White Stripes @ The Pageant, St. Louis
7/10
If there’s anything music critics hate more than writing about hype, it’s trying to maintain their indie-cred cool while explaining that the hype is, in fact, valid. Such has been the case with Detroit’s White Stripes, the guitar-and-drum duo that has been the darling of American and British press for the past year. Last week’s show at the Pageant helped explain what all of the fuss was about.
Backed with a Patton-esque American flag (hey, it’s patriotic and it matches the red-and-white color scheme), the Stripes took to the stage with “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” and ran through several more numbers before pausing for breath.
While their spirit is clearly in the garage rock ethos, it’s difficult to deny Jack White’s arena rock leanings, with his Robert Plant yowl and tight-trousered showmanship. He also showed off his Motown licks with some impassioned stabs at a Rhodes electric piano, proving that not all Detroit bands only want to rip off the Stooges. Plus, with Meg White’s laconic, rudimentary drumming, ripping off the Stooges would be damn near impossible.
Along with tracks from their three albums, the Stripes threw in no fewer than five cover songs in their 75-minute set. “Love Potion No. 9” sank like a stone, but their take on Arthur Lee’s “Five String Serenade” was as light and intoxicating as ether.
For all of the effort Jack and Meg put into the set, it didn’t translate very well to the near-capacity crowd. Part of the problem was the too-large Pageant; for all of the people in the venue, it seemed like the majority were there to see if everything they read in Spin was true, not because they truly enjoy the tunes.
Moby @ Pop’s,
Sauget, Ill.
7/12
It was bound to be a surreal night. For starters, techno-rock icon Moby was playing an outdoor show in the parking lot between Pop’s and the Oz, two of the only establishments in Sauget that are not strip clubs. On one side, the neon lights of P.T’s Sports Cabaret glittered enticingly, on the other the eternal flame of the oil refinery flickered menacingly. The perfect place to hear some upbeat gospel-disco-techno, right?
The show opened with a set by an unannounced DJ from 105.7 The Point, whose mixes were as exciting as his stolid, unimpassioned stage presence. If running other people’s CD’s through a glorified phaser pedal is a certifiable talent, this guy has it in spades.
The true opening act was the famed Paul Oakenfold, England’s pre-eminent DJ. He had the good sense to bring a video screen with him, for he realizes that watching a DJ is as much fun as watching mustaches grow. Oakie’s video selection fit right in with the seedy surroundings, as scenes of a gyrating Samoan woman in a mesh shirt kept the crowd whooping for more. A class act all around.
When Moby took the stage, the crowd didn’t need much convincing to get into his groove. Though still billed as a techno artist, there is as much rock, disco and funk in his catalogue as any drum-and-bass hybrid.
Self-indulgence is a big part of Moby’s act, from his gracious descriptions of his own songs to his attempt at record scratching. But for all the cries of “sell out” that he has endured, he remains true to his vision and makes music that is challenging, spiritual and thoroughly danceable.
He ended the set with “Feeling So Real,” a song introduced as “one of the most uplifting disco songs ever.” Bold statement, but as Moby unleashed his great white wail on the crowd his boasting proved true.
Neil Finn @ Park West,
Chicago
7/14
Write this down: Neil Finn still has it. He never lost it, and pray he never does.
Twenty years after starting as a member of Split Enz, through his leadership of Crowded House and now as a solo act, the slight New Zealander with the big grin brought it all home to Chicago’s Park West Sunday night.
What is remarkable about Finn, aside from his consistently reliable and melodic songwriting, is his enduring and unflagging voice. While his peers, like Bono, Michael Stipe and Glenn Tilbrook, have started to waver in their vocal range, Finn can still nail all of his old tunes without cheating notes or relying on background singers.
Hearing Finn perform older songs like Crowded House’s “Pineapple Head” and Split Enz’s “I Got You” along side newbies like “Anytime” and “Human Kindness,” one could make the case that Neil is the most consistent, if not most prolific, songwriter in his class. His melodies are often intricate but always singable, and his wordplay is precise and deliberate without being belabored.
Major credit goes to Finn’s touring band, including ex-Soul Coughing bass man Sebastian Steinburg and multi-instrumentalist Lisa Germano. Germano is Finn’s latest musical foil, second only to big brother / former Enz leader Tim Finn.
Her harmonies wrap around his lead, boosting an already incredible voice even higher.
The only hangup to this great show were Finn’s excessively rabid fans, who rudely shouted song requests and threw message-bearing paper airplanes at the man. I suppose Finn appreciates this attention to a degree, for when it came time for his absolute finest song, the piercing “Four Seasons in One Day,” he made it into a crowd sing along.
It may have been a warm, fuzzy moment for the crowd, but this reviewer didn’t travel from St. Louis to hear a highschool chorus version of one of rock’s best songs. To their credit, though, the crowd nailed the harpsichord solo note for note.
The night ended as it had to, with a stripped-down “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” complete with a chorus “All I Have to do is Dream.” And, like an angel passing through the room, Neil Finn was off stage, promising to return sooner than later.
Hopefully he can find a date in the Show-Me state next time around, though he is always worth the drive.
