“No, Os Mutantes, you are beautiful!” I thought this as the group’s figurehead and lead singer Sérgio Dias humbly lavished praise on the happy audience. And to think that I’d almost given up on the show because of bad traffic! What great fortune if you, too, have had the privilege of experiencing Os Mutantes live. Melophobe caught up with the five-man, one-woman group at The Aladdin Theater on Wednesday night. They were between San Francisco and Seattle, sleep deprived and homesick for their beloved São Paulo, Brazil. Nevertheless, they put on the most spectacularly fun show I’ve seen in a long, long time. I must preface this with how much more meaningful a show is when you’ve sat down and talked with the artists, watched them pin, prod and polish their stage garb, listened to the warming up of vocal cords, and inconspicuously observed a pre-show pep-up (I wish I spoke Portuguese!).
Versatile. Theatrical. Hot. What word best sums up Os Mutantes? The world beat initially brought to mind Pink Martini, but I soon had no idea why. Pink Martini is bland and sedate in comparison to this flaming shot of sound that races your pulse one minute (like the immediate burn of alcohol against your tongue and back of the throat) and lulls you in sweet harmonies the next (that lovely swinging existence on the road to drunken bliss). No, I think a more appropriate comparison could be made to Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, if simply for the frenetic energy with which both groups approach their music and cater to their audiences. In no time at all, Os Mutantes succeeded in transforming the good folks at the Aladdin into gleefully seductive dance machines. Take one front row couple:
They swing tight together
She pushes him hard away and waves her hand in his face
He reaches out, cups her cheeks in his hands
They toss their hands up high over their heads and sweep them down over their bodies
He smoothes his hair and edges a hip in toward her
She shakes her head and looks away
He strokes her hair and they dance
It is obvious that Os Mutantes are highly skilled musicians and performers, and that, in spite of the difficulties of the nomadic touring lifestyle, they absolutely love what they do. I don’t think, however, that much of this is communicated by enjoying their music in the privacy of your own home. No, you must trek out and experience them LIVE! And when that happy day comes that you should find yourself, twitchingly impatient, standing in a long line outside some venue waiting to snake into an expensive (but oh so worth it!) Os Mutantes show, take a deep breath and prepare yourself for ripping guitar solos, hearty whole-group singing, irritatingly catchy beats, and romantic melodies that shred into noise. Oh, and don’t forget your dancing shoes and extra deodorant!
DOWNLOAD: Os Mutantes - Teclar (MP3) or Follow us for more Os Mutantes MP3s (Twitter)
Deastro + Max Tundra - 11/27
Doug Fir
Morrissey + Doll and the Kicks - 11/30
Roseland Theater
Portland Cello Project - 12/4
Aladdin Theater
Passion Pit - 12/7
The Crystal Ballroom
this may be your best review yet, colin. and that includes the pixies and modest mouse pieces. nice work! i’m also digging these photos.
by josh on Mon Nov 23, 2009 at 04.54 pm from the entry: Girls + Dominant Legs - Doug Fir (Portland, OR; Nov. 18, 2009)
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by xuzswssijj on Mon Nov 23, 2009 at 03.19 pm from the entry: Esperanza Spalding - Gordon Theatre (Camden, NJ; Feb. 21, 2009)
GREAT review!!! Love that 2nd picture up there as well.
by Siri on Mon Nov 23, 2009 at 02.45 pm from the entry: Girls + Dominant Legs - Doug Fir (Portland, OR; Nov. 18, 2009)
Yeah, perfect lineup, except for the whole Spoon thing.
by Ari on Sun Nov 22, 2009 at 11.40 am from the entry: Spoon Tour Dates
I’ve read the book ‘Dream Boogie’ the life and time of Sam Cooke’ If the movie is as good as the book, Sam Cooke will get the respect that he has been deserving of for many years.
by jed on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 10.39 pm from the entry: Sam Cooke to get a movie
oh, that just made my Saturday a little more absurdly beautiful.
favorite moment- when the bear was caught in a stick up
by Ian on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 01.58 pm from the entry: Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck's "Heaven Can Wait"
My copy of the new Springsteen book arrived, and I can confirm it is an ESSENTIAL keepsake for anyone who cares not only about Bruce in 1978, but also gaining insight into perhaps the single greatest rock and roll tour of all time. The layout, photos and vignettes are amazing, including a surprising memory involving Adele and Douglas Springsteen.You’ll want The Light in Darkness for Xmas 2009.
by Robe on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 08.04 pm from the entry: Springsteen to (finally) release Darkness On The Edge of Town box set
