Musical Break

It's been a busy couple of weeks: handling press and the completion of a new exhibition video for the Museum has filled most of my time lately, but more on that later... right now I'm looking forward to a week's vacation.

Here comes the sunnier days for musician Diego Garcia...
but it's alright. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. 

It kicked off in grand style this past Friday, as we attended a concert by Diego Garcia in downtown Albany, courtesy of our friends at radio station, WEXT. For the uninitiated, Garcia is an Argentine-American musician whose work we like quite a bit (we even chose his cover of the Kinks' "Strange Effect" as our first dance); his album Laura (inspired by the separation from his girlfriend, now wife) was one of my favorites from last year, and he has just released his second, entitled Paradise. The overall mood is a bit lighter on this sophomore release, which had me concerned, as I tend to be attracted to the grayer shades of contemporary music (as Sarah is quick to point out). No worries though: as we heard during his lively concert, there is plenty more strong material to be enjoyed this time around (and we continue to love Zeke Zima's passionate Spanish guitar playing).

A week before, we were treated to another special concert by WEXT, going to see Fitz and the Tantrums with fellow Los Angelelians, Capital Cities. This was our forth time seeing Fitz and his band perform (their neo-soul album, Picking Up The Pieces was another one of my recent favorites). Like Garcia, I was a little worried that their latest album, More Than Just a Dream, was going to stray too far from the more thoughtful tone of its predecessor (same story: musician writes fantastic album inspired by the loss of his then-girlfriend). No problem. There is still good material (especially the first six songs), and the band seems more confident than ever onstage. 

I miss hearing more of Fitz's classic soul vibe on More Than Just a Dream, but their sound has embraced even more of a new wave style, which has its interesting moments. And talk about flashback... I think their opening act, Capital Cities, would have no problem fitting in back in 1982... talk about your synthpop dance party! It was good fun, and also nice to recognize a couple of their songs, "Safe and Sound" and "Kangaroo Court," which I had already been enjoying on the radio.

What else have I been listening to lately... well, I really dig what I have heard of Arcade Fire's double-album, Reflektor. The band certainly has been consistent in quality over the years, and the "retro" electro sound again has to be pointed out... sort of dark, new wave mashed up with Haitian rhythms, which I can't complain about. I was also delighted to learn that David Bowie sings backup on the title song: each time I listen, I find myself excitedly waiting for his lines... about halfway through.

Since we are talking about the blurred line of past/future rock and roll, I should point out the recent passing of musician Lou Reed. I have admired some of his higher profile songs ("Perfect Day," "Sweet Jane," "Walk on the Wild Side"), but must admit to knowing little of the larger body of his work, solo or with the Velvet Underground... it seems I should, as he pretty much paved the way for Bowie and many of the indie, alternative rockers I listen to today. I do recall, months before his death, being surprised at how "modern" the Velvets' song "Rock & Roll" sounded when it came on the radio.

Ok, writing this blog has started to feel like the work I'm trying to take a break from, so time to for me to tune in (music, music) and drop out. Enjoy the sound samples, and I'll write more soon.

"Just a reflektor..." Photo courtesy David Bowie (Official) Facebook. All rights reserved.

Related Links:

diegogarcianyc.com

fitzandthetantrums.com

capitalcitiesmusic.com

arcadefire.com

davidbowie.com

exit977.org

"Lou Reed, 1942-2003," Rolling Stone, November 6, 2013

Sound of Sunshine

Wow. What a great week this has been for music. 

Take me out! Franz Ferdinand, live on Letterman. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. 
All rights reserved.

Thanks to all who tuned into our radio show this past Monday. Sarah and I were heading back from the Franz Ferdinand concert in New York City that evening, and were able to catch the live streaming of the show off our phone. I really think Sarah sounded great, and I enjoyed our banter and song selections. For those who missed it, WEXT will rebroadcast our My Exit show this Saturday, July 27, 8 a.m. ET. 

Franz Ferdinand shining light on the dark of the
matinee. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Franz Ferdinand was fantastic. We queued up outside of the Ed Sullivan Theater an hour or so before showtime, and caught a glimpse of Paul Shaffer as he left the building following that evening's taping of The Late Show (no sign of Dave Letterman though). It really was interesting being inside of the historic theater, seeing the stage set in-person and realizing how small the venue actually is (I kept thinking that this was where the Beatles made their U.S. debut!) Franz Ferdinand ran through a rocking, energetic set... seriously, I was completely in my element, dancing in the aisles to the band's infectious blend of angular, artsy, indie rock. FF have been consistent songwriters over the years, and I loved hearing many favorites (especially The Dark of the Matinee!). Their new stuff sounds solid as well. 

After the show, which was streamed live on the Letterman website, we were able to meet the Scottish rockers... a real treat! The following day we relived the concert by watching the webcast, still dumbfounded by how small the studio is. You can catch the show here and, if you're look close enough, see me raise my arm in triumphant indie rocker glory.

JC with Alex Kapranos, lead singer of Franz Ferdinand.
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Last night we kept the live music theme going by checking out roots rocker JD McPherson  at The Ale House, a very small pub in nearby Troy, New York. I only found out last week about this last-minute show, and I was elated! I have been waiting for McPherson to play in the area... hell... even the East Coast, since I first heard his music a year ago (his album Signs & Signifiers was high on my list of favorite albums for 2012). 

JD McPherson and band rocking out The Ale House, Troy, NY,
July 2013. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

This show really was intimate... it felt like we were in the band's living room! The brick and mortar design of the pub lent a real throwback atmosphere to the gig. Rockabilly at its finest, and McPherson did not disappoint! I mentioned before how, as a performer myself, I am a little intimidated by his vocals... he brings such raw energy and conviction. Real soul. The music has a similar quality... in fact, we met the band after the gig and spoke with them at good length about how they deliberately sought out vintage equipment and recording methods (analogue vs. digital) to get the right groove for their first album. It was a truly memorable evening... a raw, feel-good vibe... the crowd loved the band, and they seemed to feed off of that energy. Sarah said she had a smile on her face the entire evening, and for me it was just a dream to see them in such a venue... Before last week, I had been tempted to drive out again to the Newport Folk Festival, where they are playing this Friday, but they finally came to our backyard. A special evening... I hope they will return soon.

Mr. and Mrs. C with JD. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

This weekend we are heading back to my hometown to visit friends and family. Really looking forward to getting away... with music blaring from the car radio, of course.

Related Links:

Exit 97.7 WEXT (listen live)

www.franzferdinand.com

www.jdmcpherson.com

Live on Letterman

Everyday Is Like Sunday

Sorry, I couldn't resist that title. I thought today was as good a chance as any to finally talk about last Thursday's concert. I had seen Morrissey live a few times before, so I felt I was somewhat prepared...

The first time I saw the Mozzer was in 1992, Springfield, Massachusetts--it was my junior year of college, and around the time I really started getting into his work. He had just released Your Arsenal, and I was taken by the aggressive, guitar sound (at times rockabilly) that somehow worked alongside his personal, introspective lyrics. In retrospect, it was an approach he had already successfully utilized during his time with the Smiths, but I wasn't as aware of that music when it was originally released. This album, however, came out right during the grunge music years... and it seemed a bit more energetic and fresh in comparison. There was also the "look" of Morrissey (again, sort of a rockabilly meets beat poet) and the opinionated yet ambiguous way that he presented himself, which both confounded and intrigued the public. He just seemed awfully cool and different... somehow I always find myself going "against the grain."



Another album followed in the spring of 1994--the more reflective Vauxhall and I. It seemed a perfect "release" for me at the time (especially the track "Hold On To You Friends"), as I had experienced a rather rocky, emotional year, and was just figuring out how to find my footing. I appreciated the comfort of the artist's work so much that I traveled out to New York City to try and meet him during a signing he was giving at Tower Records. What I found were blocks of fans lined on the streets for the opportunity, making me realize the extent to which people had connected with his work. Unfortunately, I did not get in... I stood out for a few hours, and only caught a glimpse of the artist, holding up a sign that read "I'm sorry" for the many he did not have time to get to--I think that simple gesture said something about the respect he felt for his fans, in contrast to the acerbic nature of some of his opinions and lyrics. 



Things got quieter as the years went on... although I frequently played his new material during my stint as a DJ, I didn't find it quite as melodic and engaging, even though the love of all things Britpop was getting stronger and stronger for me. I did find myself going back to the early Smiths albums, and realizing that these were even more special for their heartfelt music and lyrics. 

In 2004, Morrissey returned to form with the album You Are the Quarry, and it had some splendid songs that seemed to come back around to a more simple, direct form of songwriting. After a long absence, a new tour was announced, with a special date at New York's legendary Apollo Theater... considering my love of soul music and Britpop, it was too tempting to resist. That was a lovely concert... with a lush theater providing quite the backdrop to Moz's melodramatic flourishes... plus, he was finally playing Smiths songs! Hearing "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" live was sheer joy... I caught him again in Boston a few months later, but that was marred by a drunken girlfriend who was causing me trouble at the time... heaven knows I was "miserable" now.



So this year, Morrissey was finally coming to me... Albany's Palace Theater, and I looked forward to bringing my sweet wife Sarah and good friend Frank to share in the experience. As I mentioned, the fantastic independent station WEQX was giving tickets away the other week, and I thought I would give it a shot... and won! So our upgrade to the second row promised to make this show all the more memorable.

There were the expected Morrissey clones--hair quiffs and moody black... people you half-expected to have a book of poetry under their arm. The one thing I haven't mentioned yet is that people have often thought that I resembled the artist (especially during the early 90s), and I haven't heard the last of that once Sarah and Frank made the same observation. I wondered if Moz himself considered it... we were literally looking straight across from each other during the show!

Yes, we realized that our second row seats were actually in the first-- we couldn't have been closer to the stage in some respects. We only caught a little of opening act Kristeen Young, which sounded interesting to me... more like a Bjork clone to Sarah. This was followed by a stream of film clips which I mentioned yesterday... offering a taste of some of Morrissey's early influences, including writer Oscar Wilde, whose wit the Brit certainly shares. 



Once Moz took the stage, you could feel the energy. Devoted fans who held on to their heart, and mouthed every lyric. I enjoyed doing the latter, especially to such songs as "You Have Killed Me" and "Everyday is Like Sunday." Morrissey looked older and didn't seem to move around as much as I remembered, but he and his band certainly did not lack energy or playing ability. At times I found myself impressed at how strong the singer's voice remains... he belted a cover of Frankie Valli's "To Give (The Reason I Live)" that made you think it was a song of his own creation. 

A Morrissey show is not a typical rock show, I think. Because of the nature of his music, it has the air of melancholy... slight depression... yet the music usually succeeds in countering that, and turning it into something quite emotional and, at times, uplifting. This was the case again at this show, although at times I felt it veered too much into a downbeat direction. Case in point: during his rendition of The Smiths' controversial "Meat Is Murder," the outspoken vegetarian showed film clips of the abuses of cattle and poultry farms. I have seen such footage before and been moved by it (I haven't actually eaten red meat in over ten years), but I think showing it in this venue was a bit much. Perhaps something a bit more abstract would have made it easier to digest... my poor wife averted her eyes, and I think many in the audience did not know how to react following this depressing visual... the songs that followed didn't help lift the spirits much. I think it's always a very fine line with this type of music, to not make it too despairing. 

Energy came back to the show in a big way with the common spectacle of fans trying to rush the stage and offer the singer a hug. It is always interesting... I think has been a part of every show I have seen. What happens is a dramatic tug of war between fans, security, and the artist... in some ways it is more "rock and roll" than the more typical shows I see! I was tempted at one point, but did not want to jeopardize my perfect seat. The same reason, I took very few photos... proper cameras were actually prohibited, but once I saw others disobeying and snapping shots with their phones, I decided to do the same. By the end of the concert and an encore of The Smiths classic "How Soon Is Now?" the true emotional energy of a Morrissey concert was revealed, and we were lucky to be able to witness it live, up-front and direct.

After the show, Sarah and Frank kidded me about the resemblance, and also picked up on the fact that many of my "moves" when I am performing seem borrowed from Morrissey. Looks like I have been found out! I hadn't really thought of it, but there is something I have picked up on with some of his stage antics, the same way that I have observed soul artists, The Beatles, Morten Harket, and David Bowie over the years. I especially liked one review of the concert that described Morrissey's use of the microphone cord as resembling a whip for a lion tamer... too true--I have used that trick, as well as the overdramatic sauntering around and falling to the stage. Why not?... I'm not really conscious of it, but I guess I have always been a bit of a sponge for pop music, much like Morrissey himself... 

One cool ending to the night: we ended up landing a V.I.P. pass, and hung out afterwards to try and meet the reclusive singer. After a bit of a wait, security came out and said that unfortunately he had "long gone"... we started to head out, when the singer's long-time guitarist Boz Boorer came out to greet some friends. We managed to speak to him as well, and I finally got my copy of Vauxhall and I signed... not by Morrissey, but I guess this was the next best thing (Boorer had also collaborated on this album that I so enjoyed). 

As I wrote, the next day I was exhausted... but did pull myself together to perform with my improv group. I guess people enjoyed it, but I had mixed feelings. It's hard to just switch it on when you're not really feeling it... especially with comedy. I wondered how musicians like Morrissey manage to do it every night on tour? Performing is not easy, and it must be challenging for the acts who care enough to give their fans a great show every time... Moz seems to find a way--I have yet to attend a bad concert, where he didn't seem to be giving it his all... I'm sure it won't be the last.

All photos ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Related Links:

"Morrissey Pleases Crowd at the Palace," Albany Times Union, October 19, 2012

"Morrissey is the same old Morrissey (in seal-hunt free Albany, N.Y.)," National Post, October 19, 2012

Morrissey's Official Facebook page


Still intrigued? Check out this great documentary we discovered yesterday:
"The Importance of Being Morrissey"