ISAAK: THE ECHOES OF A ROCK ORIGINAL

The Palace finally found an attraction perfectly suited to its cavernous sound: Chris Isaak & Silvertone, a band already employing enough echo, vibrato, tremolo and whatever-o to reverberate from here to Stockton.

Though in many ways his neo-rockabilly style seems highly affected--among the Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Ricky Nelson influences, he has enough roots to plant a forest--it’s also highly emotional, and the dark, moody, spooky spin he puts on the music makes him a compelling original. Isaak’s lonesome tunes drew a fair crowd of lonesome folk Friday, despite the lack (so far) of a follow-up album to last year’s astonishing debut. The show was less gloomy than that first LP--upbeat rave-ups abounded (both oldies and new originals), and the deadpan song intros mark Isaak as one of the funniest stand-up comics to sport a pompadour in the ‘80s.