There are some voices that have emerged from the various corridors of the labyrinthian underground rock scene that just… do it for you, you know? Be it Jonathan Richman’s sultry matter-of-factness, or the soothing lo-fi tones behind Guided by Voices’ Robert Pollard, or the plush contemplative velvet of Bill Callahan, the revered solo artist and pen/voice behind Smog. This year finds the 52-year-old everyman of lo-fi folk backing Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest — his first record in six years. Callahan’s return serves as a sparse and emotionally direct road trip through mortality, fate, and motel rooms not unlike the feelings conjured by Leonard Cohen on his final record, 2016’s You Want It Darker. Chicago-based singer-songwriter and fellow Drag City artist Bill MacKay is also on the bill.
Bill Callahan wsg Bill MacKay will perform at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 8, at MOCAD; 4454 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-6622; mocadetroit.org. Tickets are $25.
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