POP MUSIC REVIEW : Tape Tech Notwithstanding, a Charming Duo

Can’t you just see some cigar-chomping record executive, sitting in his office a few years back, hearing about Timbuk 3?

“Let me get this straight,” he growls, flicking his stogie over a huge ashtray. “This is a husband and wife who play guitars and sing, accompanied by a big tape recorder instead of bass and drums?

“It’ll never work.”

Wrong, Sparky. Signed to an open-minded record company (I.R.S.), Pat and Barbara K MacDonald released their debut LP in late ’86. It spawned the left-field hit “The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades.” They released their follow-up album last spring. And Sunday, they came to the Coach House, where they (under)stated their case as one of the better, more refreshing, most charming live acts around.

Understatement is a touchstone of the Timbuk 3 operation--to the point that many who embraced “The Future’s So Bright” missed that it was gently skewering a college kid/budding yuppie who gleefully was anticipating a $ucce$$ful career in nuclear science.

Many Timbuk 3 tunes are similarly laced with meaningful subtleties, while others--such as “Dance Fever”--are simply good songs that tell good stories. The duo (trio?) played plenty of both Sunday, in eminently low-key, winning fashion. Both MacDonalds are superb guitarists and singers, and the tape recorder (“jam box” in T3 parlance) had a good night too.

Actually, some of the show’s highlights came when the jam box was turned off. Among them: “Dance Fever,” “Little People Make Big Mistakes” and the final encore, which was dedicated to some newlyweds in the audience (despite its title--”A Sinful Life”--the song is a naked pledge of love and devotion to a mate).

For that matter, not all the highlights were musical: Midway through the set, when the box was quiet and Pat was making an equipment change, Barbara read “A Prize Pig,” Pat’s attempt at a Grimm’s--or, in this case, a grim--fairy tale.

Still, when the duo and box were working together, Timbuk 3 rocked firmly and effectively, both on such older gems as “Just Another Movie” and “Friction” and on newer ones such as “Rev. Jack & His Roamin’ Cadillac Church” and “Wreckless Driver.”

The opening act, Semi-Twang, provided a sharp but unfortunate contrast with the headliners. The Milwaukee-based foursome seemed like nice, well-intentioned guys who were putting considerable effort into their straightforward, blue-collar rock. But their music was excruciatingly average--monochromatic stuff with repetitious, uninteresting lyrics wrapped around thin, anemic melodies.