It feels retarded / I want you to like me
I went to see Xiu Xiu. More pictures at my Flickr.
Xiu Xiu were wonderful. The opening acts made me want to personally apologize to every half-assed opening act I have ever made fun of. First a fellow performing under the name Prurient got up onstage and rubbed two microphones together while tweaking the feedback settings. There were also vocals, but I am happy to say I could make out only a single two-word phrase. That phrase was "UNIVERSAAAAAAAL SOLITUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE." After him, I had moderate hopes for Carla Bozulich's band Evangelista -- she is charismatic and has an attractive voice. Sadly it soon became clear that her performing persona is wholly dependent on the pity and alarm inspired in the audience by her dangerously altered state. As the climax of her set, she waded out into the audience and repeatedly tried to fall down. Depressing.
Anyway, the good part: Xiu Xiu. The band remains small -- just Jamie Stewart, his cousin and the muse of his mid-career rejuvenation Caralee McElroy, and a drummer. Jamie rocked out like a rocker, which I was not really expecting. The intimacy between him and Caralee is lovely; as always at shows with my outdated camera and unpracticed hand I was continually frustrated at missing chances for photos, but this time I passed one up deliberately: the look of tenderness he gave her at the end of "Fabulous Muscles" -- as his part ended and she played the final bars -- was held for a long time, but it was so beautiful that I just couldn't bear to use the flash.
Xiu Xiu were wonderful. The opening acts made me want to personally apologize to every half-assed opening act I have ever made fun of. First a fellow performing under the name Prurient got up onstage and rubbed two microphones together while tweaking the feedback settings. There were also vocals, but I am happy to say I could make out only a single two-word phrase. That phrase was "UNIVERSAAAAAAAL SOLITUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE." After him, I had moderate hopes for Carla Bozulich's band Evangelista -- she is charismatic and has an attractive voice. Sadly it soon became clear that her performing persona is wholly dependent on the pity and alarm inspired in the audience by her dangerously altered state. As the climax of her set, she waded out into the audience and repeatedly tried to fall down. Depressing.
Anyway, the good part: Xiu Xiu. The band remains small -- just Jamie Stewart, his cousin and the muse of his mid-career rejuvenation Caralee McElroy, and a drummer. Jamie rocked out like a rocker, which I was not really expecting. The intimacy between him and Caralee is lovely; as always at shows with my outdated camera and unpracticed hand I was continually frustrated at missing chances for photos, but this time I passed one up deliberately: the look of tenderness he gave her at the end of "Fabulous Muscles" -- as his part ended and she played the final bars -- was held for a long time, but it was so beautiful that I just couldn't bear to use the flash.