My friend Uriah and I have a usual routine when we go to shows together. Hit up Little Tijuana's for some food and debate the best Tetris piece ever. But tonight he had an plan how this show would go, "Leslie is going to kiss me right here on the forehead and then glitter is going to spray forth everywhere. Then, a unicorn is going to appear magically on my shirt, and afterwards I'm going to float home on a rainbow." Great plan, but he was my ride home. So I was hoping there was room for me on this transporting rainbow.
We got there right at doors so there was an hour and a half wait for the first band, Ice Rod. I started to get a little antsy, but when he finally did get on the stage, it was well worth the wait. Ice Rod just so happens to be a rap project of Brother and Sister's Michael Gaughan. It was a scene—hot-pants-wearing-mamas and a dude in Cross Colours overalls dancing backup as if it was a tame 2 Live Crew show. Ice Rod himself was outfitted in an outfit Eazy-E would have worn back in 1986. Black windbreaker, jeans... and a bright as hell fluorescent green ball cap. (Ok, Eazy would not have worn that hat.) He waxed about being the "Booty Regulator," about two female roommates living in the "Menstrual House" and another hilarious track about shrinking himself to about the size of a Little and exploring the female anatomy in "Your Body is a Skatepark." After not knowing anything about Ice Rod, to getting myself an introductory set, I'll admit the short time he played left me wanting more. Anyone else like me out there? Well, he's playing at the Turf Club on Wednesday, April 18th.
Fully amped and ready for more fun, Zibra Zibra brought the goods. These kids are great, and they have nicknames. You've got Z (the lead singer), Vanilla (guitars and additional vocals), The Atomic Wolf (synthesizing machines & computer sequencing) and Technosaurus Flex on synthesizing machines and electric voice. They have elements that remind me of a fun, Germany-loving The Faint. You are forced to love songs like, "A Robot Never Forgets" and "Arcade Catastrophe," a new song off their album in progress, "777" that'll be coming out this summer (can you guess what day?) that has that great video game feel to it. The funniest part being the following line...
"I got a pocket full of quarter dollars, at the arcade in '84..."
Z of ZibraZibra with Leslie - Photo by Alexa Jones (Click for set)
I love this, because I don't think any of the boys in the band are even old enough to be born in 1984. I felt as if I would have to jump over a 16-bit incline at any time, or jump up to collect my coins and/or one-up mushroom. Since this show, I have listened to this song way too many times to even count.
After what seemed like more than a hint of technical difficulties with her laptop orchestra, Leslie Hall of Leslie and the LY's finally burst through a large laminate breakaway photo of herself. For those unfamiliar with her music, it borders on being Performance Art. I saw them for the first time at The Entry last January and the show rocked my face off. There were costume changes and all kinds of madness, and it was tight. But this time it didn't seem as put-together. DJ Dr. Laura seemed intoxicated beyond belief, and it seemed like Leslie had to call the shots when she should have been holding tight to her over-the-top, manic, "Keeper of the Gems" persona. The show was still entertaining, but the spot-on spectacle of my first experience was not to be outdone this time around. The Gem Twins did their best to keep their end of the bargain on back-up vocals and dance routines and they were generally adorable.
Like my inaugural show, there was the usual anointing of the Gem Sweaters. At a typical Leslie and the LY's show, some make it a point to wear their own bedazzled knits in hopes to be plucked out of the crowd so they can be named. Leslie Hall's early work was a photo project where she documented the glory of said rescued garments by wearing them with the same pair of gold spandex pants, facial expression and hairstyle and saving them for posterity by way of the Sears Portrait Studio. She brought people in said sweaters up on the stage and picked a few out, naming some of them, for example: Bumblebee Lizard Eyes, Baby Tender Monkey Breath and Rapture Mitten Rainbowland. Each came with a signed certificate of authenticity and a whole lot more internet-cred than your average jeweled sweater from the Salvation Army.
My friend may not have gotten his kiss on the forehead, but he did get a great performance of his favorite LY's track, "Zombie Killer." I would settle for the classic super hits "Gem Sweater" and "Gold Pants." All organizational issues and drunkenness aside, it was great to see Leslie Hall and her partners in Electropop crime come back through our satisfied city.
