POWERLINE A.D.
LIVE
Blondie
6/22/08 — Nokia Theatre Times Square
NY, NY
I’ve been a fan of Blondie since their late 1970s heyday but had never seen them live before Sunday night, June 22nd. It was worth the wait. Their show at the Nokia Theatre Times Square was superb.
The five male members of Blondie’s current touring lineup took the stage first and played a rave-up, heightening the anticipation for Debbie Harry’s arrival to the stage at this, their latest hometown gig. They were clad totally in black, save for drummer Clem Burke who was wearing a black CBGB’s T-shirt with white lettering.
As the intro rave-up ended, Debbie Harry took the stage to a huge roar from the sold-out house. Harry is 62 years old (she will be 63 next week), and she looked absolutely incredible. She wore a sparkling black-and-silver striped dress that was designed to resemble Blondie’s Parallel Lines album cover. And that made a great deal of sense, since Blondie’s current tour is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Parallel Lines, the album that launched Blondie to worldwide stardom in 1978.
They performed the complete Parallel Lines album in track order to the delight of the audience. Parallel Lines contained several of Blondie’s biggest hits, including “Hanging On The Telephone,” “One Way Or Another,” “Picture This,” and “Heart Of Glass.”
After playing some of their lesser-known newer songs, Blondie again dipped into their back catalog and delivered a few more of their older hits, such as “(I’m Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear,” “Rapture” (which included a bit of “Hey Bo Diddley” as a tribute to the recently deceased rock legend, Bo Diddley), and the set closer, “Call Me,” which was the theme song to the film American Gigolo. The main set featured 18 songs. The three-song encore included “The Tide Is High” and a cracking cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Get Off Of My Cloud,” which was the final song of a fantastic 90-minute night of music from Blondie.
The current touring roster of Blondie features only Harry, Burke, and guitarist Chris Stein from the band’s original lineup. (Original keyboardist Jimmy Destri stopped touring with the band in 2004.) The band is rounded out by keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen, guitarist Paul Carbonara, and bassist Leigh Foxx.
One minor quibble with the show was that the bass was too prominent in the sound mix too often. There were a few occasions on which the bass was drowning out Chris Stein’s playing. I could actually feel the bass sound pounding into my chest. The bass didn’t need to be that loud in a venue the size of the Nokia Theatre. Apart from that, though, the show was very enjoyable. The crowd seemed to love it.
Debbie Harry was in fine voice and seemed to be in great spirits. She appeared to be very happy to be back home in New York City and mentioned that fact several times throughout the concert. She was dancing during the show and, near the end of the show, wrecked the shoes she was wearing. So, she took the shoes off and threw them into the crowd. She also seemed very happy with the reaction of the crowd to Blondie’s performance.
Special mention should go to the drumming of Clem Burke during the concert. Burke was phenomenal, putting on a virtual drumming clinic throughout the performance. Although Burke is now 52 years old, he hasn’t lost a step. He is still a master showman, arguably still among the best drummers in rock music. Burke’s stunning performance at the Nokia Theatre show would likely put most drummers a generation younger than him to shame. It’s easy to see why his drumming talents are still very much in demand for session work.
This current Blondie tour continues through early August, with shows in both North America and Europe. While Blondie’s best creative days are behind them, they still put on a stellar live show. They are definitely worth checking out.
The support act at Blondie’s Nokia Theatre show was Miss Derringer, a five-piece outfit from Los Angeles. The band includes two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer. They are fronted by Liz McGrath, a blonde-haired stunner. McGrath was clad in an outfit that resembled those of the cigarette girls at night clubs of the 1940s and 1950s. The band’s 30-minute set featured songs that sounded similar to early-era Blondie. Miss Derringer delivered a spirited set but they seemed to be something of an odd choice for the opening band in that they are obviously so heavily influenced by Blondie that they almost came across as a Blondie tribute act. Given that the show was a hometown gig, I’m quite surprised that Blondie didn’t pick an up-and-coming New York band (such as The Choke, for example) for the support slot.
— John Curley
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Clinic
5/31/08 — Bowery Ballroom
NY, NY
Clinic took the stage to Gerry and the Pacemakers' cover of "You'll Never Walk Alone," the unofficial song of their hometown soccer team, Liverpool FC,* and — as you can see from the setlist above — the gig at the Bowery Ballroom proceeded with the entire new album, Do It!, in its track order.
I have never been a fan of bands that play their entire new album live. As fans, we need to ease into the new release. A complete set of songs still somewhat unfamiliar can be really discouraging. Yet, in this case, I didn't seem to mind.
Opener "Memories" was perfectly loud and biting; the quasi-instrumental "Corpus Christi" — unappealing on the disc — had a spontaneous rebirth live; and the refreshingly aggressive punk of "Shopping Bag" was absolutely brilliant. Singer/guitarist/keyboardist Ade Blackburn strummed demonically in standard punk stance, and the band sped behind him ... antique Vox amps and blistering drums making the music sound like a razor/airplane combo.
The Liverpudlians took a quick break to change their surgical masks anew (yes, for those of you that don't know, they wear surgical maske throughout the entire show) and they began the second set as a sorta Best Of (at least, to the band) run-through. See photo of setlist below.
The standouts were easily the songs from their classic album Walking With Thee. The title track of that album and "Pet Eunuch" stole the show, as they do in the band's discography as well.
Art punk has never been so good.
If you get a chance, go see Clinic. It's live fever pitch is better than the real thing.
— Pat Prince
* Thanks to anglophile John Curley!
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Nicole Atkins & The Sea
5/10/08 — Blend
Ridgewood, NJ
Looking fantastic clad in black and wearing very striking red shoes, Nicole Atkins (pictured above in a photo by Jennifer Tzar) and her band, The Sea, delivered a stellar 70-minute performance at Blend in Ridgewood, NJ on Saturday night, May 10th. Touring in support of her critically acclaimed debut album, Neptune City, Atkins and her band played most of the tracks from the album as well as older material. A great cover of “The Crystal Ship” by The Doors closed the show. Displaying her spectacular vocal skills throughout the show, the stunning 29-year-old Atkins, a Neptune City, NJ native who now resides in Asbury Park, showed why she is a star in ascent.
Atkins is a singer in the real meaning of the word in that she actually SINGS, unlike many of the alleged “singers” of the present who are actually shouters. Performing their second show of the day (they had played an all-ages show earlier in the day at the same venue), Atkins and her band added extra life and color to the studio versions of the songs on her Neptune City album. Particular standouts in the set were “The Way It Is,” “Maybe Tonight,” “Party’s Over,” and “Brooklyn’s On Fire!” Also interesting was “Bleeding Diamonds,” the title track of an EP that was released earlier in Atkins’ career. The crowd sang along quite loudly during the encore performance of “Brooklyn’s On Fire!” which seemed to both surprise and please Atkins.
Atkins is a very skilled performer, her talent having been honed by playing with many different musicians and gracing numerous stages in a lot of venues. When she was not playing acoustic or electric guitar, she used her hands in an interesting way to help paint a word picture of her lyrics. Given Atkins’ training as an artist, that makes a great deal of sense. Atkins has really beautiful eyes as well as a very expressive face, and she would use both to full effect while singing, looking out into the crowd and sometimes gazing at individual audience members crowded in the area in front of the stage, and changing her expression to fit the mood of each song.
Atkins’ stage manner is very endearing. After belting out many of the songs in her set, she would seem genuinely appreciative of the cheers and shouts from the crowd. Atkins would smile somewhat shyly and sweetly say, “Thank you very much” to the crowd.
Blend was packed for Atkins’ performance, much to the relief of Atkins and her band. Atkins told the crowd that the afternoon show was not particularly well attended, and she joked that it felt like she and her band were playing a bar mitzvah. She also told the crowd with mock indignation that, during the interval between the afternoon and evening performances, her band had ditched her to go see the film Iron Man, which was playing at a nearby movie theater.
Atkins played either acoustic or electric guitar on some songs, and did the lead vocal on all of the songs performed. Her band, which Atkins refers to as “the Four D’s” because their first names all begin with the letter “D,” includes Dan Chen on keyboards, Dan Mintzer on drums, David Hollinghurst on guitar, and Derek Layes on bass. They are a very talented band and, to their credit, never tried to overwhelm Atkins’ vocals with their instrumental might. The musical style that Atkins and her band have created is quite unique, featuring Atkins’ 1960s girl-group style vocals mixed with The Sea’s indie-rock/alt-country sound.
There were also two support acts on the bill, Scott Liss and Jenny Owen Youngs.
Liss, backed up by a bassist and drummer, played acoustic guitar and sang the lead vocals during his 30-minute set. He plays indie rock featuring some country stylings, and his sound is somewhat reminiscent of early R.E.M.
Owen Youngs played acoustic guitar and sang lead vocals during her 30-minute set. She was accompanied by Bess Rogers on electric guitar and backing vocals. Owen Youngs’ set was quite impressive, featuring acoustic-based rock with some folk elements. She’s got a great stage manner, and joked quite a bit with the crowd. Particularly funny was her “warning” to the crowd about the numerous F-bombs in her song “Fuck Was I.” Owen Youngs will soon be heading to Europe for a series of shows there, and is definitely an artist to keep your eyes on.
It was a very enjoyable night of music in the suburbs of New Jersey, and for a very affordable price as well. And it was quite a treat to get to see a rising star like Atkins perform in such an intimate space. If Atkins continues to put on performances such as the one she gave at Blend on the evening of May 10th, she won’t be music’s best-kept secret much longer.
— John Curley
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Kate Nash
4/23/08 — Webster Hall
NY, NY
As Kate Nash’s popularity has increased, so has the size of the venues that she has to play when her tour hits New York City. Last September, Nash (pictured above in a photo by Sonny Malhotra), a native of Harrow, England, played a few intimate gigs at Joe’s Pub. When Nash returned to New York in January, she found herself at the Bowery Ballroom. On this current jaunt, sponsored by the NME Awards 2008, Nash played two sold-out shows at Webster Hall in the East Village.
I attended the first of the two Webster Hall gigs, and I found it to be wonderfully eclectic. Nash’s song choices ranged from the quiet acoustic to floor-stomping punk. Nash has been miscast by some UK music critics as a flavor-of-the-month disposable pop princess. I would submit that Nash is an artist of considerable depth. And she certainly showed that at the first Webster Hall performance.
Nash was augmented by a four-piece backing band consisting of a guitarist, bassist, drummer, and keyboardist. The bassist and keyboardist also played on a mini drum kit during certain songs in the set. Nash herself spent most of the gig seated behind her electric keyboard, though she did perform several songs on acoustic and electric guitars. The 90-minute set mostly consisted of material from Nash’s UK smash album, Made of Bricks such as the megahits “Foundations” and “Mouthwash” and the quirky “Mariella” and “Skeleton Song.” Still, seven songs not on the album were also performed in the main set and encore.
Nash did talk to the crowd quite a bit during the performance. Before playing her beautiful composition “Birds,” she revealed that she had played the song for both of her sisters after writing the song two years ago. Her older sister loved it, while Nash admitted with a chuckle that her younger sister was considerably less enthusiastic. During the encore, Nash revealed that the stonking blast of punk rock titled “Model Behaviour” was written in very angry response to how she had been shabbily treated by a crowd at a London venue. She referred to the London venue where that unfortunate gig took place as a “toilet.”
Nash’s performance of “Model Behaviour” was the highlight of the show for me. The song is an angry, sarcastic, blistering piece of punk that would not have been out of place at London’s 100 Club in 1977. It was actually somewhat shocking to hear the composer of the sweet, quiet “Nicest Thing” to spit out the chorus of “Model Behaviour,” which is “You don’t have to suck dick to succeed!” Nash was stalking the stage during the song like Wendy O. Williams on speed and her band members were doing leaps that would’ve made Pete Townshend proud. In interviews, Nash has frequently cited The Buzzcocks as her favorite band. That influence, while absent from her other songs, is vividly apparent in “Model Behaviour.” Nash’s MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/katenashmusic currently has “Model Behaviour” in the music player on the page if anyone reading this wants to give it a listen. The song is also the B-side to the UK CD single of “Merry Happy.”
There were several points during Nash’s performance that her backing band was playing too loud. Nash has a pleasant voice but it’s not a particularly powerful voice. During the loud bits, Nash was forced to scream over the sound of her band to be heard. Those parts of the show had the effect of a petulant child screaming to be heard over her classmates in the school playground. When Nash was screaming the lyrics, it ruined the sweet subtleties of those songs. Last September at Joe’s Pub, Nash’s backing band worked with her much better to ensure that Nash’s vocals were on top of the music and not being buried by it. Also, at the Joe’s Pub show, Nash’s band included a very talented female violinist. The violinist is apparently not touring with Nash on this current tour, and that is too bad. She added a great deal to the overall sound at that Joe’s Pub gig, and her absence was felt at the Webster Hall show.
As I stated above, there were some quiet acoustic moments during the show in which Nash got up from behind her keyboard and played guitar. This part of the show was quite unfortunately marred by what had to be the rudest audience that I’ve ever been a member of. People in the audience were chatting so loudly during the quiet parts of the show that it was difficult to hear Nash’s vocals. The audience was mostly in their 20s, and I am no longer in my 20s, but I was really shocked at the tiny attention spans of those people who were blabbing to the person next to them (or worse, into their cell phones) when Nash was trying to perform. Have attentive audiences gone the way of the dinosaur? It was clear to me that Nash was displeased at the loud volume of the chatter in the room. And she had every right to be. It was insulting to her as an artist and performer. And, frankly, it was also insulting to me as an audience member. I paid to hear Kate Nash sing, and not to listen to some semi-drunken cretin yammer into their cell phone while Nash was trying, in vain, to get their attention.
And on the subject of the rude audience members, I had the terrible misfortune of being stuck standing near the most obnoxious of the lot. He was a drunken buffoon who was screaming “I LOOOOOVE YOOOOU, KAAAATE NAAAASH!!!” at the top of his lungs throughout the concert. While Webster Hall is a decent-sized venue, it wasn’t large enough to keep that jerk’s, uh, declaration of love for Ms. Nash from reaching the stage, where it was clear she was not pleased to be the recipient of the idiot’s drunken affection. When the troglodyte shouted during a particularly quiet part of the set, Nash glared at him, appeared to be ready to say something to him in response, and then thought better of it. And good for her! Why give the moron the satisfaction of a response? I sometimes wonder why adults like this guy, who are clearly incapable of behaving in public, can’t just stay home and drink themselves into oblivion and leave the rest of us out of it. He was yelling so much that I missed a good bit of the things Nash was saying in between songs, such as the titles of the new songs. Fortunately, one of Nash’s roadies kindly gave me a set list after the show was over.
Opening the show was a group called The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players. Nash had seen them perform in London and was so charmed by their performance that she asked them to open for her on her North American tour. The group is a duo, featuring the father on keyboards, guitar, and lead vocals and the 14-year-old daughter on drums and backing vocals. The mother runs a slideshow as her husband and daughter perform. The quirky lyrics in their songs comment on the images being shown in the slideshow. They weren’t really my cup of tea (I would’ve preferred it if Nash had an up-and-coming UK rock band open her American gigs), but they were okay, I suppose. The father is a dead ringer for the actor Rick Moranis circa the late 1980s.
Webster Hall is a good rock ‘n’ roll joint, with standing room in front of the stage and seating in the VIP areas upstairs. I hadn’t been there in ages, so it was good to be back for a live show. The bar staff and club staff are very cool and don’t treat the crowd with disrespect, as unfortunately happens at other venues in Manhattan.
Given the eclectic nature of Nash’s set, I’m very curious to see what she’ll do next. Going on a full-on punk route with more songs like “Model Behaviour” would probably be career suicide for Nash. But I think it would be interesting for Nash to do some punky-sounding material as a side project. Whatever Nash opts to do as her next project, I’m sure it will be interesting.
— John Curley
The set list for the Webster Hall gig was as follows:
Pumpkin Soup
Shit Song
Stitching Leggings
We Get On
Birds
Nicest Thing
I Hate Seagulls
Dickhead
Pick Pocket
Do Waa Do
Paris
Skeleton Song
Mariella
Mouthwash
Foundations
Encore:
Don’t You Want To Share The Guilt
Model Behaviour
Merry Happy
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UFO
4/12/08
B.B. King's
New York, NY
UFO has always been a favorite band of mine. Even after Michael Schenker had left the band after one of the greatest live albums of all time, "Strangers in the Night," I had hung on tight. Guitar replacement, Paul Chapman, was underrated and unappreciated because of being the man that had to fill Schenker's shoes. Chapman's work may not have been Schenker's but it was great in its own right. I ate up the next two albums: "No Place To Run" and "Wild, Willing and the Innocent." Loved both albums. Absolutely loved them. And I couldn't understand why no one else had the same enthusiasm.
It was only fitting for me that UFO chose a song from one of those albums, Long Gone, as the second song of the night. That song is brilliant. One of their most intense and angry numbers. It transported me back to 1982 when I first saw UFO, opening up for Ozzy Osbourne.
This time, however, not only was Chapman and bassist Pete Way (replaced by Sebastian Bach bassist, Rob De Luca) not in the line-up, but Schenker was far gone and not coming back. In the lead guitar slot was Vinnie Moore, 80s metal scale geek. Vinnie Moore is fantastic at what he does — and you would have to be stupid not to recognize his obvious talent — but it wasn't Schenker. And for me, it wasn't even Chapman. One friend of mine called Moore's guitar solos overwhelming, another friend called them antiseptic. Overwhelmingly antiseptic seems to be a somewhat fitting term.
The rest of the band had long-timers there: Paul Raymond on keyboards and guitar; Andy Parker on drums; and, of course, Phil Mogg as definitive UFO vocals. Mogg was looking up in years but sounding wonderful, as if his vocals hadn't aged at all. And all the hits were enjoyable. Hard driving songs like Mother Mary and Let It Roll were pleasant surprises, and Rock Bottom and Doctor, Doctor were greatly expected and well-received to close the show.
I know Michael Schenker is a hard person to get along with — or so I am told — but it would be perfect only if I see the band with his guitar included again. At the very least, before Mogg calls it a day.
Until then it will be a blast but not bliss.
—Pat Prince
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Carbon/Silicon
4/4/08
The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
New York, NY
Having just seen Carbon/Silicon in December at The Highline Ballroom in New York City (see review of that show on this page) and enjoying that show a great deal, I was looking forward to seeing them again this past Friday night, April 4th, at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza. And the band didn’t disappoint. They put on another high-energy show to the delight of the crowd.
Opening with “The Magic Suitcase,” a track off of their 2007 release, The Last Post, Carbon/Silicon had the crowd in the palm of their hands from the outset. Band leaders Mick Jones and Tony James seemed to be having a great time during the band’s 10-song set. (The band also includes bassist Leo ‘E-zee-Kill’ Williams and drummer Dominic Greensmith.) Jones spoke to the crowd quite a bit in between songs and even told a joke.
Carbon/Silicon performed a few tracks that don’t appear on The Last Post CD, including a song titled “I Loved You” that Jones claimed was the closest thing to a love song that they’ve ever written. They also did a tune called “Soylent Green,” which Jones stated was one of the first songs that he and James had written together back in 1972. In addition, a cover of a song by The Faces was performed.
Highlights of the show included a ferocious take on “The Whole Truth” and an extended, bluesy read of “Really The Blues.” Other tracks from The Last Post that Carbon/Silicon performed at the show included “The News,” “War On Culture,” and “What The Fuck.”
“Why Do Men Fight?” was chosen for the encore, and it was a good choice. It got a great response from the crowd, particularly when Jones threw bits of The Clash’s “Police On My Back” into the song.
It was a good night of music overall from Carbon/Silicon. They are still touring North America at the moment. If you haven’t seen them yet, make it a point to do so. They are a great live band.
— John Curley
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FROM THE JAM
2/9/08
The Blender Theatre at Gramercy
New York, NY
Unfortunately for me, I never got to see The Jam play live during their heyday. Paul Weller decided to disband the group around the same time that I had started going to gigs. After The Jam split, Weller went on to form The Style Council, while drummer Rick Buckler formed a band called The Time UK and bassist Bruce Foxton joined Stiff Little Fingers for a lengthy stay. More recently, Weller has gone on to considerable solo success, Buckler performed in a band called The Gift, and Foxton played in The Casbah Club with Pete Townshend’s brother, Simon.
While I have seen Weller perform several times in concert, I never saw either Foxton or Buckler in a concert setting until their show in New York City on Saturday. It was worth the wait. The show was exhilarating.
In addition to Foxton on bass and Buckler on drums, From The Jam include Russell Hastings on lead vocals and guitar and Dave Moore on guitar and keyboards. (The band, pictured above in a photo by John Walker, are, left to right, Moore, Hastings, Foxton, and Buckler.)
Hastings did a capable job deputizing for Paul Weller. It probably was a difficult decision for him to join the band in that role, since Weller is such an icon in the UK and comparisons would be inevitable. While Hastings performed admirably in the lead vocal/guitar spot, I can’t say that he brought anything original to the table. Hastings more or less did an imitation of Weller. And that is understandable, I suppose. If he tried to radically alter the songs, it might have put fans off. I am curious to see if From The Jam will go on to record and perform original material and, if they do, how Hastings will put his own stamp on it.
From The Jam’s set in New York City consisted of classics from The Jam’s songbook as well as a pair of covers that The Jam recorded during their original run. Opening with a scorching take on “In The City,” From The Jam’s set also included such Jam classics as “The Modern World,” “Pretty Green,” “In The Crowd,” “News Of The World,” “Smithers-Jones,” “When You’re Young,” “Start!” “A Bomb In Wardour Street,” “Strange Town,” “The Eton Rifles,” and “Going Underground. From The Jam also performed “David Watts” by The Kinks and “So Sad About Us” by The Who. The three-song encore was absolutely ferocious, and featured “Down In The Tube Station At Midnight,” “The Gift,” and “Town Called Malice.” From The Jam performed for about 80 minutes, packing a lot of songs into that time.
While the crowd at the show was mostly over the age of 30, they were quite raucous indeed. And, judging from the accents that I was hearing in the crowd, there were a lot of people from the UK present at the show. (A spontaneous “We are the Mods!” chant even broke out at one point.) In fact, there were so many Brits present that the gig felt like it was taking place at the London Astoria and not in New York City.
At the end of the show, Foxton and Buckler seemed to be genuinely moved by the roar of the crowd and the obvious affection that the fans have for the music that they helped create a quarter of a century ago. After the encore, a beaming Foxton told the cheering crowd that they would be back in New York City in the near future. I hope they make good on that promise. It was really fantastic to finally get to hear all of those Jam classics get played live after all these years. I would definitely go to see them again. And I would be curious to see if, at their next New York show, they would include some new material in the set. The Jam, in their original incarnation, considered themselves to be modernists, looking forward and not back. It will be interesting to see if the band in their current incarnation continue to follow that path.
The show was opened by Hugh Cornwell, formerly of The Stranglers. Cornwell’s appearance was a pleasant surprise, as it hadn’t been announced. Cornwell and his trio (which includes a quite talented and very attractive female bassist) played a tight 60-minute set that contained both new Cornwell solo material and Stranglers classics such as “Peaches,” “Hanging Around,” and “No More Heroes.”
One minor quibble about the show: the sound during From The Jam’s set was not particularly good. It was too loud for a venue of the size of The Blender Theatre and, as a result, some of the subtleties of the songs were lost. The sound for opening act Hugh Cornwell was actually better than it was for From The Jam. Cornwell’s set sounded crisp and strong, while From The Jam’s had a lot of feedback.
Overall, it was an excellent night of music from some veterans of the British music scene. Long may they continue to wave the flag!
— John Curley
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Kate Nash
Virgin Megastore, Union Square,
New York, NY
1/8/2008
Kate Nash’s debut album, Made of Bricks, which has been a monster hit at home in the UK, finally received its American release today. To mark the occasion, Nash and her band performed a brief, four-song in-store set at the Virgin Megastore in New York City’s Union Square (corner of East 14th Street and Broadway). Following the performance, Nash signed copies of the CD as well as posing for photos and chatting with her new American fans.
Nash, a singer-songwriter from Harrow, England, arrived on stage wearing her hair in a ponytail and was clad in what looked to be a schoolgirl outfit that made her look even younger than her 20 years. I had seen Nash perform at Joe’s Pub in New York City in September 2007 (my review of that show is at http://powerlinead.blogspot.com/2007/09/live-review-kate-nash-at-joes-pub-new.html). At that time, Nash seemed a bit overwhelmed by the raucous New York crowd. Tonight, at the Virgin Megastore, Nash seemed more sure of herself onstage and seemed to bask in the adulation of the crowd. Nash sported a big smile throughout the set and pounded her keyboard with great relish. Her backing band is a tight, excellent crew, and they provided a great deal of instrumental muscle throughout the set.
Nash opened the in-store gig with the quirky “Mariella.” The crowd loved it, and Nash appeared to genuinely appreciate the cheers from the audience.
Next up was “Mouthwash,” the wonderful second single from the album in its UK release. The crowd seemed less familiar with that one. I bought the album as an import months ago, so I know with all of the songs quite well. I’m sure that the American audiences will come around to “Mouthwash” when it is released a single here in the States.
Nash’s biggest hit, the spectacular “Foundations,” was the third song played, and it got the biggest response of the night. I noticed many people singing along with it. “Foundations” was a monster hit in the UK and will likely be a big song here in the States as well. It is a brilliant piece of songwriting. I am quite surprised that someone of Nash’s tender age was able to come up with such a compelling song with such incredible lyrics.
Nash ended the set with the bouncy “Merry Happy,” which also drew a big response from the crowd. Quite a few people present seemed disappointed when Nash and her band left the stage after the song. But it was a free gig, and Nash was just following an old show-biz adage: Always leave them wanting more. And judging from the audience reaction to Nash’s short set, they definitely will want to see more of Nash in the months and years to come. While Nash’s performing career here in America is still in its embryonic stages, it’s pretty clear to me, and probably to most of the others present at the Virgin Megastore, that Nash is a star in the making.
Nash opened her brief North American tour in Toronto last night. Tomorrow night, Nash will be performing at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. After leaving the Big Apple, Nash concludes her North American tour with shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Then, it’s on to Australia and New Zealand to perform as part of the various Big Day Out festivals Down Under. (Nash’s full tour dates can be found on her My Space page at http://www.myspace.com/katenashmusic.)
Nash’s Made of Bricks album is a worthwhile addition to anyone’s music collection. Filled with simple but catchy tunes, the album contains songs that are quirky (“Mariella,” “Skeleton Song”), moving (“Birds,” “We Get On,” “Nicest Thing”), and even sardonic (“Dickhead,” “Shit Song.”) It even has a bit of electronica in the opening track, “Play.” Nash sings many of the songs in an exaggerated “chav” accent, which has led music critics in the UK to label her sound as “chavtronica.” While an Anglophile like myself finds that pretty funny, I’m not sure how that’s going to translate in the so-called “heartland” of America. But it probably won’t matter. Lily Allen’s album performed pretty well in the States. I predict that Nash’s album will do even better. And Nash, unencumbered with the visa problems that have kept Allen from performing in America in recent months, can tour here whenever she wants. Given the increasing demands on her time, I don’t think that Nash is going to see much of her home in Harrow this year. I hope for her sake that she doesn’t get too homesick.
— John Curley
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Carbon/Silicon
12/5/07 — The Highline Ballroom
New York, NY
Onstage at The Highline Ballroom in New York City last night, Carbon/Silicon’s Mick Jones (ABOVE, LEFT) referred to bandmate and fellow guitarist Tony James (ABOVE, RIGHT) as his “oldest friend.” Jones and James had previously played together in the mid-1970s in a band called London SS before Jones joined The Clash and James formed Generation X with Billy Idol. In the 1980s, Jones formed Big Audio Dynamite and James was part of the heavily hyped (and short-lived) UK band Sigue Sigue Sputnik. The longstanding friendship between Jones and James resulted in them working together again in 2002. That alliance led to them forming Carbon/Silicon, who have recently released their fantastic debut album, The Last Post, after recording a series of singles.
The quartet is rounded out by former Reef drummer Dominic Greensmith and bassist Leo ‘E-zee-Kill’ Williams. (Williams was also a member of Big Audio Dynamite.) Greensmith and Williams are a talented rhythm section and Greensmith, who is probably at least 15 years younger than the other members of Carbon/Silicon, is quite a powerhouse drummer.
Carbon/Silicon hit the stage to a typical raucous New York City welcome. Jones smiled somewhat and joked, “What are you cheering for? We haven’t done anything yet!” Opening their set with “The Magic Suitcase,” the band won over the crowd immediately. After the song, a guy at the front shouted to Jones, “This is real rock n’ roll! This is not bullshit!” Jones, with a huge grin on his face, pointed at him and said, simply, “That guy! That guy!” The audience went nuts.
The band played quite a few tracks off of The Last Post album, including “Caesars Palace,” “War On Culture,” “What The Fuck,” “Really The Blues,” and a sloppy, but spirited version of the album’s lead single, “The News.” They also performed several non-album tracks, including “The Network’s Going Down” and “M.P.Free,” which is the first song that Jones and James wrote together in their 2002 reunion.
Carbon/Silicon fed off the fierce energy coming from the crowd and provided the audience with an absolutely killer performance. Jones and James have formed quite a spectacular guitar tandem, and they put on mock ‘guitar duels’ throughout the concert. After one particularly frenetic guitar exchange, Jones had to sit on the drum riser to catch his breath and wipe his brow. That moment was the only concession to age that I witnessed at the show. Jones and James may both be in their 50s now, but they played with the burning spirit of 20-year-old punks.
The crowd ranged in age from early 20s to maybe 60. There were quite a few people there who probably saw The Clash’s first New York City show. And they all seemed thrilled to see Jones and James do their thing in a smallish but very nice venue like The Highline Ballroom. My only criticism of the show, really, is that it was too loud for a venue of that size. I’m writing this about 24 hours after seeing the show, and my ears are still ringing.
When Carbon/Silicon were leaving the stage at the end of the gig, Jones promised that they would be back next year. I certainly hope they do return in 2008. They are a sensational live band, and still have a great deal to offer.
If anybody reading this review will be in London next month or in February, you might be interested to know that Carbon/Silicon will be playing a Friday night residency at the Casino Club, beginning on January 11th and ending on February 15th. Seeing a spectacular band like Carbon/Silicon in their hometown would be a very special event indeed.
— John Curley
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Van Halen
11/6/07 — DCU Center, Worcester, MA
After David Lee Roth left Van Halen in the mid-80s, I vowed to never see the band live until Roth was back. I had no interest. Roth and the Van Halen clan — despite their differences — were always the perfect match. Well, my vow paid off (for the most part). I never got to suffer through the years of Sammy Hagar fronting the band — and, as you know — the band have reunited with their original frontman.
I say "for the most part" because Roth is a little older and a little slower in his movement on stage. He's doesn't exactly have the Ozzy gait going yet but the rock gymnastics ala 1980 are long gone. He's still Roth, though; a great showman. A man of rock wardrobe changes, charisma, and a natural vibe with the audience. You never get bored with Roth on stage. Only once did he falter a bit. When the band played the classic Hot For Teacher, Roth carried it more like Bill Murray of SNL than Diamond Dave of 1984. It was the only downside of the night — and Eddie Van Halen saved it with the song's brilliant guitar solo.
It was amazing how much ground they covered in two hours. The band played almost the entire debut album; forgetting one of the greatest HEAVY songs of all time: On Fire. In a way, I'm almost glad they didn't play that song. On Fire belonged to the Van Halen of 1978, when the youth and energy were so high it was like a drug itself. There was no way they could ever capture that feel. That song is literally a memory (or DVD) time-capsule.
Wolfgang Van Halen was a perfect fill-in for bassist Michael Anthony. It was a special additive, too. The energy between father and son was a special amenity to the show. Eddie seemed to feed off his kid's passion, it seemed to breathe new life into the hard-living guitarist's flair. And as far as Eddie's guitar playing, well... it was Eddie. Just as good as you would expect him to be. It is almost as if you could hum with glee every guitar lick, solo, and sound through every song.
The highlights had to be Atomic Punk, Running With the Devil, and surprisingly, Panama. Never a big fan of Panama (probably due to Classic Rock radio over-exposure), the song won me over with its tight groove and OTT reaction of the crowd at hand. But my favorite moment was when Roth took solo with acoustic to sing Ice Cream Man. He worked it perfectly; strumming and articulating an introduction of how, why and when he wrote this song. He told a story of a hot summer night in 1972 when he replaced his friend Kenny's ice cream truck inventory with beer; blessed with details of rock aspirations and lazy fun. He was paving the way to the revolutionary rock music we now know as Van Halen. — Pat Prince
Bon Jovi
7/14/08 — Madison Square Garden
NY, NY
Last week the All-Star game at Yankee Stadium was the main event, but as far as music is concerned, Bon Jovi owned New York City. He was the center of attention during the weekend with a free concert in Central Park, and then he packed them in at Madison Square Garden. To tell the truth, I do not recall a more enthusiastic full-capacity crowd at MSG as there was last Monday. Of course, this was his home turf (well, close enough). He used to hawk t-shirts in front of the Garden when he was a young teenager. And he had attended many concerts there himself as part the audience. This place is like a second home to Bon Jovi.
Bon Jovi practically lived on the pages of Powerline in the late 80s/early 90s. His music was not as mature as it is now. His songwriting back then danced around the popular glam movement of the day. But his heart and soul had always been blue-collar, a more pop-oriented Bruce Springsteen — his childhood hero. So when he finally played "Living On a Prayer," the sugar coating shed itself to a more heartfelt story of struggling to make it in the land of shaky promises. The song was always a working man blues at its core, no matter how much of a suburban mall sing-along it became on pop radio. It is one of the highlights of the Jovi show. Not one to be caught at the concession stand or waiting in line for the bathroom.
Other classics held up well. Bon Jovi and his band are professionals, consummate workers, tight and on-time. And it was such a surprise to me how fantastic Richie Sambora's guitar playing was. I had never noticed it before. I had always taken it for granted, I guess, and the man knows how to play the strings truthful and emotional. There's a reason why he's such an important part of this band. Without him, the band would cease to be, as much as it would with the loss of its singer and moniker man.
There were downpoints, too. Let's get back to sugar, and its over-coating. "Bad Medicine" for one has always been a hated song of mine. And live it fared no better for me. The full screen strippers came out, their images dancing skyscraper tall. But it seemed so staged and saccharine. I always wondered: was this really Bon Jovi. The lewd and crude conviction of the song is more Motley Crue than a singer that has a little more loyal husband depth than "Girls Girls Girls." And, not only that, the song can't hold its weight to the sounds of a classic like "Girls Girls Girls." Not even close. Guys don't request "Bad Medicine" at strip clubs ad nauseum. And, "Bad Medicine" has always been average at best, as third-grade as any generic pharmaceutical you were afraid to take. Bad medicine indeed.
But Jon Bon made up for it. He played for a loooong time. As he summed up the night himself, “Nothing but hits, baby.” Even if it is supposed to be the Lost Highway tour, you can't ignore all those hits.
—Pat Prince
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Adele
6/10/08 — The Highline Ballroom
NY, NY
Since I last saw the London-based singer-songwriter Adele perform, which was at New York City’s Joe’s Pub on March 17th (see my review of that show below), much has changed in her life. For one thing, she has left her teen years behind, as she celebrated her 20th birthday on May 5th. Her stellar debut album, titled 19, has been released domestically here in the States. She has assembled a large touring band. And her fan base has grown considerably. Her June 10th show at The Highline Ballroom on West 16th Street was packed. A second show, on June 11th, also sold out.
Having had a busy day already (Adele appeared on NBC-TV’s The Today Show on the morning of June 10th), Adele bounded onto the stage to a huge roar from the packed house and led her band through a spirited, bouncy version of “Right As Rain” to open the show.
Adele confessed to being a bit tired, having to be up very early for the Today Show appearance, as well as being somewhat nervous. She also told the crowd that she was homesick and had flown her mother in from England to join her on tour. (Her mother was in attendance at the Highline Ballroom show.)
Not having much experience performing before large crowds, Adele told the audience that she didn’t have a lot to say to us between songs. She then proceeded to speak quite a bit in the breaks between songs, talking about topics as disparate as buying her first pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes (she’s apparently quite a fan of Sex and the City) and her growing love of Bob Dylan’s work. She’s also quite funny, and joked with the crowd on numerous occasions. In a funny faux New York accent, she substituted the American “sidewalks” for the British “pavements” at one point during the performance of her hit single “Chasing Pavements.”
With the show being in New York City, the crowd was quite boisterous, and were shouting out things between songs. Adele seemed quite amused by this, and would answer back to the things that audience members were shouting. She asked a few people to repeat the things that they were shouting at some points because she hadn’t heard them the first time, and walked to the lip of the stage several times to address some of the people at the front face to face. She even answered me back at one point. When she announced that she was going to perform a cover of “Dreaming of You” by The Coral (which is one of my favorite songs), I shouted, YEEEAHHH! THE CORAL!!!” Adele looked in my direction, smiled, and said, “Sounds like we’ve got a fan of The Coral here tonight!
Adele was in fine voice throughout the show. Her backing band was also excellent. The band included a drummer, bassist, electric guitarist, and keyboardist. In addition, there was a four-piece, all-female (and quite attractive) string section. Adele played acoustic guitar on a few of the songs, including a stunning solo take on “Crazy For You.”:
While the studio versions of the songs from Adele’s 19 album are great, they sound even better live. Adele is a very engaging performer. I’m very glad that during the quiet bits of the show, particularly when Adele was accompanying herself on the acoustic guitar, the crowd was quiet and attentive. Adele seemed pleased by that, and even remarked at one point about how well behaved the crowd was during the quiet parts.
Adele’s set was about 60 minutes in length. The main set included nine songs and was followed by a three-song encore.
In addition to talking about Bob Dylan (she performed a cover of Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” on her 19 album as well as at the Highline Ballroom show), Adele also spoke of her growing interest in the music of Etta James. She performed a fantastic version of James’ “Fool That I Am” during the encore. Given Adele’s young age, it will be interesting to watch her grow as a performer and songwriter as she becomes more aware of both her own talents and the music of the great songwriters of the past.
The venue in which the show was held, The Highline Ballroom, is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to watch music in New York City. The sightlines are excellent and the sound at Adele’s June 10th show was crisp and clear.
It was a great night of music. I particularly liked the fact that there was no opening act to suffer through. Having seen Adele twice now in concert, I am thoroughly impressed with her as a singer and performer. Her voice is remarkable, and she is quite spirited. I think she’s going to be a big star in the not-too-distant future. When she starts to play larger venues, I hope that she will be able to maintain the great rapport that she currently has with her audience. I look forward to seeing her live in concert again.
— John Curley
The set list for Adele’s June 10th show at The Highline Ballroom was as follows:
Right As Rain
Melt My Heart To Stone
Daydreamer
Dreaming of You (cover of song by The Coral)
Cold Shoulder
First Love
Make You Feel My Love (cover of song by Bob Dylan)
Tired
Hometown Glory
Encore:
Crazy For You
Fool That I Am (cover of song by Etta James)
Chasing Pavements
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Eric Burdon
5/4/08 — The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
NY, NY
Eric Burdon showed no concession to age during his latest New York City show, which took place on Sunday night, May 4th, at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza. He is still full of piss and vinegar, railing quite vociferously against the Iraq War and the Bush Regime during his set.
Touring in support of his most recent release, Soul of a Man, Burdon mixed new material, such as the album’s title track and a song titled “Kingsize Jones” with the better-known material from Burdon’s days with the influential British Invasion band The Animals. Burdon and his tight backing band opened the show with a drawn-out, quite bluesy take on The Animals’ “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” Other hits from The Animals’ songbook that were performed during the concert included “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place,” “House of the Rising Sun,” and “It’s My Life,” which was the encore song. A cover of John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom,” which also had been recorded by The Animals, was performed during the show, as were covers of tunes by Ray Charles and Jimi Hendrix.
Unlike many of his 1960s contemporaries, Burdon has lost none of his anti-establishment feelings. He made this known during “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place,” when he started to discuss the protests against the Vietnam War during the 1960s and tied that to his feelings about the current war in Iraq. Burdon took it one step further when, during an absolutely spectacular take on “House of the Rising Sun,” he held up a T-shirt that someone in the audience had handed him. On the T-shirt was a photo of George W. Bush and the words “International Terrorist.” To further emphasize his point, Burdon furiously raged about Bush’s utter failure to aid the citizens of Burdon’s beloved New Orleans in the aftermath of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Burdon added even more fuel to the fire by saying that he hoped Bush would have “a fuckin’ heart attack.”
Since “House of the Rising Sun” is set in New Orleans, Burdon’s rage about how the city was let down by Bush and his equally inept cronies seemed perfectly understandable. However, many of the ex-hippies in the audience are now grandparents and are apparently more conservative than they used to be. Some of them booed when Burdon vented against Bush’s New Orleans debacle. These same people looked on quizzically when, at the close of the concert, Burdon urged the crowd to start a “revolution.”
Burdon’s New York appearance was sponsored by the New York City classic rock radio station WAXQ-FM (Q104.3), which is owned by communications monolith Clear Channel. Since Clear Channel is a well-known supporter of Republican causes, I wonder how the Suits at Q104.3 felt about Burdon’s on-stage comments. I can’t imagine that they were too thrilled. There certainly is nothing “revolutionary” about Q104.3’s stale playlist.
Burdon’s backing band included Hilton Valentine (the only original Animal besides Burdon still in the band) and Billy Watts on guitars, Paula O’Rourke on bass, Tony Braunagel on drums, and Red Young on keyboards. They are a very tight band indeed. Valentine’s guitar intro to “House of the Rising Sun” actually gave me chills. It was superb. My only complaint is that some of the songs dragged on a bit too long. The great thing about many of The Animals’ hits in the 1960s was that they were so sharp and punchy. Padding the songs by featuring musicians in the band doing mini-solos makes the songs lose some of their original bite. Then again, Burdon has been performing some of these songs live for about 45 years. I suppose if the songs were performed in their original manner over and over, Burdon would’ve lost interest long ago.
The opening act was The Reverend John Delore, who delivered a crisp 35-minute set of good blues-tinged country rock. Delore played rhythm guitar and sang lead on most of the songs. The lead guitarist sang lead on a few of the songs. Delore’s band also included a keyboardist, bassist, and drummer.
I’m curious to read other reviews about Burdon’s New York show to see what each reviewer will write about the things Burdon was saying on stage. I do think that much of the crowd has settled into a comfort zone in their middle age in which there is little to no room for the “revolution” that Burdon urged those present to undertake. It is incredibly refreshing to know that while Burdon’s contemporaries are selling their music to Apple Computers and various versions of the CSI TV franchise, at least one veteran of the original British Invasion of 1964 still has his rock-solid ideals intact and isn’t selling out to anybody. Expressing the ideas that Burdon did onstage probably won’t win him many friends in certain circles during these politically correct times. (I wonder how Burdon’s comments go over in places that are far less liberal than New York City.) But for those who actually still give a damn about what the politicians are doing to this country (and to the world in general), Burdon’s angry and vitriolic words were like a rainstorm on a parched desert.
I had never seen Burdon live before the May 4th show. I came away from the concert quite impressed with Burdon as a performer. But I was even more impressed with Burdon as a human being. I listened intently as Burdon talked about hanging out with James Brown in 1960s Harlem and of the war protests in New York City in the late 1960s. Burdon tried to tie what was going on in the 1960s to the terrible things that are being done by our government today, and part of his anger seemed to stem from the fact that the idealism of the 1960s apparently has gone the way of the dinosaur. Burdon implored that we need to get that idealism back if anything is ever going to change. And to that, I can only say, “Amen, brother.”
— John Curley
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The Kills
5/1/08 — Webster Hall
NY, NY
Alison Mosshart, a Floridian, and Jamie Hince, a London native, the duo that comprise The Kills, met by chance when staying at the same hotel. Mosshart, unhappy with the band in which she was a member at the time, heard Hince playing his guitar in the room above hers and, intrigued by what he was playing, went up to his room to speak to him. They began working together soon after, and Mosshart moved to London to make the partnership workable.
It may have been fate that brought Mosshart and Hince together. Whatever the reason, their partnership is a rock-solid one, which they displayed in grand style on stage at New York City’s Webster Hall on Thursday night, May 1st. To put it simply, The Kills absolutely killed.
Touring behind their stellar third album, Midnight Boom, The Kills delivered a scorching set that combined material from their first two albums with songs from the new release, such as “Tape Song,” “U.R.A. Fever,” and their hit single “Cheap and Cheerful.” (iTunes used “Cheap and Cheerful” as its free single of the week about a month-and-a-half ago.)
Performing before a screen showing images of seminal bands like Television, the Velvet Underground, and the 1960s Rolling Stones, The Kills put on a high-energy show to the delight of the packed, hot, and sweaty audience. A drum machine and synthesizer fill out the sound of The Kills that features Hince on guitar and Mosshart on vocals. (Mosshart also played rhythm guitar on a few songs.) Their show was quite impressive, with the images on the screen and the music meshing together quite well. And Hince’s guitar work should get a special mention. He is a phenomenal musician, and he uses feedback to his advantage, creating an explosive wall of sound.
The Kills’ performance was halted at one point due to an incident backstage. There apparently was a small fire that needed to be dealt with. The Kills were performing when a New York City firefighter in full gear suddenly appeared on stage. An official from the venue then strode up to Mosshart’s microphone and told the crowd that the show would have to be halted temporarily so that the firefighters could deal with the problem. The official handled it pretty well. Nobody in the audience panicked, and there was no need to clear out the hall. The house lights came up for about 20 minutes while the problem was dealt with, the audience was thanked for their patience, and then The Kills returned to the stage. Without missing a beat, The Kills picked up where they had left off. It wasn’t long before The Kills had the audience back in their grasp, which is a testament to their immense talent.
The Kills’ amazing performance stood in stark contrast to that of the two support bands, The Child Ballads and Telepathe. The Child Ballads featured a singer who fancied himself as something of a drunken poet. He was rambling incoherently while the band played on behind him. They were tedium personified. Still, The Child Ballads’ set was better than that of the second band, Telepathe. Telepathe delivered a set filled with dirge-like synth music. They were abominable. When a terrible band performs before the headliner that you actually paid to see, it just makes the wait to see the headliner interminable. Telepathe’s set lasted about 30 minutes, but it felt like 10 hours.
It is to The Kills’ credit that they made the memory of the first two bands’ performances a distant one and gave the audience a spectacular show filled with one blistering song after another. The Kills are touring North America through May 28th. If anyone reading this has the opportunity to see them live, by all means go. They will knock your socks off.
— John Curley
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Jolie Holland
4/16/08 — Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY
On Wednesday, April 16th, folk-blues artist Jolie Holland (pictured above in a photo by Vern Evans) opened a three-week Wednesday night residency at Union Pool in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg section with a performance that was quite well received by the packed house. Performing a 14-song set and a one-song encore, Holland played both old material and some new songs from her upcoming album, The Living and the Dead, which is due to be released on ANTI Records in September. (Full disclosure: One of my brothers is married to Jolie Holland’s twin sister.)
Following a stellar support performance by her friend Jan Bell, who is from Brooklyn by way of Yorkshire, England, Holland took the stage and gave the crowd its money’s worth. Opening with a track from the upcoming album, Holland seemed amused by the song requests and other things that the audience members were shouting throughout the gig. At one point, she told the crowd a funny story about a dream she had in which she was married to Naked Lunch author William Burroughs.
Accompanied throughout the gig by drummer/bassist Shazad Ismaily, Holland was joined onstage for several songs by her former bandmate in the Be Good Tanyas, Samantha Parton. For the last three songs of the main set, Holland had several friends, including Parton and Bell, join her on stage. Holland revealed that last night’s show was the first time that they had all performed together.
For the encore, Holland chose a cover song titled “Fathers Have A Home” and performed the song with Parton and Bell.
Holland has a pretty devoted following in the New York City area and, whether she was performing new material or her better-known songs such as “Old Fashioned Morphine,” she commanded the audience’s attention.
I’d never been to Union Pool before. I liked it as a venue. It’s a pretty funky place, well-suited to the young arty hipster types who are suddenly populating Williamsburg in droves. It is the perfect venue for music of the style which Holland performs. I hope to see more shows there in the future.
Holland’s Wednesday night April residency continues for the next two Wednesdays—April 23 and 30. The cover charge is $12.00, which is a bargain these days for a night of quality live music.
— John Curley
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Adele
3/17/08 — Joe's Pub, NYC
Adele took the stage at Joe’s Pub alone on Monday night, and she told the crowd that she was battling both nervousness (as the gig was her first in both in New York City and the United States) and a bad chest cold. After this admission, she proceeded to play a stirring solo acoustic version of “Daydreamer,” the lead track from her debut album, 19. It was a good way to start the show, and the enthusiastic reaction from the crowd to the song probably put Adele’s nervousness to rest.
Born Adele Adkins on May 5, 1988 in London, Adele is only 19 years old. But her rich, fantastic voice would fool you into thinking that she is much older in that it sounds as if it comes from years of experience. Like Kate Nash and several other British singers to make recent breakthroughs. Adele attended the BRIT School in Croydon, England, from which she graduated in May 2006.
Joe’s Pub, as anybody who has been there knows, is a small, rather intimate venue. The stripped-down show that Adele presented at the venue really highlighted her voice. As good as Adele’s voice sounds on the 19 album, it was even more incredible live at Joe’s Pub, her chest cold notwithstanding.
After starting the show accompanying herself on an acoustic guitar, Adele was then joined by an acoustic guitarist. Later in the show, a keyboardist/pianist joined them on stage. The trio performed in various incarnations through the rest of the 50-minute, 10-song show.
Adele performed most of the songs from the 19 album at Joe’s Pub. For me, the highlights of the show were pretty amazing performances of the tracks “Chasing Pavements” and “Crazy For You.” The crowd roared their approval after both songs had concluded.
In addition to those tracks and the set opener “Daydreamer,” Adele also performed her own “Right As Rain,” “My Same,” “Melt My Heart To Stone,” “First Love,” and “Hometown Glory.” Adele’s first single was “Hometown Glory,” and the song, her best-known tune on this side of the Atlantic, served as the set closer.
Adele also performed two covers during the show.
The first cover she did was “That’s It, I Quit, I’m Movin’ On,” which is a Sam Cooke song. Adele confessed to the crowd that she first heard the song while riding in a car with her best friend, singer-songwriter Jack Peñate. Adele went on to say that Peñate told her that he wanted to do a cover of the song, but she liked the song so much that she decided to beat him to it. And a good choice it was, sounding fantastic on stage at Joe’s Pub.
The other cover was of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love,” which is included as a track on the 19 album.
Overall, the show was a stellar American and New York City debut for the spirited 19-year-old Londoner. She did have some minor problems with feedback and shot a few glares at the soundman in hopes that he would fix the problem immediately. Apart from that, though, Adele shone like the star that she will doubtless be on this side of the Atlantic in the near future.
Since Adele’s album is not yet available domestically in the States, this trip to North America was of the “get your feet wet” variety, and includes another New York show, as well as single shows in Los Angeles, Montreal, and Toronto. Adele will probably do a larger-scale tour in America later this year when her album is released domestically.
Currently, two Adele songs—a radio edit of “Hometown Glory” and “Best For Last”—are available domestically for purchase from iTunes. (“Hometown Glory” was iTunes’ spotlighted free single a few weeks ago.)
Adele recently was given the Critics’ Choice award at the BRIT Awards in London, which is the first of probably many awards that she will capture in her career if she continues to give performances such as the fantastic one that she gave on a mild St. Patrick’s Day evening at Joe’s Pub in New York City.
After the show, I hung around a bit to finish off my pint of Stella and to make some additional notes for this review. Downing the rest of the beer and satisfied that I had enough material to write this review, I headed off. And who should I bump into outside the venue but the star of the show, Adele, who was having an aftershow cigarette on Lafayette Street. Since Adele appeared to be relishing the smoke, I only chatted with her briefly. She seemed pleased with the way the performance had gone and thanked me for coming to the show.
I then made my way home with the knowledge that I had witnessed yet another amazing show in New York City by yet another amazing artist from the British Isles. As it was St. Patrick’s Day evening in New York City, there were a few glassy-eyed Amateur Hour drunks roaming the streets. Usually, that would bother me. But nothing would wipe the smile off of my face. I had just seen a star in the making, and I will not soon forget that performance.
— John Curley
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P.J. HARVEY
10/10/07 — Beacon, NYC
This might sound too simplistic, but if I had to sum up PJ Harvey’s solo performance on Wednesday, October 10th at the Beacon Theatre in New York City with one word, that word would be WOW.
For 90 minutes, Polly Jean Harvey held a sold-out Beacon Theatre absolutely spellbound. Performing without her band in her first New York City concert since 2004, Harvey, clad in a floor-length ruffled white dress similar to the one she wears on the cover of White Chalk, her latest CD, played several instruments and was accompanied at times by a drum machine. Harvey performed several songs from White Chalk, including the amazing “When Under Ether,” on piano with hushed vocals. As a stark counter to this, at other points in the show, Harvey strapped on an electric guitar and bashed out the chords to powerhouse rock songs like “Man-Size” and “Rid Of Me.”
While the audience was quiet when Harvey was performing, they were quite raucous in the breaks between songs. Harvey seemed to delight in the things that audience members were shouting. She sported a big grin throughout the concert and seemed positively giddy. When someone shouted, “I love your dress!” Harvey stated that the person who said that probably couldn’t see that she had the lyrics to the songs handwritten all over her dress as a concession to “age.” It was pretty funny, and elicited a good response from the crowd.
Polly Jean Harvey is one of the shining lights of the music industry today. She is a chameleon, and clearly not afraid to take chances. While many artists stick to the tried and true, Polly Harvey seems to change her musical style with every new album. Given the tenuous state of the record industry these days, this is a very risky way to operate indeed. But in Harvey’s case, it works. She hasn’t got a huge fan base here in America, but the fans that she does have in the States adore her and admire her for wanting to try different ideas musically. This was clearly in evidence at the Beacon Theatre show. The audience roared their approval after every song, and I saw a lot of smiling faces filing out of the venue at the end of the show.
This visit to America by PJ Harvey was limited to only two shows for some reason—the Beacon Theatre gig and a show on October 15th in Los Angeles. And that is kind of a shame. While that did make the Beacon Theatre show very special, one has to feel kind of bad for Harvey’s fans that don’t live on the East or West Coasts and were unable to witness Polly Jean’s magical night of music. I feel privileged to have been able to attend Harvey’s show at the Beacon Theatre. It was one of those really great gigs that you get to see every now and then, the ones that leave you tingling from head to toe as you exit the building and serve as a fantastic reminder of why you fell in love with music in the first place.
I can’t wait to see what PJ Harvey does next. Whatever it is, I will certainly be there again to see it.
— John Curley
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