At Dobbs, Jeff Buckley fulfills expectations

 The Philadelphia Inquirer: December 15, 1994

Review: Music
By Sam Wood FOR THE INQUIRER

  Not since Nirvana and Pearl Jam played their first Philadelphia gigs has the local buzz for a rock act been as strong as it was for Jeff Buckley, who made his area debut at J.C. Dobbs on Tuesday.

  He's a rare alternative-rocker with an appreciation for pop history-both distant and recent. During his riveting, hour-long set at Dobbs (the same venue that brought Nirvana to town), the sound of the classics collided with the contemporary as echoes of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin merged with those of the Smiths and the Cocteau Twins.

  Rather than sink into the quagmire of doubt, cynicism and nihilism that has come to define "modern rock" lyrics, Buckley reaches heavenward in search of a mystical union with the divine through rock and roll. The themes of grace, love, faith and redemption run through his debut Grace (Columbia), and all were apparent during his show.

  Backed by an exceptionally complimentary band, Buckley built his songs slowly and with care, beginning each with a subterranean whisper, raising his tenor to a gruff, earthy shout, then taking it into the realm of otherworldly falsetto. He conjured up Robert Plant in the throes of ecstasy-stretching out quavering syllables and repeating phrases as if they were his mantra.

  His treatment of Morgana King's "Lilac Wine" made the blues ballad sound as if it had been retrieved from a velvety dream. And "Have You Seen My Face," co-written by Fishbone's Chris Dowd, and Buckley's own "Eternal Life" erupted into passionate epics that rival the best work of Pearl Jam.

  Buckley is one intense guy. But with side-splitting impersonations of GWAR and Rush's Geddy Lee, he showed that he has a sense of humor to go with his thematic gravity.