The music industry has no one to blame but itself for the financial woes that it is currently experiencing. They try to fit everything into their neat and tidy genres and when something does not fit, it is left on the side to languish. Willy DeVille is one of those artists. He is the square peg in a world of round holes and I think he likes it that way. Judging by this DVD, he is living by his own rules and loving it. The pieces performed at this show are less songs and more lyrical snapshots of Willy's life. If it's in the song, then you can pretty much be sure that he lived it.

This concert was filmed in Amsterdam on the Crow Jane Alley tour. If this is your first foray into the world of Willy DeVille, then this DVD is an excellent starting point. Even though most of the cuts here are taken from the Crow Jane Alley CD, Willy and his band make sure that you get a well-rounded show. Not only do you get Willy DeVille solo material, you get plenty of Mink DeVille (his band - ed.) tunes as well. The visuals of this DVD may not be the best out there but it gives you the feeling of being at the show. The band puts in a performance where they play "for" the audience instead of "to" the audience. For bonus material you get interviews with the man himself and his band members. They are quite a bunch of characters and you get the feeling that they really love what they are doing. While the interviews are a nice glimpse into the world of Willy DeVille, you probably will want to spend most of your time on the main show.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2006 Volume 3 at lulu.com/strangesound.