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| From | "Michael Bennett" <mrhonorama@hotmail.com> |
| Subject | Correction on Re: Sparks in Central Park |
| Date | Tue, 05 Aug 2003 22:56:25 -0500 |
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Song was "My Baby's Taking Me Home"...
M
Record reviews and more at http://fufkin.com
>From: "Michael Bennett" <mrhonorama@hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: audities@smoe.org
>To: audities@smoe.org
>Subject: Sparks in Central Park
>Date: Tue, 05 Aug 2003 22:49:31 -0500
>
>This past weekend I made my first trip to New York City. Fantastic.
>Alive. Wet (rained almost every day). As great of a time as I had, I am
>still not sold that NYC pizza is better than Chicago's, though the real
>thing is better than the NYC style elsewhere.
>
>Anyway, I went to Central Park this past Sunday to see Sparks for the
>second time in my life. Making the occasion all the better was to get to
>see a show again with Auditeer Sherman Boim, and Sherman radiates a
>positive vibe, making it a perfect scene for a show. (Also got to meet
>Auditeer Henry Laura, which was cool).
>
>Support band Junior Senior play frothy empty headed party music.
>Everything from club music to B-52s to The Beatles to Chic was referenced.
>The soundmix didn't really benefit them, as there wasn't enough bottom. I
>didn't dislike them, but with out a fat bottom, it just didn't quite work,
>though they may be a good next step for kids currently jonesing on The
>Wiggles.
>
>Moving up pretty close to the stage for Sparks (and the Summerstage area is
>pretty nice -- the place wasn't jammed, but it was about 75-80% full when
>we clambered up near the front). The band (Ron and Russell Mael, Tammy
>Glover on drums and Dean (forgot his last name, used to be in Faith No
>More) on guitar. They did the entire LIL' BEETHOVEN album. The set had a
>video screen in back, which was often flashing different images of Ron.
>
>I was wondering how they would handle performing the densely produced
>album, with its layers of synthesizers, faux strings and overdubbed chorals
>of Russell Mael vocals). Well, for most songs, they relied on a lot of
>prerecorded stuff. I guess short of touring with Polyphonic Spree, that's
>the only way they can do it. This made for a tough mix -- trying to
>balance Russell's live mike in with the taped Russell's in the background.
>(On "Your Call Is Very Important", I don't think he did any live vocals...)
>There were spots where they stripped it down to just Russell with Ron
>accompanying on piano ("I Married Myself" and "Suburban Homeboy").
>
>I wish they could have added more live elements. But otherwise, I was very
>happy with the performance. There were lots of little bits of humor (Ron
>wearing extra long fake arms, Ron interacting with video images on the
>screen, during "What Are These Bands So Angry About?", Ron sitting in front
>of Russell holding up a cigarette lighter). Russell seems to have a lost a
>bit of power off his voice but still has most of his range.
>
>Two songs really killed me -- "My Baby's Taking Home", which consists of
>the title phrase being sung over and over and over and over and over... was
>even better than on the album, and Dean's guitar really helped make the
>song drive. And the rocker "Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls" worked
>splendidly, with Ron strolling the stage with a tall blonde on his arm.
>
>After a brief break, the band did a five song encore. They did "I Predict"
>and "Cool Places", extending each. The former came off a bit better -- I'm
>not sold on Tammy Glover's drumming, which seemed pretty weak on both "Cool
>Places" and "This Town Ain't Big Enough For the Both of Us" -- the latter
>was a trip to finally see played in person, but, for some reason, the
>guitar at the beginning was a bit tamped down, though that was rectified
>throughout the rest. They also did two GRATUITOUS SAX songs -- "When I
>Kiss You I Hear Charlie Parker Playing", which is a trifle, IMO, and the
>finale, "When Do I Get To Say My Way", which is one of their best dance
>songs and sounded fantastic.
>
>After all that, and a very enthusiastic reception, Ron took the mike and
>told the fans that it was not the plan to skip playing New York for 20
>years and how much he truly appreciated the response and said they'd be
>back soon -- as my friend Dave noted, in the aftermath of a show which is
>so steeped in humor (done seriously) and irony and such, it was utterly
>sincere. They stayed at the merch booth to sign stuff. (I had gone to a
>Friday in-store at the Greenwich Village Tower -- Ron read lyrics from the
>new album -- weird).
>
>All in all, a good but not great show. I wish they had a full band. I
>think that the LIL' BEETHOVEN show will translate better to an indoor venue
>and I hope it makes it to Chicago (and they also will have more time --
>curfew forced the shorter second set).
>
>One more note -- caught Les Paul last night at Iridium jazz club -- if you
>have the slightest interest in the man, go, go, go. Lots of standards, a
>guitarist of impeccable feel, who is funny and has amazing stories -- and
>he looks great for an 88 year old man.
>
>Mike Bennett
>
>Record reviews and more at http://fufkin.com
>
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