’s Crying” and “Wicked Game,” as well as popular covers like “Pretty Woman” and “Ring of Fire.”
But that wasn’t all: Isaak auctioned off a guitar (along with a massage and a serenade) for $23,000 to benefit a friend who’s battling cancer; he also went out into the crowd to take photos with fans and did a choreographed dance with bass player Rowland Salley and guitarist Hershal Yatovitz.
If the music thing hadn’t worked out, Isaak could’ve easily made it as a comedian. At one point, he did a Thurston Howell III impression to mock attendees watching the show from their yachts. At another, he poked fun at his own shiny getup: “Don’t let the sequins fool you into thinking you’re watching a professional entertainer. Basically, somewhere there is a figure skater naked right now.”
More than one figure skater was missing an outfit: for the encore, Isaak came out wearing a suit made up of hundreds of mirror squares that looked like a giant disco ball. Isaac played crowd favorites like “Big Wide Wonderful World,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and “Ring of Fire,” the latter two featuring kitschy smoke and flames rising from the piano. Isaak closed the show with “Fools Rush In.”
Audience members might’ve taken issue with his last song, though. There’s nothing foolish about rushing into a Chris Isaak show — only rushing out.
Photos: Chris Isaak at Humphreys