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yrmencynI am in a very fine mood right now. Last weekend (that is to say, the weekend before the weekend of St. Patrick's Day), some of us had been talking about concerts we'd seen, etc etc, and Rich mentioned that Ted Leo/Pharmacists were playing tonight at Chelsea's. That, people, is an opportunity not to be missed. I went early, both to snag a little food and to be assured of snagging a good crowd spot. I was accompanied in this endeavor by Katie, her Steve, and Mandi (Erin, I'm feeling a lot of remorse for not specifically inviting you - you hadn't expressed interest when I mentioned it here a few weeks ago, and I know you've got thesis madness our the wazoo, but I still should have given you a call; forgive me?). First, let me say that I am absolutely in love with the new Chelsea's. After being all but forced out of its old Northgate location back at the close of 2005, it has just reopened in the Perkins Overpass area, in the building where the Colonel's Club used to be. This location is easily twice the size of the old one, possibly more like three times. The dining area/performance space is the size of the entire old site. There are actual bathrooms that don't involve crawling over the bar to get to. The second bar is separate from the performance space, so you can come and have drinks, no cover, even if there's a show on. And despite all the changes, it still feels right. It's different, but the changes are all for the better, I think, and didn't damage the flavor of the establishment. And now that they have Wi-Fi, I may even use it as a coffeeshop alternative occasionally, I think.
Now, on the the show. The first show at the new Chelsea's. I was a bit worried going into it, because they had to cancel last night's gig in Houston because Ted lost his voice. My fears were well-founded, because Ted's voice was obviously weak. That didn't stop him and his band from giving the performance their absolute all, though. They didn't let up one bit. The only concession that they made to Ted's voice was bringing in guest vocalists from the crowd. No, seriously. "Does anybody know the lyrics to 'Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone'?" Princess Ojiaku did, and she and a friend hopped up there and tore it up. That sort of thing went on throughout the night, with everybody from the tour manager to a local drunk to Ben Kopel stepping up and singing part or all of the songs. Ted sang a good amount of the stuff, but by the end of the set, "Biomusicology" and "Shake the Sheets" were largely instrumental, since either nobody knew the lyrics well enough, or if they did they were too scared to go up. I'm kicking myself, because I'm in the first group. I love "Biomusicology," but I couldn't scrape the lyrics together well enough in my head. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to go borrow liner notes from one of the merch table CDs, but that's a chance gone away, oh well.
I know from the above description it sounds like it could be a lackluster or disappointing show, but I thought it was amazing. In fact, the worst parts of the show were the parts where Ted just couldn't sing and nobody stepped up -- the blurring of the line between performer and audience did nothing but enhance the experience! And even with Ted's voice off, they were all three completely solid instrumentally. It was a really great gig.
As a sidenote, the openers were quality too. Les Aus, a duo from Barcelona with a penchant for noise and loops, started out with an energizing freeform set that reminded me a lot of the Tim Reynolds concert I went to some years ago (2000/2001, I think) in that the music was something you could get fully lost in and enjoy, or resist and get mind-fucked. Also like the Reynolds show, it was amazing to watch and hear in concert, but I would have little interest in hearing it studio; some bands are just live bands to me. The second opener, Duke Spirit, I wasn't so big on -- a little too homogeneously wall-of-sound multi-guitar Brit rock for my taste -- but I was the only one of our fivesome (Rich joined shortly before the concert started) who didn't like them much, so the majority deems them worthy. Their lead singer was also responsible for one of my favorite linguistic moments in the show, when joked about Ted Leo, who had just hopped up on stage a moment before to guest vocal. In a lovely slangy Londoner twang she said "Buncha fuckin' weirdos in here! That one guy there keeps coming over to try and bum a fag!" Then she switched to pretty much perfect Received Pronunciation and said "That's an English phrase that means 'borrow a cigarette'." It wasn't the 'bum a fag' bit that was funny, as such -- been there, done that -- but the fluid accent shift carrying the connotative meaning. Go her.
Anyway, yes. Fantastic, just fantastic.
Now, on the the show. The first show at the new Chelsea's. I was a bit worried going into it, because they had to cancel last night's gig in Houston because Ted lost his voice. My fears were well-founded, because Ted's voice was obviously weak. That didn't stop him and his band from giving the performance their absolute all, though. They didn't let up one bit. The only concession that they made to Ted's voice was bringing in guest vocalists from the crowd. No, seriously. "Does anybody know the lyrics to 'Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone'?" Princess Ojiaku did, and she and a friend hopped up there and tore it up. That sort of thing went on throughout the night, with everybody from the tour manager to a local drunk to Ben Kopel stepping up and singing part or all of the songs. Ted sang a good amount of the stuff, but by the end of the set, "Biomusicology" and "Shake the Sheets" were largely instrumental, since either nobody knew the lyrics well enough, or if they did they were too scared to go up. I'm kicking myself, because I'm in the first group. I love "Biomusicology," but I couldn't scrape the lyrics together well enough in my head. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to go borrow liner notes from one of the merch table CDs, but that's a chance gone away, oh well.
I know from the above description it sounds like it could be a lackluster or disappointing show, but I thought it was amazing. In fact, the worst parts of the show were the parts where Ted just couldn't sing and nobody stepped up -- the blurring of the line between performer and audience did nothing but enhance the experience! And even with Ted's voice off, they were all three completely solid instrumentally. It was a really great gig.
As a sidenote, the openers were quality too. Les Aus, a duo from Barcelona with a penchant for noise and loops, started out with an energizing freeform set that reminded me a lot of the Tim Reynolds concert I went to some years ago (2000/2001, I think) in that the music was something you could get fully lost in and enjoy, or resist and get mind-fucked. Also like the Reynolds show, it was amazing to watch and hear in concert, but I would have little interest in hearing it studio; some bands are just live bands to me. The second opener, Duke Spirit, I wasn't so big on -- a little too homogeneously wall-of-sound multi-guitar Brit rock for my taste -- but I was the only one of our fivesome (Rich joined shortly before the concert started) who didn't like them much, so the majority deems them worthy. Their lead singer was also responsible for one of my favorite linguistic moments in the show, when joked about Ted Leo, who had just hopped up on stage a moment before to guest vocal. In a lovely slangy Londoner twang she said "Buncha fuckin' weirdos in here! That one guy there keeps coming over to try and bum a fag!" Then she switched to pretty much perfect Received Pronunciation and said "That's an English phrase that means 'borrow a cigarette'." It wasn't the 'bum a fag' bit that was funny, as such -- been there, done that -- but the fluid accent shift carrying the connotative meaning. Go her.
Anyway, yes. Fantastic, just fantastic.
