As it turned out, we had a lovely evening at Monica's, an enjoyable night at the show, and for the first time in a month, a weekend at home.
- The pre-opening act was A Fine Frenzy. I was not familiar with their music but was wildly mesmerized with their melancholy music that focuses itself on the tragedy of break-ups. During their absolutely beautiful song, Almost Lover, the vocalist, Alison Sudol, invited the audience to silently recount their personal experiences of near-hit and absolute-heartbreak. No thanks.
Here's what I don't understand: were I a musician singing of personal torment and despondency, I wouldn't be able to write beautiful ballads of what was once but will never be; ballads are for the beginning of relationships; my break-up songs would be more Henry Rollins than James Blunt.
- Neko Case, however, was the sole reason I bought tickets.
Not only is she easy on the eyes, she's the most talented writer/singer I've know of. Since she wasn't supporting her most recent album, she was free to play songs from earlier albums and even covered Dylan's Bucket of Rain.
I like her style. Many of her songs are zoic and dwell on Eastern European mythology and the skewed reality of slippery truth. She's witty, acerbic, and crass in a very charming way.
- Wainwright was entertaining enough. His show was a fabulous combination of something that would have come out of the Cocoanut Grove mixed with Studio 54.
Yet another thing I don't understand: American progressives who, in the past 7 years, have found it fashionable to find everything wrong with our country and who come off like the resistance in Casablanca - waiting in quiet desperation for an exit visa.
The brochure of Baldwinia makes it sound like a great place to live now. What happens after that first election that doesn't go your way? Be ready, that could be a real deal-breaker.
