The Electric Six show last night was AMAZING. Millions of Brazilians and The Gay Blades were incredible, powerful, dancetacular openers and were pretty much the exact opposite of last week’s opening bands. Millions of Brazilians ended their set with the singer grabbing a drum off the kit, running out into the audience, setting it up on a stool and going to town, handing the sticks off to an audience member and indicating she should continue playing, and then running back onstage to create some fabulous noise. The Gay Blades’ singer let us know exactly how unloved and unwanted Portland made him feel, decked himself out in a wreath of fake leaves, and danced like the world was ending while rocking out.
Dick Valentine rocked a crumpled pinstripe suit, and while he cut out a majority of the falsetto in his songs, he was incredibly powerful vocally. There are bands with singers who sound NOTHING live like they do in the studio; that is not the case here.
In between songs, he ruminated on the quality of falafel provided by Mediterranean Express, indicated that Seattle is sort of the QVC of music (!?) (“But no offense, guys”), and covered up the fact that he can’t dance (fact) with a lot of microphone stand gesticulating and firing finger guns at the audience.
It was easily, easily the best show I’ve seen this year, with no offense at all intended to thehifi who also brought it but good.
Money was tight. I could not make it. I suck.
Sounds like a great show! I caught the Electric Six at the Siren Festival, when they were sharing the stage with Mission of Burma back in 2004. They were awesome.
Valentine did not dance. He did calisthenics: pushups, for the most part. Also, he did this thing where with both hands, where he rubbed his body from head to hip. And back up again. And back down. And back up. And back down. And back up. A sexy rock gesture cliche, made utterly hilarious by repetition.
He also did push-ups at this show! 😀
Nice to see mister valentine is staying fit.