To the cynic, the scene milling around in front of the sold-out Wilbur — a jarringly diverse gathering of teens, baby-boomers, yuppies, muttering scalpers, and dudes demonstrating every conceivable way to position a ballcap — could merely have been proof of the power of a hit single. Two years later, people just want to hear “Crazy” in person.
The luxuriously lush disco of NYC’s eight-piece Hercules and Love Affair made the wait easier on everybody. Their mythic motif played well with the Greek key meander lining the proscenium, and their Downtown 81 vibe (Kim Ann Foxman’s hair-up-to-there; the high glamor of stunningly leggy, busty, and transgendered vocalist Nomi; a pair of jacked horn players; the whole band donning torn-up “BANJEE” T-shirts) played well with just about everybody. Mingling throwback NYC disco with contemporary house and pop (and doing so without the help of Antony Hegarty’s high-profile trill), the Love Affair moved from era to era as smoothly as they morphed from song to song. By the time they concluded with their own themesong, they’d all but won over the house — a tall order from a potentially obsequious opening act.
Gnarls Barkley (or “Ceeeee-Loooooo!”, as the weirdly obsessed shriekers in the audience might have had it) had less success fusing old and new. Dressed as nerds (a bold step down from their elaborate costumage of yore) this band of seven (including the likeably mum Danger Mouse) flailed around the stage, desperately trying to dovetail ’60s soul pop with something more, let’s say, collegiate, but their uneven songs sounded as out of their element as the members looked. Although “Run” featured hot call-and-response action and “Blind Mary” stood firmly behind its lax hooklessness, Cee-Lo had to lose clothes to stoke enthusiasm — or just play “Crazy” already. And when Gnarls Barkley half-heartedly sprinted through that, the satisfied crowd seemed, well, merely satisfied. Even an optimist would be hard pressed not to see this as proof of the futility of a hit single.
Related:
’Round the outside, Portland scene report, June 23, 2006, Market demand, More 
- ’Round the outside
Although music isn’t necessarily getting more political in content these days, it does seem to be borrowing a trope from the political world.
- Portland scene report, June 23, 2006
WCLZ hosts LaMontagne special; Zachary Oberzan's new CD and upcoming show; Cal Clark releases compilation disc
- Market demand
The first time I saw Deerhunter was two years ago at Emo’s in Austin, as part of SxSW.
- Hype writers
St. Elsewhere has songs about Inspector Gadget, Transformers, necrophilia, and various kinds of monsters. Fun fun fun. Fantastic Voyagers: your soundtrack to summer . By Nick Sylvester
- RIP 3516
Over the years, hordes of bands have played 3516 (Darkbuster and many more), and this Monday at the Middle East upstairs, there’s a benefit for the displaced rockers.
- Triple threat
This Friday, October 24, at the Middle East upstairs, no fewer than three local rock bands will release brand-new CDs on the very same night — at the very same show.
- Hollerpalooza
Eli “Paperboy” Reed seems dubious about my following him for a few hours before and after his five o’clock Lollapalooza show in Chicago’s Grant Park last Sunday.
- Fantastic voyagers
What will be this year's songs of summer? Here are the top contenders. LISTEN: Nelly Furtado, "Maneater" | Keane, "Is It Any Wonder?"
- Re-taking a leak
When last we left Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, it was November of 2008, and he was ready to put that year to bed. A couple of months earlier, an eager fan downloading one of Cox's many "virtual seven-inches" had sleuthed out a whole Mediafire folder full of goodies that Cox had posted but not protected.
- Y'all come back now . . .
I've always liked the idea of there being some weight to the "nines," meaning: if you're a year, and you're going to perch yourself at the very edge of a decade, you'd better be ready to represent.
- On-point tips
A Checklist For A Tribe Called Quest’s Reunion Show
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Topics:
Live Reviews
, Entertainment, Music, Gnarls Barkley, More
, Entertainment, Music, Gnarls Barkley, Danger Mouse, Antony Hegarty, Cee-Lo, Hercules and Love Affair, Less
