ladytron w/simian and phaser @ the bowery ballroom.
2002 february 19. ladytron are misfits, where they go about their own business regardless of what's currently happening. they released their debut album 604 in the midst of the manufactured bands, well before the current 1980s electropop revival. and while their more vampy and trashy brethren perfect their fashion looks as part of the electroclash zeitgesit, ladytron remain effortlessly more cool as their recent album, light & magic, aims for a more pop æsthetic. they maintain their eastern bloc soul, an economic synthetic songstyle that doesn't flop about, advertising their edginess.
last night at the bowery ballroom (they play a 2nd evening tonight), ladytron came in to answer questions about how their music would translate live and whether their current "it" status would continue the escalating attack on the faux-electro vibes. the first opening act were emperor norton labelmates phaser, who i unfortunately missed due to a nap and my confusion on whether the M train ran at night (short answer: nuh-uh).
i arrived in time to catch simian from astralwerks, who i had seen before when they performed a dj set during the cmj marathon closing party. this time, they brought their instruments along instead and proceeded to chart a brilliantly distinctive setlist, taking their multi-instrumental indie pop skills into many territories. they'd hop from psychedelic jams, techno stomps, space rock, tribal beats and guitar pop, blurring the lines of genres. the vibe was loose and having all 4 players sing (or occasionally yell) added to the charm. if i wasn't convinced already, i'm sold now and i need to find more of their music.
then, after the rig setup, ladytron came out, all in matching dark grey uniforms. accompanying them were a bassist and a drummer. initially, you'd think it'd be like kraftwerk, since the 2 lads and 2 lasses look eeriely similar, androgynous to a degree. however, although the german progenitors played with computers, they never sounded like commodore 64s on steroids. ladytron proceeded to lay on the sound with a furious beat, squawling sinewaves ripping through the unprotected audience's ears.
at times, it stopped being a modern new york venue, with the geeked-out technology in the crowds and the constant yammering in the back. it felt like you were in a cold war disco as people were bopping and sashaying coyly. and after a few songs, you could tell the band were starting to relax as they started shaking their makers, putting hips to the synthheads. whilst they were faithful to their album versions at first, they took some of their songs and started grooving on them. the additional musicians really helped flesh out the sound, making it less bedroom rock and more of a full-on rock show. and this is where success kicks in, as ladytron prove themselves to be a true live act. do check them out when they pass through.
loose notes:
- the between set music had a healthy mix of older but lesser remembered hits. one slightly older guy, a jerseyite who stood out a bit amongst the villagers and williamsburg crowd, started pointing out the songs he remembered digging back in the day and i sensed that he was being sincere, which wins points over any possible poser, of which there were only a few to my surprise.
- one thing that had slipped my mind: phil collins' sussudio can sound unbelievably subversive in the right venue. in the midst of the human league and n.w.a. songs, sussudio is pure industrial magic.
- 1980s fashion is outright sexy in its restraint. i love the skinny shirt, skinny tie, light skirt, black stockings, clunky bracelet, messy hair feel. i want my velcro shoes, zipper pants, sweatbands and muscle shirts back....cleaned this time. and they fit in with the modern day messenger bag, pocket pants, hoodie and mobile phone thing too.
- the J train can be outright nasty, especially between bowery and canal. the stations are decaying, the wait is excruciatingly long, the train doors stay closed, half open or remain ajar and everyone looks like they'd rather be somewhere else.
Comments
That was great. I shouldn't have read it before the concert this Monday, but I couldn't resist.
Posted by: josie | February 21, 2003 09:51 AM
We got the "sussudio" as well last night. Graig has named last night the meeting with the "J" crew (Jen, Josie, Jeremy, Jon & a Carla & Graig for luck).
Posted by: josie | February 25, 2003 08:50 AM
for a counterpoint take, graig offers a review of the toronto stop of the ladytron tour at http://www.sauna.org/monkey/archives/000939.html
Posted by: gak | February 25, 2003 11:08 PM