Ramblings of a Redhead Music Snob

10/11/06

Where’s your head at… wheres your head at..where’s your head at.

 So, maybe you are asking yourself why that sounds so familiar. It was in an advert not long ago (or maybe long ago) for a car. Probably volkswagen, but I’m entirely not sure. Anyway, the guys behind the music are Basement Jaxx.

Went home from work last night to miserable weather. Forgot my umbrella, and my white blouse was now sheer. I was so tired that I went to lay down on the couch and woke up to Dancing with the stars, freaking out wondering what time it was. Needless to say I was running late. Finally made it to Webster Hall to a line of people in the pouring rain. Met up with Luke, and got into the club to catch The Double. The Double was an interesting band. They were plagued by all sorts of sound problems, and it seems they could barely get through a single song. When they finally were playing, it was good stuff. Lead singer has a voice reminiscent of Morrissey. Guitar was weak at best (more problems), but they were good. One thing which I couldn’t escape, were gay guys on either side of me making out to the full extreme. I was pretty sure there was going to be full on sex at any moment. I guess one couple got so carried away, because they grabbed their stuff and ran off. I’m not one to mind PDAs but to that extent I was a bit put-off. I really wanted to tell them to grab a room, but I guess they got the idea. The good part is, once they left I had an amazing view in the very front.

10:15 – Basement Jaxx take the stage to Intro. The crowd goes crazy, the screams envelop the club. The Jaxx performed with a brass section – trumpet, trombone and sax (in kilts and make up no less), and an abundance of singers/dancers. I think at any one time there might have been at least 8 people on the stage.  A BBW takes the stage in this striking blue gown. And she has one hell of a voice. Next 2 women come out, dancing and singing up a storm to the Jaxx’s amazing beats in the background. The dance music is going strong, with each new song a new costume appears and sometimes new singers. The dancing is contagious, the crowd so loves them.  And the crowd is as diversified as the singers on stage. Everyone on the floor is either dancing, singing, or jumping. “Take me back to ur house” was catchy, and the woman who sang on it, might have been the one from the album. She actually reminded me of the singer from the opening band the night before with Lily Allen. (Lily Allen should have been there last night, after all she is in the city) She had one hell of a strong voice (the only white woman to be singing that night).  And the crowd loved her. The costumes were amazing, from gowns, to other such outfits, with a rapper wearing a cape that was partially filled with a UK flag and the other side a Jamaican flag. The highlight of the night was the single “Wheres your head at”. The intro is awesome, with just the beats, and then finally Felix leaves from behind his mixing board area, and comes to the center of the stage mic in hand, singing ‘wheres your head at’. He’s jumping all over the place, one of the singers comes out with him, and her voice complements his. Felix is getting the crowd to go crazy, jumping, dancing. At this point I thought for sure the stage was collapsing. I have never felt it so powerful. The song lasted a good while and was pure dance entertainment, especially when the gorillas (the brass section) came out onto the stage, reminiscent of their video.

During one part of a song, one of the women went over to the brass section, got down on her knees and looked up their kilts. And then teased the audience pulling it up ever so slightly. The guys looked so embarrassed. The Jaxx had one encore, a song off their new album, that I can’t think of at the moment. The show ended with all the performers coming together on stage and dancing and taking a bow at the end (in true Broadway style)!

And lucky for me, I managed to get another setlist for the collection.