Chris Isaak: Live in Concert

The musical love child of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, rockabilly/country artist Chris Isaak serves up a short but reasonably sweet hour-shy 11-song 2003 concert in this entry from the PBS Soundstage series. Backed by a solid band, singer-songwriter-guitarist Isaak comes out playing the upbeat “American Boy” off his 2002 CD Always Got Tonight (the often funny Isaak later introduces “Courthouse”—from the same CD—as “probably the only song we're doing tonight about a hanging”). Most everyone will recognize Isaak's breakthrough hit “Wicked Game” (featured in David Lynch's Wild at Heart), and fans are sure to enjoy favorites such as “Heart Shaped World,” “Somebody's Crying,” “Forever Blue,” and the boot-scootin' “Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing.” Isaak nicely wraps the show with the audience-pleasing, guitar-trio led, rockabilly instrumental “Super Magic 2000." Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 or stereo, DVD extras include four bonus songs from other Soundstage productions (with tracks by Raul Malo, Lyle Lovett, and Randy Newman). Spotlighting one of the truly fine heirs to the Orbison crooning tradition, this surefooted outing is fun to watch, fun to listen to, and sure to be popular with Isaak's fans. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)