Robyn Hitchcock at The Basement East, 4/23/2026
An evening with Robyn Hitchcock is never just a concert — especially in his adopted hometown. The London-born Nashvillian likes to take his audience on a winding, unpredictable journey through decades of eccentric songwriting, absurdist themes, existential surrealism and face-melting psychedelic folk. As part of a recent slate of shows in support of his forthcoming album The Confuser, out July 24, the onetime Soft Boys frontman traveled just down the road from his home to present a nearly two-hour performance at The Basement East on Thursday, joined by his just-as-unique special guests Emma Swift and Eric Slick.
Emma Swift at The Basement East, 4/23/2026
Swift, a gifted songsmith from Australia who’s also Hitchcock’s wife, graced the stage first, stepping in at the last minute for local musical multitasker Jeremy Fetzer. Swift started with “Nothing and Forever,” the opening song from her September album The Resurrection Game, and made her way through selections from the record. As she sang solo into the mic, accompanied only by Rick Lollar’s reverb-drenched electric guitar, Swift displayed her signature modernized folk sound, subtly infused with strokes of indie rock and Americana. The Dylan aficionado finished off with a refreshingly smooth, lilty version of the classic “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” and a mighty, aching rendition of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” as made popular by Sinéad O’Connor.
Eric Slick at The Basement East, 4/23/2026
Multi-instrumentalist and songsmith Slick performed next, putting his timeless indie-rock formula on display like it was no sweat. The Nashvillian by way of Philadelphia has had his hands in a few different projects in recent years, including his longtime drumming gig with Dr. Dog and drumming on The Confuser. But he’s also doubled down on his solo music. Thursday, he rocked out on guitar while performing a slate of songs from his most recent LPs, including “Over It” and "Children” from 2020’s Wiseacre. He also performed a few new tunes and a cover of XTC’s “No Thugs in Our House,” during which he nailed Andy Partridge’s roaring growls. Slick wrapped his set with an ode to his hometown, “Philadelphia Lights” from 2024’s New Age Rage. The song ended with a call and response that drew in the whole crowd — and Slick getting tangled up in his microphone cable.
“In my mind I thought I was going to be like Prince and be so cool,” Slick joked. “But the reality is, I’m a klutz. My last name may be Slick, but it’s not true.”
Robyn Hitchcock at The Basement East, 4/23/2026
As he approached the stage, Hitchcock appeared prepared to pull out all the stops. Throughout the night, he swerved between classics and deep cuts from every corner of his expansive discography — from solo projects to Soft Boys favorites to cult classics from the records he made with his later band The Egyptians. But first, he softly serenaded the crowd with a solo acoustic rendition of the titular song from 1984’s I Often Dream of Trains. Then he introduced his band, composed of bassist Todd Bolden and a couple familiar faces: Slick served as timekeeper, and Lollar returned on guitar. With little fanfare they kicked off the lengthy set, starting with “Kingdom of Love.” Hitchcock and company wove a tapestry of his greatest musical achievements, stitched together by his classic psych-folk sound and nasally Bob Dylan-esque vocals sprinkled with a hint of reformed post-punk decadence, which might put one in mind of The Church’s Steve Kilbey.
About halfway through the set, Hitchcock reintroduced Swift, who joined him in a duet for a few songs. First came “Flesh Number One (Beatle Dennis)” — a song from 1988’s Globe of Frogs, whose recent reissue was also newly remixed — featuring a perfectly blended excerpt of Roxy Music’s “More Than This,” then “Oceanside” and “Queen of Eyes.” When Swift departed, Hitchcock shifted gears into the profoundly psychedelic “Autumn Sunglasses” and teamed up with Lollar for a dual guitar break during the chorus of “Insanely Jealous.” Next, Hitchcock hit heavy with The Soft Boys’ “I Wanna Destroy You,” which he unapologetically directed at one person in particular.
“This is a horrible sound, for a horrible song, for a horrible person,” Hitchcock explained. “This song goes out, unquestionably, to Donald J. Trump.”
At The Basement East, 4/23/2026
After a few more originals from solo albums, Hitchcock turned to a suite of classic covers, which he explained had a common theme: Each was originally performed by a British person who is now dead. He swept through “Soul Love” by David Bowie, Pink Floyd’s “Watch Emily Play” and one last duet with Swift on The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence.”
Then came an electric-guitar-heavy version of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” indebted to Jimi Hendrix’s rendition, which he argued still fits into his “dead and British” theme. “We’ve got one more to do by another dead person, but he was actually from over here,” Hitchcock joked, referring to Hendrix. “But he did get going in Britain and he died over there. So, you know, we can kind of claim him.”
After the song, Hitchcock’s band left the stage. But before leaving for good himself, Hitchcock unplugged his Telecaster — whose lime-green polka dots perfectly matched his button-up shirt — and descended the stage steps, joining the audience for one more song: an unamplified, mic-less rendition of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life.” He encouraged the crowd to join in, and they did, nearly overpowering Hitchcock’s own vocals. A fitting end to the night ensued: We all joined in finishing the song with a collective “gong” sound, replicating the song’s final massive E major chord.
