There's a moment on Jay Bennett and Edward Burch's The Palace at 4 a.m. (Part 1), just before one of the best songs, when Bennett says, "I try not to talk before songs, but it never works." At least he's aware of it. To be fair, the arch tone of the duo's last show here could have been the last vestigial hangover from Bennett's departure from Wilco. There were parts of this concert when the music took over, with Bennett's cigarette-burnished voice and ash-scattered guitar pulling off feats of pop mayhem, and Edward Burch, with an improbably lush voice emerging from a Phil Silvers persona, rocking out like a driven man. Then there were the minutes -- sometimes blocks of minutes -- when Bennett's sardonic humor took over and the room became Bennettville, with the rest of the world, including Burch, smiling sheepishly and waiting for the music to begin again. Bennett and Burch make great music -- but Bennett is the kind of guy who talks before songs. He knows it, Burch knows it and as long as you know it in advance, this still could be a great show.
