Biography
For people who still have an old-fashioned record cabinet in their living room, CHRIS ISAAK's first three LPs ("Silvertone," 1985, "Chris Isaak," 1986, "Heart shaped world," 1989) are about as essential as milk and sugar in a bowl of mug porridge. The smart ones who then took Exit CD in the 1990s are only too happy to reach back to, say, "Forever blue" (1995) or "First comes the nighy" (2015). These are all records on which Isaak handles the legacy of, say, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison and the young Elvis with closets full of cloaks of love. In the '80s, the man managed to make crooning hip again for an audience that was growing up with black eyeliner or a green mohawk, and those who fell for his rockabilly guitar sound immediately looked for a hairdresser who knew how to deal with an old-fashioned quiff. Add to that the fact that Isaak's music usually sounds like the soundtrack to a perfect Valentine's Day, and his records - the latest dates from 2022 - exude the same romance as a bunch of red roses. As for eroticism, consider the clip from "Wicked game," directed by David Lynch, in which Isaak has a day of beach fun with top model Helena Christensen and you're off for a weekend of sultry daydreaming. With Lynch, by the way, Chris Isaak has a more than excellent working relationship but since the Lokerse Feesten is a music festival, not a film festival, this time we will stick to the many excellent songs of one of the most charismatic singers who will ever stand with us. A voice that feels like the first flannel sheet of autumn too. Chris Isaak and his eternal buddy - his Gibson guitar - play at our Wednesday, Aug. 7 dance. Know well that he rarely plays in this country anymore and if you still have any doubts: walk over to that impressive record and/or CD cabinet again. One or two songs will be enough to convince you. Until then.