show report: Thomas Dolby, Aladdin Theater
Thomas Dolby is still teh sex.
I don't just say this because I've been lusting after his body for more than 20 years, but also because he KNOWS he's teh sex; I think he's seriously packing a picnic lunch, or perhaps he's got a really good tailor for his cheap Levi's. More than that, though, he understands the importance of HIPS. The completely bald thing I'm only so into... but the semi-cyborg, mad-scientist getup with about twenty different things strapped to his head, I absolutely can get behind.
A pleasant set, though far from everything I could have hoped for. Musically everything was on top, bar some technical difficulties, which he had some fun with - I've been told that at least a couple of these, he did DELIBERATELY, which means that he's a SLUT as well as a nerd - again, nothing new! Opened with "Leipzig", an interesting choice (something for which i was spoiled on - but as I'd only once or twice carefully listened to that song, it brought it to new life), played several favorites (the ubitous "She Blinded Me With Science" which was only a shadow of its former self, as though he seeks to emasculate its astonishing punk-funk power; "One of Our Submarines Is Missing", which was probably the most beautiful moment of the night, "Airhead" as an encore - it must have hurt him deeply to have this song tank on the charts, because it's a stone groove just begging for the touch of Amon Tobin - "Hyperactive", "Europa and the Pirate Twins", for which the Portland audience was too blissed out/ignorant to sing along - and it's not actually a great song to sing along to - study a bit of Queen, Dolby - some other fun for which I'm too drunk to recall right now.) Some other scattered examples of his favorite songs, all brilliant. But godlike, and we (not sufficiently numerous to sell out the show) fans lapped it up
But he looks OK, and normal, especially for his age; but he can writhe around all right. I really, really envy his wife. I think he knows exactly what he's doing. And he's really bright and funny etc. Great show. Portland was extremely worshipful; they did me proud. And to think, they could have stayed home and smoked the sticky, smelly green shit tonight. Or maybe they did before they left. *shrug* New Wavers, especially ones in their 40's (easily the oldest median audience age for any show I've ever been to) aren't much known for smoking the wacky. Oh well, they are our IT departments - but still.
I love you, Thomas Dolby. So much. You just kick so much ass. This was less a show, and more of a pilgrimace into music and possibility. Nice work.
He's got family here; hopefully he'll make time to come back later in the tour, I'd see him play again.
--
In the cold light of morning, I always find something to bitch about.
: The "technical difficulties". I don't know whether to believe TD's blog, which ruthlessly examines every single equipment fuckup he's had on the tour so far - and he seems to have a humdinger every single night - or the suspicion brought up by Martti that he actually deliberately makes mistakes, so as to make him seem more faillible. Whatever it is, I wish he'd cut it out - it's funny and all, but it really yanks the audience out of the show, and puts them squarely into the "sympathize with TD because he's just got SO MUCH GEAR." Some folks got free T-shirts out of it, though. Not me.
: Homeboy needs to get some new clothes. Of course at the start of the show, it's all hidden under his famously massive Gaultier overcoat, but when he whips it off he's wearing some old faded black jeans and a sleevie that looks like he got it at Value Village. Dude, the man wrote the software that made it possible to listen to music on the Macintosh platform; surely he can afford a nice pair of Prada slacks. C'MON. I'm at a loss to suggest a top for him, though, because his thick middle (which I'd be happy to bounce up and down on) forbids some kind of slinky, sleazy, shiny Simon Le Bon cyling shirt. [OFFICIAL: most insane alliteration I've ever done in my life. You can fire at will.]
: The opening "band" Basic Pleasure Model was the most agonizing 40 minutes of my life. Martti and I Statler-and-Waldorfed them from the balcony and there just wasn't enough booze in the world. I blame them for making me hella drunk long before TD took the stage. I mean - if you can imagine - two middle-aged guys, one with a Fender Jaguar six-string and one with a really nice bass that I'm not guitar-nerdy enough to recognize, a G5 PowerBook, a synthesizer, two mikes, and an entire bad 80s orchestra band programmed on the G5 playing in the background - and music that has the sound of everything that was wrong with pop music in the 80s. DON'T FUCKING INSULT US. You, sirs, are no Living In A Box, A-Ha, Wang Chung, Go West, or Level 42, though you wish you were, and I wish you would go away and never come back. Unfortunately, they are personal friends of Mr. Dolby Robertson, and the lead 'singer' used to live here, so we were the victims. I like some of the music and bands who performed in the 80s, but I don't like "80s music" and I won't just swallow the style without the substance. Fuck off.
: "Hyperactive" was a shadow of what it should have been. It was nice to watch TD "build" the song, but there was so much left out of it - and that's the thing about "Hyperactive", it's gotta be jam-packed to bursting with extraneous noise and it has to be sung like you've had just had Spanish fly, amphetamines and Red Bull for breakfast. There is no excuse for "Airhead" being more rocking, but it was. Uh OK.
: He didn't say, or even provide a sample of, "Good heavens, Miss Sakamoto, you're beautiful!" What a gyp.
I think TD was annoyed that the show didn't sell out - it was maybe half sold out. Portland kinda sucks in that way. Everyone there, though, was a slavering wild-eyed fanatic, though, and he gave us our propers for that; we applauded and screamed at the end of every number like we were yelling for an encore. I practically broke my neck running down the stairs from the balcony to bum-rush the stage. But it's Portland, and it was 4/20, and a school night. No, it did not sell out. It's an unfair world and a town without pity - just ask Graham Coxon. (Or Blur, for that matter.) Anyway, I still really hope he comes back through town (by the end of the tour, that thick middle will be a thing of the past, wearing that 75 pound coat, even for three songs). But in the meantime, there's ABC coming soon... and Coldcut... and Goldfrapp... and I can see my money disappearing into the mists.
Good times.
I don't just say this because I've been lusting after his body for more than 20 years, but also because he KNOWS he's teh sex; I think he's seriously packing a picnic lunch, or perhaps he's got a really good tailor for his cheap Levi's. More than that, though, he understands the importance of HIPS. The completely bald thing I'm only so into... but the semi-cyborg, mad-scientist getup with about twenty different things strapped to his head, I absolutely can get behind.
A pleasant set, though far from everything I could have hoped for. Musically everything was on top, bar some technical difficulties, which he had some fun with - I've been told that at least a couple of these, he did DELIBERATELY, which means that he's a SLUT as well as a nerd - again, nothing new! Opened with "Leipzig", an interesting choice (something for which i was spoiled on - but as I'd only once or twice carefully listened to that song, it brought it to new life), played several favorites (the ubitous "She Blinded Me With Science" which was only a shadow of its former self, as though he seeks to emasculate its astonishing punk-funk power; "One of Our Submarines Is Missing", which was probably the most beautiful moment of the night, "Airhead" as an encore - it must have hurt him deeply to have this song tank on the charts, because it's a stone groove just begging for the touch of Amon Tobin - "Hyperactive", "Europa and the Pirate Twins", for which the Portland audience was too blissed out/ignorant to sing along - and it's not actually a great song to sing along to - study a bit of Queen, Dolby - some other fun for which I'm too drunk to recall right now.) Some other scattered examples of his favorite songs, all brilliant. But godlike, and we (not sufficiently numerous to sell out the show) fans lapped it up
But he looks OK, and normal, especially for his age; but he can writhe around all right. I really, really envy his wife. I think he knows exactly what he's doing. And he's really bright and funny etc. Great show. Portland was extremely worshipful; they did me proud. And to think, they could have stayed home and smoked the sticky, smelly green shit tonight. Or maybe they did before they left. *shrug* New Wavers, especially ones in their 40's (easily the oldest median audience age for any show I've ever been to) aren't much known for smoking the wacky. Oh well, they are our IT departments - but still.
I love you, Thomas Dolby. So much. You just kick so much ass. This was less a show, and more of a pilgrimace into music and possibility. Nice work.
He's got family here; hopefully he'll make time to come back later in the tour, I'd see him play again.
--
In the cold light of morning, I always find something to bitch about.
: The "technical difficulties". I don't know whether to believe TD's blog, which ruthlessly examines every single equipment fuckup he's had on the tour so far - and he seems to have a humdinger every single night - or the suspicion brought up by Martti that he actually deliberately makes mistakes, so as to make him seem more faillible. Whatever it is, I wish he'd cut it out - it's funny and all, but it really yanks the audience out of the show, and puts them squarely into the "sympathize with TD because he's just got SO MUCH GEAR." Some folks got free T-shirts out of it, though. Not me.
: Homeboy needs to get some new clothes. Of course at the start of the show, it's all hidden under his famously massive Gaultier overcoat, but when he whips it off he's wearing some old faded black jeans and a sleevie that looks like he got it at Value Village. Dude, the man wrote the software that made it possible to listen to music on the Macintosh platform; surely he can afford a nice pair of Prada slacks. C'MON. I'm at a loss to suggest a top for him, though, because his thick middle (which I'd be happy to bounce up and down on) forbids some kind of slinky, sleazy, shiny Simon Le Bon cyling shirt. [OFFICIAL: most insane alliteration I've ever done in my life. You can fire at will.]
: The opening "band" Basic Pleasure Model was the most agonizing 40 minutes of my life. Martti and I Statler-and-Waldorfed them from the balcony and there just wasn't enough booze in the world. I blame them for making me hella drunk long before TD took the stage. I mean - if you can imagine - two middle-aged guys, one with a Fender Jaguar six-string and one with a really nice bass that I'm not guitar-nerdy enough to recognize, a G5 PowerBook, a synthesizer, two mikes, and an entire bad 80s orchestra band programmed on the G5 playing in the background - and music that has the sound of everything that was wrong with pop music in the 80s. DON'T FUCKING INSULT US. You, sirs, are no Living In A Box, A-Ha, Wang Chung, Go West, or Level 42, though you wish you were, and I wish you would go away and never come back. Unfortunately, they are personal friends of Mr. Dolby Robertson, and the lead 'singer' used to live here, so we were the victims. I like some of the music and bands who performed in the 80s, but I don't like "80s music" and I won't just swallow the style without the substance. Fuck off.
: "Hyperactive" was a shadow of what it should have been. It was nice to watch TD "build" the song, but there was so much left out of it - and that's the thing about "Hyperactive", it's gotta be jam-packed to bursting with extraneous noise and it has to be sung like you've had just had Spanish fly, amphetamines and Red Bull for breakfast. There is no excuse for "Airhead" being more rocking, but it was. Uh OK.
: He didn't say, or even provide a sample of, "Good heavens, Miss Sakamoto, you're beautiful!" What a gyp.
I think TD was annoyed that the show didn't sell out - it was maybe half sold out. Portland kinda sucks in that way. Everyone there, though, was a slavering wild-eyed fanatic, though, and he gave us our propers for that; we applauded and screamed at the end of every number like we were yelling for an encore. I practically broke my neck running down the stairs from the balcony to bum-rush the stage. But it's Portland, and it was 4/20, and a school night. No, it did not sell out. It's an unfair world and a town without pity - just ask Graham Coxon. (Or Blur, for that matter.) Anyway, I still really hope he comes back through town (by the end of the tour, that thick middle will be a thing of the past, wearing that 75 pound coat, even for three songs). But in the meantime, there's ABC coming soon... and Coldcut... and Goldfrapp... and I can see my money disappearing into the mists.
Good times.