Julian Plenti Covers Pixies and America in Chicago

Saturday night at Chicago's Metro, Julian Plenti, the alter ego of Interpol lead singer Paul Banks, introduced his first solo record, 'Julian Plenti Is...Skyscraper.' Since the record itself clocks in at 37 minutes, Plenti bolstered his 45-minute set with a couple of covers and extra goodies.

With a four-piece backing band that included a cellist, Plenti performed all 11 tracks from his album but interspersed them with songs originated by the Pixies and America.

Oddly enough, the Pixies were simultaneously doing a gig across town, something Plenti may or may not have been aware of. The cover wasn't specific just to Chicago -- apparently he's been playing the cover in other cities -- but it was still a rather timely coincidence.

A faithful rendition of 'Into the White' blasted through the speakers and captivated the audience. At the end of the song, Plenti politely thanked the crowd and mentioned it was a song by the Pixies before prefacing his next song 'Skyscraper' with, "This is a song by me." For the penultimate song of the evening, Plenti and band rocked out to America's infectious classic, 'Horse With No Name.' "That was America," Plenti announced to the crowd, who in turn held up their beers and rejoiced.

Before settling into covers, the band opened their set with a non-album instrumental number called 'Mythsizer' and proceeded to ricochet from the soulful 'Fun That We Had' to the the seductive 'Girl On The Sporting News' and the measured 'On The Esplanade.'

Whereas Paul Banks' stage presence is intense and brooding, as Julian Plenti, he appeared more subdued and laid back. His piercing stare occasionally entranced fans, but grimaces and smirks were constant, especially when someone yelled out that they liked his mustache.

Plenti temporarily got into the Christmas spirit, playing the first verse of 'Let it Snow' before segueing into a brand new song, 'Goodbye To Toronto.' During the encore, Plenti performed another instrumental song, 'H,' and ended the set on the reverb-heavy 'Games for Days,' which compelled the crowd to dance. Plenti took off his guitar, blew kisses to the crowd and assured, "We'll come back soon."

As for Interpol, Plenti doesn't see his solo project getting in the way of the main act, telling Spinner earlier this month that the band is indeed working on its fourth album. "We're doing it, we're working," Banks said. "I'm a very busy boy. I didn't put anything on hold to do this."