Touring in support of their latest release Entertainment, Fischerspooner returned May 6 to Philadelphia for the first time since 2005. “This is our first tour in the U.S. in five years,” Casey Spooner, songwriter and vocals, said to the crowd. “It’s been really a long road getting back here” he continued, and went on to add that the Theatre of the Living Arts (TLA) show kicked off the band’s North American tour.
The evening featured Fischerspooner’s best attribute—experimentation with “everything.” Right from the opening, the band showed off its penchant for the theatrical with a robot voice repeating “confusion and order.” This repetitive, mechanical opening set up an interesting foundation for the rest of the show, serving to throw the audience off as to how unpredictable and organic the performance would be. The words were like a warning to the audience that nothing here would make any sense, so we might as well just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Within the clutter and chaos, the New York-based duo may have tapped into a new reality of “entertainment” for our era. The show essentially worked as an ADHD sufferer’s wet dream. With so many simultaneous melodic hooks and choreographed dancing, I felt like I was watching some Degas ballerinas, a Futurist painting, and some cousin of Ziggy Stardust smashed into 1980s videos (Culture Club, Pat Benetar’s “The Warrior,” Human League, Thompson Twins, etc.). And at the same time, it felt not unlike riding a New York subway during rush hour. For some reason, I felt delight basking in this voyeurism—watching Fischerspooner try to put so many genres, dance moves, musical styles, and art forms on the same stage at once.
Songwise, Fischerpooner opened the show with “Amuse Bouche” and surprised me with new songs “Money Can’t Dance” and “Supply And Demand,” all off the new album. In addition to Fischer and Spooner, the band had four dancers on stage and four moveable 10-by-4 ft. mirrors. Depending on the placement of the mirrors, the number of people on stage seemed to multiply instantly. And as if that wasn’t enough, costume changes played a large role throughout the evening. The four dancers, initially dressed in a reflective tinfoil material, often switched outfits into tutus, or caked themselves in heavy makeup resembling Geisha or traditional Japanese Noh Masks. On top of that, the dancers occasionally carried props such as spinning umbrellas, which doubled as saw blades. In the end, the theatrics somehow added to the music’s minimalist/industrialist feel.
“Entertainment” in the modern age is information and art pummeling the audience from all sides. Oddly enough, the audience reflected the diversity and complexity of Fischerspooner’s performance. A rag tag group of old-school punk, goth, industrial, house, techno, rhythm & bass, and pop fans seemed entranced by the clutter.
DOWNLOAD: Fischerspooner - Supply and Demand (D.I.M. remix) (MP3) or Follow us for more Fischerspooner MP3s (Twitter)
The Roots + Orgone + Lilla D’Mone - 1/2
Roseland Theater
Grass Widow + White Fang + Hornet Leg - 1/7
Artistery
The Moondoggies + Sera Cahoone - 1/8
Doug Fir Lounge
Steve Earle + Hayes Carll - 1/19
Aladdin Theatre
Asobi Seksu (Acoustic) - 1/19
Mississippi Studios
Steve Earle + Hayes Carll - 1/20
Aladdin Theatre
Steve Earle + Hayes Carll - 1/22
Aladdin Theatre
Courtney Love is a neurotic, drug addled, fame whore. She should focus on seeking professional help. Courtney - substantiate your allegations in court, or shut up.
Ryan Adams is a talented songwriter, and has an alert and inquisitive mind. He is also a gentleman.
by sickchip on Fri Jan 1, 2010 at 09.54 am from the entry: Ryan Adams Denies Courtney Love's Allegations
Damn man, this is a real dope list. 2009 was a great year for hip hop! we actually made a list of our own for the top 10 albums of the year which had a couple overlaps but also some new stuff too:
http://da-what.com/2009/12/31/end-of-year-top-10-albums-of-2009/
we also made one for the top mixtapes of 09:
http://da-what.com/2009/12/30/end-of-the-year-top-10-mixtapes-of-2009/
and a list for who we thought had the best year of 2009:
http://da-what.com/2009/12/29/end-of-year-who-had-the-best-2009/
we would appreciate it if you checked it out and left some comments. tell us what you think!
by ben on Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 05.52 pm from the entry: Top 10 Best Hip-Hop Albums/Mixtapes of 2009
oh noes, josh! I love this. what’s jumpy alterna-pop - like harvey danger?
by beth on Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 05.08 pm from the entry: Vampire Weekend rockin' down a deserted alley (vid)
the Yamar jam was the shit
by spencer on Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 04.45 pm from the entry: Phish - The Gorge Amphitheatre (George, WA; Aug. 7th, 2009)
now that I have a baby at home, Vampire Weekend is surprisingly more listenable when dancing with my daughter. Well, as long as I earmuff that whole “do you wanna f*ck” bit…
by Ian on Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 08.47 am from the entry: Vampire Weekend rockin' down a deserted alley (vid)
Happy New Year!!!
by nakis on Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 06.19 am from the entry: Will Stratton - "No Wonder" - Borrow It
This is a great blog for music, keep up the good reviews!
by Erik on Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 02.05 am from the entry: Mayer Hawthorne & The County - University of Washington, HUB, North Den (Seattle, WA; Dec. 10, 2009)
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