Andrew Bird captures the holiday spirit in concert  December 10,
2013|By Bob Gendron, Special to the Tribune (Phil Velasquez
Chicago Tribune)  What Pixar often accomplishes with visual
animation, Andrew Bird did with sound Monday at the Fourth
Presbyterian Church. Playing the first of a four-night, sold-out
stand, the local multi-instrumentalist launched his annual
Gezelligheid residency—intimate winter concerts coined after a
Dutch term that loosely translates to "extra extra cozy"—with
music couched in whimsy, imagination and wonder. Accompanied for
a majority of the 110-minute show by guitarist/vocalist Tift
Merritt, Bird captured the spirit of the holidays without
performing a single traditional carol.  As always, the venue's
gorgeous interior helped establish the mood. Bird also received
an assist from the colder temperatures. Frigid weather enhanced
this year's event by causing the church's interior to feel
warmer than during his past installments. Wreaths, gothic
arches, stained-glass windows and festi