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| From | "josh chasin" <jchasin@nyc.rr.com> |
| Subject | Pretenders 2-5-03 |
| Date | Fri, 7 Feb 2003 12:15:22 -0500 |
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After a lovely pre-show dinner with my wife and fellow Auditeer Henry Laura
(Audities tip: ALWAYS let him order the wine) I had the pleasure of seeing
the Pretenders at the first of their two Beacon shows this past Wednesday
(2/5). As usual, they were outstanding. Every time I've seen them I come
away shaking my head at how great they are (or more aptly, that I'd
forgotten how great). And Chrissie Hynde has to be one of the 25 coolest
people in the world-- tough, charming, beguiling, sexy, strong.; She looks
great at 52 (lord, can she be 52?), just totally in your face with who she
is, and she really couldn't give a fuck. Plus she has Jeff Beck's hair.
The current band-- with original drummer Martin Chambers back in the fold,
Adam Seymour on "lead" guitar (like the Stones, there is a case to be made
that Chrissie's rhythm playing, like that of Keith Richards, is really the
lead guitar, despite the fact that it is the other player doing the
soloing), and Andy Hobson on bass, and augmented by a keyboard player who's
name I did not catch-- was superb. When this foursome first assembled for
1994's Last of the Independents album and tour, I thought they were a little
rough and raw; Seymour and Hobson seemed at the time to be in just a little
bit over their heads. But Chrissie has whipped them into shape (just pause
for a moment and consider the prospect of Chrissie Hynde whipping you into
shape... the line forms behind me) and they lay down the thunder like her
original classic combo. Hobson was outstanding on bass-- laying down those
slow, fat, dumb bass lines (this is a complement; dumb as in simple,
insistent, and uncluttered) that shook the room, providing the classic
bottom of the Pretenders' first two records. And Seymour has emerged as a
total stud, his interplay with Chrissie seamless and searing. Of particular
note was his ability to capture the wistful soaring of Billy Bremner's
original solo on the sweet "Back On the Chain Gang", without sounding like
an imitation.
Here is the setlist; asterisks denote songs from the new, reggae-tinged
release, Loose Screw:
Lie To Me*
Time*
Message of Love
My Baby
Talk of the Town
You Know Who Your Friends Are*
Time the Avenger
Up the Neck
Fools Must Die* >
My City Was Gone
The Losing*
Biker
Back On the Chain Gang
Nothing Breaks Like a Heart*
Complex Person*
Don't Get Me Wrong
Rebel Rock Me
Night In My Veins
Middle of the Road
I'll Stand By You
Precious
Mystery Achievement
Brass In Pocket
Note that except for the encores, the set did not rely at all on that
classic first album, including only one tune, "Up the Neck." The two songs
from Pretenders II that have been highlights live for years-- "Talk of the
Town" and "Message of Love"-- were, as usual, perfect and glorious. "Talk"
is a jangly epiphany; "Message" is a great two-guitar rhythmic workout, and
both are simply perfect pop or rock or punk or new wave songs. Hell,
categories be damned. They are just plain perfect. If the concert was a
vinyl record, after each I'd have dropped the needle back at the beginning
of the track.
Chrissie was in fine, strong voice all night, and the Beacon-- not generally
the best sound venue in town-- resonated with her strong, confident, defiant
vocals. As they played seven songs from the new album, there was a
reggae-ish flare to the show, although the Pretenders have leaned
periodically in that direction since "Private Life" on the first, and "Waste
Not Want Not" on the second.
The opening two numbers are also the first two tracks off the new album;
"Lie" kicked right in with a mighty roar, bigger and deeper live than on
record, its driving beat reminiscent of the instrumental "Space Invaders."
Chrissie and Seymour laid down dueling chimes for "My Baby." Before the
song, she took off her outer jacket or shirt to reveal the (obviously) black
t-shirt she wore underneath-- clingy, but in a muscle car way, not a Britney
Spears way. Amid signs of crowd approval, she flirted, "You like this?"
Then the first Pretenders beauty tip of the night. "You want to know how to
get a body like this? If you're male and under thirty, come backstage after
the show."
On several songs-- the immediately likable "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart"
(which she dedicated to promoter Ron Delsner), Complex Person", and of
course Brass In Pocket"-- she put down the ax and just sang. But the real
highlights, I thought, were the songs where her oddly rhythmic, ringing
guitar chords provided the propulsion.
Crowd favorites were probably "Don't Get Me Wrong", "I'll Stand By You", and
anything from the first album. I was hoping the last encore would be "Kid",
not "Brass In Pocket"-- the latter was never one of my favorite Pretenders
songs. But my wife, who when we walked out into the crisp Manhattan night
was still singing it, explained to me: "It's a quintessential chick song."
So then I'm not supposed to get it.
Well, Chrissie Hynde is the quintessential chick in my book. The boys in
the band come and go, the band soldiers on, always great, always tight and
jangly and right on the money. This night was no exception.
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