Colin Hay performs at Thalia Hall in Chicago on March 26, 2022.
Over the years, Thalia Hall has hosted incredible songwriters, hilarious comedians and spoken-word icons. On Saturday, March 26, Colin Hay stepped into the spotlight and embodied all three as he shared stories, songs and a touch of silliness during a sold-out show in Chicago. While his crowd-work riffs with late-arrivals and cellphone addicts landed laughs, it was the music that truly connected with the audience.
The Men at Work co-founder danced onto the stage and quickly shared his intention to distract fans from the “malevolent world” for a few hours. The opening number of “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself” – a stripped down Dusty Springfield cover that kicks off Hay’s 2021 album of the same name – was instantly relatable in the context of the past two years and “Beautiful World” provided a welcome dose of optimism capturing the joy that comes from appreciating the simple things in life.
Tales of hanging out with Ringo – Hay has previously been a member of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band – touring in his native Scotland, and first moving to Australia as a teenager engaged the crowd, but it was an anecdote about spending time with his aging father that combined the perfect amount of heart and humor. The set-up detailed a stint in the hospital for Hay’s mother that coincided with a dental appointment for his father. Hay explained how he vowed to get him to the office on time.
“On Saturday night he [Hay’s father] started talking about, ‘What time do you think we should leave to go to the dentist on Monday?,’” Hay said with a smile of frustration later adding, “It was lovely nonetheless, even though it was a bit stressful.”
“Starfish and Unicorns,” from Hay’s 2022 album, Now and the Evermore, followed with a full guitar sound that complimented the poignant lyrics of loss.
Colin Hay performs at Thalia Hall in Chicago on March 26, 2022.
Throughout the night, Hay shared hits from his whole career including a powerful rendition of the Men at Work classic “Who Can It Be Now?” which Hay hilariously related to the Forensic Files theme by pointing out that the song’s famous saxophone riff sounds a bit more ominous when played slowly on the guitar. While fans loved hearing tune’s from Hay’s forty-plus year career – including a wistful performance of “Maggie” that coaxed tears to the eye – it was the material from 2020 onward that best met the moment.
Hay’s intricate guitar work dazzled on the murder ballad “Agatha Bell” and the spirit of Elvis filled the room during “A Man Without a Name.” The meditative, melodious “Waterloo Sunset” felt modern and fresh with Hay’s bare bones singer-songwriter presentation of The Kinks’ classic.
Now and the Evermore‘s title track – which features Starr on the studio recording – captured the desire to live in the moment as life is fleeting. With everything going on in the news, Hay’s message of mindfulness and appreciation demonstrated what it means to seize the day, every day as he sung, “All things are never equal / An’ I don’t know who is keeping score / Nobody gets a sequel, no / Everyone gets shown the door / I’ll be counting on the rising sun / To give me all my waking days / Until it sets upon the now and the evermore.”
Check out photos from Hay’s sold-out show at Thalia Hall below. More information about Colin Hay can be found at Colinhay.com.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)
