The Silver Jews’ David Berman.

There are two types of indie rockers: musicians who try to become poets, and poets who try to become musicians. While many Northwestern students traveled to the Riviera on Friday to see a band that falls into the former category, the latter was on display the same night at the Metro. The Silver Jews have been making country-tinged lo-fi rock for nearly 20 years, with lead singer and songwriter David Berman’s wry and sometimes abstruse lyrics being the one constant. Berman has avoided playing live for much of the band’s career, touring about as often as cicadas visit Chicago, so despite their long history, Friday was only the Silver Jews’ one hundredth show.

Considering his relative lack of touring experience, Berman carried himself comfortably on stage, taking lead of the six-piece band as they opened with the subdued country ballad “I’m Getting Back into Getting Back into You” off 2005’s Tanglewood Numbers. The band jumped from album to album, playing the rollicking “San Francisco B.C.” from this year’s Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea and then some more from Tanglewood. Berman’s baritone sing-talking might not be for everyone, but it’s the Silver Jews’ greatest strength, bringing gravity that somehow makes his already-humorous lyrics more funny. Throughout the show he straddled the line between serious performer and ham; he stood resolute as he delivered witty couplets on “Trains Across the Sea,” but later twirled and writhed around the stage, refusing to stay still.

Berman jokes between songs.

This being their hundredth show, some special appearances were in order. After a few songs, Berman’s long-time friend and collaborator Bob Nastanovich (who served as drummer for Pavement for much of the ‘90s) came on stage to much applause, and helped the band tear through a visceral performance of “New Orleans” off 1994’s Starlite Walker, the group’s first album. Nastanovich waxed reminiscent about the Jews’ early days, scraping by in New York City and leaving unsolicited recordings on Sonic Youth’s answering machine, before expressing pride in the fact that the Silver Jews had reached the point of headlining the Metro — a sentiment that felt especially genuine in light of Berman’s history of substance abuse, depression and attempted suicide.

Berman and his wife, Cassie, who serves as the backup singer and bassist, closed the set with “Tennessee,” serenading each other with the lines, “Marry me, leave Kentucky and come to Tennessee.” The band came back on stage for a two-song encore, closing with the blistering “Punks in the Beerlight” before thanking the crowd and leaving. Silver Jews fans could not have asked for much more: the rare chance to see Berman and crew play a broad sampling of faithfully rendered songs. And for all the talk of being a reclusive artist, Berman proved quite affable, cracking jokes, telling stories and generally including the audience in the show. “Have you heard the news? Adam and Eve were Jews,” Berman sang in their last song. For one night, at least, so too was everyone at the Metro.

Photos by Spencer Kornhaber / North by Northwestern.