Robbie Fulks at the Hideout
There’s no shortage of weekly engagements around town, but for most musicians it’s a job. Robbie Fulks certainly gets paid for his Monday nights sets at the Hideout, but he invests them with a kind of energy and creativity most musicians can’t even summon for their most unique or important gigs. Each week Fulks places himself in a different instrumental setting—sometimes with his band and sometimes with guests, like singer Nora O’Connor, jazz violinist Jenny Scheinman, Celtic fiddler Kathleen Keane, or the Hoyle Brothers—and tackles a different theme or repertoire (bluegrass, classic honky-tonk, jazz, the music of Gram Parsons or Liz Phair). Fulks is a master musician and first-rate entertainer, so even though you’ll never know what to expect, you can be sure it’ll be well played and super fun. —Peter Margasak