It was a total treat last night watching YAZ perform at the Beacon Theater.What can I say about Alison's voice? It's as good as you'd hear it in the recordings. Full of emotion and soul. You know those other girls out there move about the stage with their fit slender bodies doing all those moves, and you think off course they can do all that. But a healthy gal like Alison letting lose during Situation seems to me far more enjoyable and real. The show opened with Nobody's Diary and I thought how great is this now that I get to see this live after all those years of listening to it on a mixed tape. All those years ago when I'd skip school to listen to my walkman, walking around in the NYC streets.
Vince kept the mix to its original format. Not like most bands who think years later when they perform something old, they have to change to a newer format to conform to today's sound. And all Vince had was a laptop and some tiny itty bitty controllers (it's like something out of Pluto Nash). He provided some backup vocals - in vocoder style. At some point, it looked very Kraftwerk. Behind each member was a screen depicting images. During Bad Connection, the images were that of computer games like Space Invaders and such. It was cute. Oh, and when they performed In My Room, Alison was seated in the middle of the stage on a chair clutching a pillow while behind her on the screens, a red light bulb swayed back and forth. During the middle of the show, Vince brought out a reel-to-reel from the side of the stage to the middle, pressed play and he and Alison left the stage. I guess it was a new thing he'd worked on for the show that didn't have vocals. Just sampled voices over the music. It was interesting. What else? All the party favorites were performed, Good Times, State Farm, Don't Go, Situation. And not to mention a most favorite of heartbreaking, pull out your hair, I've lost that man song - Midnight.
Vince has enjoyed a long time career making smart, enjoyable pop songs (the king of catchy single note melodies) with Erasure. But it was so great seeing Alison getting that reception last night from all those adoring fans who never thought that in the 2000's they would get to finally see her perform live. I wanted more. I want them to get to the studio and do some new stuff.
The sucky picture was taken with my cell phone. You want to go here to see some better one's of last night's performance.
5 comments:
Awesome review, V. I want them to record some new stuff too! I think the time is finally right for it. They both seem very much on board and open to it.
I just picked up In My Room and caught the "short film". Alf did not want to quit to pursue the solo career! I guess fame went to her head, and of course, they both were so young and dumb. I always thought she wanted to do the bluesy stuff.
I can tell you had a great time at the show. Good for you!
I am happy they did this tour because Alison needs to know she is well loved in America. I hope it will give them both a little ego boost.
Wicked V. Glad you had fun and got to see 'em--looks like it was excellent! I've been hearing quite a lot of GOOD 80's tunes in the stores lately, as well as seeing the kids resurrecting the fashions we had back when we were in highschool. Today i heard some classic OMD in AC More (a crafts store of all places)!
The tape deck piece was a remix of "I Before E Except After C", the original version of which can be found on Upstairs At Eric's. The original 1982 version doesn't have a beat, it's just weird cut up voices and a synth bass line.
I saw the show in Oakland and it was great!
V, what else happens concert-wise in NYC this summer? I went to see Iron Maiden - I use to love them when I was a teenager and the concert was great.
Btw, I'm coming to NY next summer, we have to get together one day!
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