If the Saturday-Night-Live-esque opening act’s skit wasn’t enough of a warning of the awkwardness in store last Saturday evening, Adam Green’s attire banished all hope that this might be any sort of ordinary, comfortable concert. Adorned in a tight blue shirt with arms fringed in white and matching white pants a size too small—revealing a touch too much—Green stepped onto the stage to face a crowd consisting mostly of guest list attendees and rabid fans of the Moldy Peaches (his former group, which recently gained widespread acclaim for providing the soundtrack for Juno).
Adam Green, a constant contradiction, befuddles me with his deep, suave voice that drips of masculinity and inspires the image of a man in a suit drinking a martini shaken, not stirred. His voice makes me melt. But working contrary to his swoon-worthy voice are his lyrics and his stage manner, which scream of an immature man refusing to take life seriously, fighting the societal push to conform. Similar to that of Elvis Costello and Stephin Merritt, lead singer of The Magnetic Fields, Green’s voice is timeless. His antics on stage are not.
My praise for Green would be ceaseless had I not been in attendance on Saturday. His voice captivates me completely, but a part of my appreciation of his music died as I realize it is only my fantasy that he is a cool, sophisticated, charismatic performer. Seeing him flapping around in his ridiculous shirt, awkwardly jumping (perhaps a version of dancing?) around the stage, and sporting a haircut reminiscent of Farrah Fawcett, I can hardly continue believing in this fantasy.
Continually ripping the microphone from its stand, Green left the bereft appendage teetering as he traipsed and awkwardly stumbled across the stage before returning once more to the stand. While Green meanders the stage like an ADD kid who forgot his ridalin, the rest of the band serenely rocks out to their music. With all his songs about drugs, his impromptu soliloquy concerning the audience’s apparent love of weed, and his uncontrollable bouts of giggles, I wondered if perhaps he might not just be singing about them these days.
Yet despite my muddled thoughts on his performance, Green won over the rest of the crowd. Stating at the beginning of the evening, “Some people say you can’t play Town Hall,” he proved “some people” wrong. In a seated venue, Green did the improbable: He not only raised the crowd to its feet, but he inspired dozens of audience members to crowd the stage and aisles to dance, one man even jumping on stage only to be handed the microphone by Green for one shining moment before being hauled off stage by security.
If only they’d nabbed Green’s antics, too.
Ugh. Paste’s profile of Free Energy made me kind of hate them. So does your review. It’s this unctuous defense of good-time rock-and-roll ("we’re just here to party, and we’re awesome!") that seems more self-serving than fun-loving.
by beth on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.41 pm from the entry: Foreign Born + Free Energy - The Knitting Factory (Brooklyn, NY; Mar. 12, 2010)
that inescapable feeling you are referring to, is that like when you hear something and you could have sworn you heard it before because of the nostalgic catchy quality? or is is like when you’ve heard a band exactly like said band?
great post by the way!
by paul on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 03.15 pm from the entry: The Novel Ideas - "The Sky Is A Field" - Borrow It
Whoa! I had no idea she was enegaged. You would never know with the way she behaves! Wow!
by art on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: Nikki Darlin and John McCauley: 1+1=1
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
By the way, I really liked the mp3 posted. Thanks.
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “Picture yourself coasting your bike past space funk palm trees, homeless harpists, vintage video arcades, electronic drum circles, and 60s psychedelic singers who’re waiting for the bus. Cosmogramma is kinda like that if someone suddenly tripped you just as you’re starting to enjoy the ride. But in a good way.””
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
