(ThatKidInTheCorner :: You Can't Be Him, He's A Rockstar)

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October 18, 2004

You Can't Be Him, He's A Rockstar

Greg Dulli still has soul

Perhaps the most obvious hint that the October 16, 2004 Twilight
Singers show at Irving Plaza was going to be something special was
the start-time: midnight. Or, rather, the doors opened at
midnight. This wasn't a situation where there were four other
bands playing and they wouldn't get started until late, or where
the, ahem, young people were bouncing in the dark to throbbing
electronic music all night. Nope. No opening act. No partying 'til
dawn. Just a regular rock show in a non-traditional time slot.

Why start your show at such an hour? Maybe because there were
issues booking the hall. Maybe you wanted to afford the CMJ folks
the opportunity to see a bunch of music in a single evening. Or
maybe you're Greg Dulli and you know your fans like to stay up late.

The Twilight Singers is Greg Dulli's post-Afghan Whigs band. The
Afghan Whigs, if you're unfamiliar with them, hovered on the edge
of fame for most of the 1990s. (For a quick primer on the Whigs
and their many off-shoots, check here.) Though originally a part of
the early 90s Sub Pop-and-heroin crowd, The Whigs evolved into
funkier and more soulful act with each successive album release.
Dulli, the Band's Big Star, was (and is) as legit a rock star as you'll
find. Sure, the band was The Afghan Whigs, but it was really Greg
Dulli's backup band -- and a forum for his overwhelmingly charming
showmanship. In a creepy rockstar kind of way, Dulli is pretty lucky
to still be alive, given (a) his history of heroin addicition, (b) he was
beaten into a coma after a show in 1998 (more on that later), and
(c) the death of his close friend Ted Demme (he made a bunch of
movies -- you've even seen some of them!). And yet survives to
make rawkin' music! Fate has clearly smiled upon Greg Dulli, and
smiled upon all of us at the show Saturday night:

The Creepy Backstory: the last time I saw Greg Dulli he was still
fronting the Afghan Whigs. December 1998. Austin Music Hall,
Austin, Texas. Absolutely phenomenal show. He played for two
and a half hours, AT LEAST. He was borderline out of control
(drinking HEAVILY -- looked like whiskey in a BIG plastic tumbler --
and wandering backstage between songs to do who knows what)
but absolutely inspirational. He covered Aaliyah, pranced about in a
feather boa, and generally put on a memorable show. Turns out
that this would be his last show for a while. As we were
wandering downtown Austin looking for our next drink, Dulli was
getting into a post-show confrontation with the venue's hired
security, which culminated with Dulli being beaten into a coma by
two men with baseball bats. Spent two days in the coma. That
was pretty much it for the Afghan Whigs. Luckily, it wasn't it for
Greg Dulli.

The Very Underrated Value of Stage Presence: so I feel like
I've hit my lifetime limit on attending shows of bands that are crap
live. That is, the ones who make great studio music but have no
idea how to work a crowd. Dulli is the exact opposite. His studio
recordings are strong, sure, but you don't get this guy until you
see this guy. Whoa. The clever unanticipated covers, the slinking
around the stage, the cooing of a Zombies song to a couple lucky
young ladies, the non-stop drinking and smoking, the handing of
the champagne bottle to some audience members, and the fact
that his songs -- and his concerts -- actually have beginnings,
middles, and ends, all adds up to a fantastic concert experience.
It's charisma, it's personality, it's presence, and it demands your
attention. In a world where we cut the US President slack for
"not being good in unscripted situations" and are happy to pay big
money to see pop stars lip sync in 18,000-seat arenas, it's nice to
fork over your $20 to see a performer who's actually good at what
he does. Dulli is worth it.

Does Keith Richards Know About These?: Greg Dulli had this
nifty little silver double cup-holder attached to his mike stand.
Very clever. He had his plastic tumbler of whiskey on one side and
a little ashtray on the other. A mike stand with a vice holder?
Why am I not surprised.

Speaking of, In Re: The Cigarette Holder: man am I glad I'm
not a smoker. Greg Dulli chain-smoked through the show, and I
have to imagine that the smokers in the crowd must have been
driven to apoplectic states of nicotine lust watching him languidly
puffing away up on stage. Irving Plaza, like the rest of the bars in
New York, is a non-smoking facility. Except if you're with the
band. Or if you're Greg Dulli and you're willing to absorb a coma
over disagreements with venue management.

If You Wanted to Round Up All The Rock Nerds...: serious,
SERIOUS geek factor in effect at Irving Plaza on Saturday night.
You could tell by their artfully ill-fitting t-shirts and oversized thick
frame eyewear that the was a group that had extremely
interesting and low-paying jobs. We can be generous and
attribute the geekiness to the fact that this was a CMJ show, for
there are few things geekier than indie-label music wannabes. Or
we can just say that Greg Dulli draws a very, ahem, introspective
and possibly depressive crowd. Or that we're all a bunch of dorks
for liking him. One of those.

Twilight Singers = Trophy Band: though I don't really have a
ton of data to back this up, I have a nagging suspicion that the
Twilight Singers are an upgrade over the Whigs in terms of
musicianship. The drummer was just off the hook, and the kid
playing lead guitar delivered a couple solos worthy of 1970s
nerd-rock. Really impressive stuff. Good for Greg Dulli for trading
up the second time around. He earned it.

Posted by thatkid at October 18, 2004 7:03 PM under Stuff To Buy

October 18, 2004

You Can't Be Him, He's A Rockstar

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