January 15, 2005

RE: Asobi Seksu

So I went to see Asobi Seksu at the Bowery on Thursday with my friend Bob who recommended them. They were great. The band was tight and the music loud. And punctual, too. Very important on a work night.

I had been listening to mp3s from the album for a week or so and had also read from various reviews and sites that they put on a good live show. This was indeed the case.

There were not very many people there for the first set and we stood up close to the stage. My friend said that Asobi Seksu had been added late to the bill so word had probably not spread. I took advantage of the proximity and took a few photos.

There were two opening bands that night, so Asobi Seksu only played for a half hour. But based on that half hour, I think a longer set would be twice as good as it always seems to take a band a few songs to create a mood. With only a half hour, by the time the audience has warmed it's time to get off and make way for the next band.

The next band, by the way, was The Features. I really knew nothing about them, but their set really won me over. So much so that I went downstairs and bought the cd when it was over. All I know is that they are from Tennessee and they rock. Sometimes that's enough.

I was not as won over by the headliner Razorlight (and I have to get over the temptation to call them RazorFish, lest I resign myself to "parent-speak"). I did not feel that there was a whole lot of substance there. Just some grunge-pretty brit boys playing fast punk-pop to a roomful of adoring female fans - who probably would have screamed just as enthusiastically if the band got on stage and never played a note.

I thought the lyrics were ridiculous as well. And when I noticed many of the people in the room actually singing along, I had to resist a strong urge to shake them and yell, "listen to what you're saying!". This is when I realized that I was over the rock-and-roll hill.

So when lead singer Johnny Borrell introduced the song "Up All Night" saying that, "... this is the best song on the album and that's why we named the album after this song", I listened until the end and then left. Obviously the show couldn't get any better.

The highlight of the set was at one point during "Up All Night" when Borrell, vigorously shaking the mike stand, shot the wireless microphone into the audience and hit some fan on the head. Now that's rock 'n roll.