Legendary rocker Paul Weller played to a packed house at the Observatory North Park on October 6.

The venue was perfect for Weller: it was a space big enough to hold his many fans, and it had an interior to match Weller’s exceptional style.

After all, Weller is known as The Modfather, and being smartly dressed is essential for the mods. All of Weller’s band members were decked out in a tailored suits, dark slacks, and leather shoes. Weller, who has been a style icon for decades, takes his fashion seriously.

Weller’s voice is still as sexy, confident, and soulful as it was 38 years ago when he started with The Jam — perhaps even more so now. His earlier material with both The Jam and The Style Council has more pop elements than his rock-centered later material.

There were plenty of effects added to Weller’s voice, so his songs sounded more like studio versions rather than live performances. However, Weller is fantastic at molding his voice and improvising, and he made each song a completely new experience.

The crowd loved every moment, every guitar riff, every musical surprise that the band threw out. There were many great moments between the musicians onstage, although there was an absence of friendly banter with the crowd.

Weller’s band played many favorites spanning the Modfather’s entire career, but the biggest highlights were a 10-minute rendition of “Porcelain Gods,” and show closer “A Town Called Malice.” It was also great to hear “Start!” As a matter of fact, every song was truly a treat.

Dublin’s The Villagers opened.

Photos: Paul Weller at The Observatory North Park

The Villagers