Groovelily

My first contact with Groovelily was in 2006 when I read about their new show, Striking 12, which had an off-broadway premiere to excellent reviews. I put them out of my head since I wasn't going to be in NYC during the run of the show.

Last night, I had my first opportunity to experience Groovelily live, and it was a thrilling experience. Groovelily has a wonderfully eclectic style that combines elements of theater, jazz and good, old-fashioned rock 'n roll to powerful effect. The music is really driven by the six-string electric violin played by Valerie Vigoda, the founding member of Groovelily. Vocals are shared by keyboardist Brendan Milburn and drummer Glen Lewin, and all three shine as musicians and vocalists. The playlist constructed to give each a number of chances to shine.

The gig last night was a combination of album cuts, songs from theater performances and some new material that will be premiered in a new show next spring. The set was punctuated with a narrative that contextualized the songs and the history of Groovelily. Sometimes the talking seemed a bit much, but it made for a delightful connection between the musicians and the audience.

Groovelily are unique and an always fascinating group. There is great energy in the room and every reason to just want to hang with the band members. They'll be in heavy rotation on the iPod.

Sigur Ros, September 19, 2008, Boston

What an incredible night at the Bank of America Pavilion. The night was chilly, but Sigur Ros was anything but. Their new album, Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust, is upbeat and uptempo, and the concert was as well.

Sigur Ros is straightforward in concert. Jon chatted with the audience on two occasions to get people to sing along. Sing along with Sigur Ros, you might ask? More of a high-pitched whir, but a good bonding moment with the audience. The band performs slightly reconfigured versions of their album cuts, with strong visual images. The lighting is good, but sparse; the movement even more sparse. But a Sigur Ros concert is about the wall of sound the band creates, and they succeeded song after song.

The songs off the new album set the tone for the evening, and the songs from previous albums, while more traditional Sigur Ros, were layered with guitars and feedback that gave them an almost rocking edge. The band did seem to be having some technical difficulties--members of the stage crew were regularly on the stage to tweak things--but this was a fine night of music and filled a gap in my musical education.

The concert got off to a great start with Parachutes, another Icelandic band clearly influenced by Sigur Ros. The ten members of the group played a huge range of instruments with lilting melodies and minimalist orchestrations. Expect more, and give a listen to the four songs on their myspace page.

(Top pics are from Chris Devers over at Flickr, the bottom ones are from my iPhone.)

Only an Expert (Can Solve a Problem)

There's been a gap in my musical/artistic education. Until last night I'd never had the opportunity to see Laurie Anderson live. I've collected her work, the videos (please release Home of the Brave on DVD), the albums, even the video game. But fate intervened until the Boston performance of Homeland, the stark, politically charged "concert-poem" Anderson performed last night at the Opera House.

Homeland is always somber and dark. And static. The only movement during the two hour performance was the swiping of two bows across a cello and Anderson's violin. Her feet remained firmly planted on the floor, and the other musicians moved almost imperceptibly. The songs are often dirge-like and suitable breaks for applause come only every half hour or so.

Anderson uses no multimedia, no projections. Even the lights don't move, though they often shift from stark white to blood red to a cold blue. Whether this was a Boston-only change or a decision for the current leg of the tour isn't clear. As the above vids indicate, Anderson has used projections liberally at other performances of Homeland. The result is cerebral. You tend to sit back, take it in, and think about it, rather than engage on a deeply emotional level. It's a performance to be appreciated.

Interestingly, though, the songs-monologues-poems are all about feelings and emotions we confront as a result of war, economic downturns and cranes crashing down on buildings. The music and they lyrics are almost always stirring, but in a sobering way. And Anderson reveals herself to be the expert she questions (go here) by providing insightful, witty, creative commentary on the human condition.

The Laurie Anderson of the last decades is still there. Homeland feels more like an evolution of Strange Angels than Home of the Brave or Big Science. The current state of the U.S. weighs heavily on Anderson, and the material and the production reflect that.

One last note: The audience really pissed me off. The couple next to me came late, kept their cellphones in action recording the concert and didn't hesitate to leave their seats (for the bathroom, I presume). They weren't alone. More people were heading back and forth to the lobby than I've ever seen. I hope this isn't a trend.

A Year of Ta-Dah

I'm a big fan of Scissor Sisters, so I've been more than a little dismayed with their lack of popularity in the U.S. The music is bouncy and great, great fun. Totally shake-your-booty danceable. And there's some meat on those bones, too. Plus the Sisters give great show. As one of the commentators on Hurrah: A Year of Ta-Dah says so fittingly, "They put the boy in flamboyant."

Just released, Hurrah makes a fantastic case for the Sisters as great artists and greater showmen (and one woman). The DVD has two main parts. The concert at Wembley Arena is fantastic. The entire band (minus Paddy Boom) is in great form, and Jake Shears and Ana Matronic have boundless energy. The vocals are sharp and the stage show is big, bright and all sparkly...just like the sisters themselves.

The second feature on the DVD is A Year of Ta-Dah. It's a documentary about the year Scissor Sisters spent touring in support of Ta-Dah. Though not of the highest of production elements, it's compelling. The band is known for some fascinating videos, and the documentary provides behind-the-scenes footage for two of the more interesting videos.

This DVD is great fun. And to make it even better, it comes with a bonus CD of the concert. That's something every concert DVD should come with. The DVD also includes a number of special features, including all the videos from Ta-Dah.

If you don't know Scissor Sisters, this release will make you a fan. If you're already a fan, the DVD will make you more perplexed about their lack of stardom in the United States.

Annie Lennox at Symphony Hall

Annie Lennox closed out her Songs of Mass Destruction tour last night at Boston's Symphony Hall. Latennox was on tour in support of Eurythmic's second album last time I saw her, and in the intervening years she has achieved greatness as a musician and thinker. And there was something about the concert last night that left me feeling honored to have witnessed it.

Lennox has been such a strong force in my life for so many years that I had to be there. And she was amazing. But, she was amazing in spite of...

In spite of the fact that her voice was raw and harsh. Thank goodness for her this was the last stop on the tour. I don't think she could have made it through another stop.

In spite of the fact that the projections detracted so much from the performance. For almost every song that has had a video, images from the video projected on the screen about her head. Only once was a live shot used. That only made those of us farther from the stage want more live shots. But no. When the screen was used effectively--particularly with "Dark Road" and "Sing"--the effect was dramatic. But most of the screen time was wasted with stock images from years past.

But the set list was perfect. She gave stirring renditions of classics and new songs, often in new, interesting arrangements. She, unexpectedly, included a healthy dose of Eurythmic songs, including the classics and, better, the best (e.g., "There Must Be an Angel" and "When Tomorrow Comes.")

The chatter was very limited, but nice. And it was always front and center that the night was special because it was the last night of the tour.

Songs of Mass Destruction is the best of Lennox's four solo albums. She's still out to change the world, and the concert made that all the more clear...and possible.

Oh yeah, Rosie and Kelly were there, too. It was fascinating to see the wave across the audience as people realized she was there. Thanks to Rosie for posting this:



All in all, a pretty phenomenal experience!

Suzanne Vega in Brattleboro

Touring in support of her new release, Crime and Beauty, Suzanne Vega stopped in Brattleboro, Vermont at the Latchis Theater. It was the perfect set. Vega looked almost exactly the same as she did 20 years ago when I saw her at Symphony Hall in Salt Lake City. She's become only slightly more animated in the last two decades, but much more charmingly self-deprecating about it.

Vega's set was a perfect blend of songs from the new album, traditional versions of older songs and updated versions of classic tunes. A bass only version of "Left of Center" and a traditional rendering of "In Liverpool" were amazing. The concluding number, "The Queen and the Soldier," was the song that seduced me more than two decades ago resonates with greater intensity today.

Perfect!

True Colors Tour--Boston Show

Spent the weekend in Boston. It was a great weekend. My first visit to the ICA. But the main reason for the visit was the Boston leg of the True Colors Tour at the Bank of America Pavilion. Overall it was a great, empowering event with some unfortunate technical difficulties and mediocre sound. But the performances were uniformly excellent and added up to an amazing show.

The line-up:

The Gossip provided a strong start to the evening. I think the Cyndi Lauper crowd didn't quite know what to make of The Gossip, but Beth and company put on a rocking first set. This was the first indication that the acoustics were not going to be great.

Dresden Dolls followed with an amazing and engaging set for the hometown crowd. They engaged the crowd, perhaps better than any of the other performers. They did an audience friendly set that included songs from familiar albums and a few new ones. The new single, Shores of California, is great. Check out the video. They also did a groovy version of Coin-Operated Boy that was one of the highlights of the show.

A word about Margaret Cho: It was highly effective to bridge the sets with Margaret rather than intermissions. She was fierce as always ("I'm glad that Jerry Falwell died"). But from Section 6, Row 11, it was often difficult to make out what she was saying. There was no picking up on the nuance of a Margaret Cho performance. The lesbian take on Mickey Avalon was fun, but Mickey really deserved a shout-out.

Rufus Wainwright was up third. The audience members who chatted their way through the performance were annoying (you know who you are, Section 6, Row M). Apparently Rufus was, too. The last time I saw Rufus, he was totally engaging onstage. At True Colors he wasn't. He said nary a word to the audience. The set was mostly from Release the Stars, but I was disappointed that he chose not to do the concert-friendly tracks, like "Rules and Regulations" or "Between My Legs". It was great to see Rufus with his band, but I'd hoped for a stronger set.

Deborah Harry was the first performer to get the audience to its feet. After an amazing "French Kissing in the U.S.A.," she launched into some new material that had me a little nervous about the set. But the second half of the set was rousing and kept the audience moving--even if there was some hope in the air for "Rapture" or "Tide is High."

Erasure took the stage and the audience lept up and stayed up. It was the perfect mix of classic Erasure ("A Little Respect," "I Love to Hate You," "Oh, L'Amour" were standouts) and tracks from the new album. For the, um, newer gays, this was all a revelation. And really, really empowering.

Cyndi Lauper was without a doubt the headliner. This was the third time I've seen her, and she's a master of the stage. Her set seemed to be plagued by technical difficulties, but she managed them with grace. Her duet with Beth on "Time After Time" was another highlight of the event. The choral finale of "True Colors" was also quite moving.

A word about guitars: Cyndi, Rufus and Vince all played guitar at one point in their sets. They seemed self-conscious. Perhaps a little out of their elements.

What a great night, and what a great way to spend time across the generations. Technical difficulties aside, this was special.

ERASE HATE!