Photos by Andy Argyrakis

One of the most important figures in the British folk revival of the 1960s and ‘70s was unquestionably the Scottish-born Al Stewart, who besides crafting some of the era’s finest sonic expressions, incorporated countless characters plucked straight out of the history books within his sophisticated lyrical framework.

Though the troubadour doesn’t record as often anymore, the 77-year-old is always active on the road, often backed by Chicago’s own The Empty Pockets, who previously did the same for “Dream Weaver” Gary Wright and are also chart-topping indie rockers in their own regard.

Together, the notables sold out the upscale City Winery to standing room only status, starting with a set from the locals and moving towards a 90-minute overview of the headliner, who counts Alan Parsons, Jimmy Page, Phil Collins and Tori Amos amongst his many collaborators.

“Carol” got the ball rolling, followed by “Antarctica,” through instead being geographical in nature, as implied by the title, was actually inspired by a woman who Stewart considered to be ice cold.

It was one of many witty and clever allegories of the evening, plus others permeated the “The Palace Of Versailles,” along with obscurities such as “(A Child’s View Of) The Eisenhower Years” and “Joe The Georgian.”

The latter was Stewart’s attempt at a dance track, albeit one born out of the Russian tradition rather than steering towards the radio-minded likes of perhaps the Pet Shop Boys, who he joked ever so accurately seemed to make a career out of mirroring his voice.

However, the more accessible “Time Passages” had no trouble penetrating the airwaves or this audience, thanks in part to a blazing saxophone solo, while the guitar-charged “On The Border” was cheekily introduced as possibly the only Top 40 tune to ever chronicle both the Basque Separatist movement and the Rhodesian crisis.

The self-admitted history buff also told the personal tale of running a club and being amongst the first to give Cat Stevens a shot at the professional stage, while he was also once mistaken for the future superstar, which made for a comical set-up to the obligatory but nonetheless extraordinary “Year Of The Cat.”

All the while, The Empty Pockets echoed Stewart’s acoustic foundation with extended jams of their own, making for a wildly wonderful match through the very end of an encore, Bob Dylan’s era-matching “Love Minus Zero/No Limit,” adding hometown flavor to a cherished import of prolific proportions.

For additional information on the Al Stewart and The Empty Pockets, visit AlStewart.com and TheEmptyPockets.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at City Winery include Tweet (May 25); Peter Collins (May 26); J. Howell (May 28); Valerie June (May 29); Pascuala Ilabaca & Fauna (May 30); K’Jon (May 31); Jimmy Webb (Jun. 1); Willie Nile (Jun. 2); Bubbles & Beauties Drag Brunch (Jun. 4); Lyfe Jennings (Jun. 4-5); Melody Angel (Jun. 6); Billy Prine & The Prime Time Band (Jun. 7); Vinyasa & Vino (Jun. 8); Michael McDermott (Jun. 8); The Samples (Jun. 9); Idan Raichel (Jun. 11); Maggie Speaks (Jun. 12); Damon Williams (June 14); Davina And The Vagabonds (Jun. 15); Bruch & Beats (Jun. 17); Soul Brunch (Jun. 18); Aniba & The Sol Starz (Jun. 19); Danny Boy (Jun. 20); Journeyman (Jun. 23); Beatles Brunch (Jun. 25); Megan McNeal (Jun. 25); Surabhi Ensemble (Jun. 26); The Bowie Project (Jun. 27); Andrew Duhon (Jun. 28) and Syleena Johnson (Jun. 29-30). For additional details, visit CityWinery.com/Chicago.

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