Sinister: B&S in boston

[Matthew Neimark]

Again a wonderful experience to see one of my favorite bands.

This time I also had the opportunity to see them with 700 other nice 
people.

Although Boston isn't known for its preshow meet ups, ours happened to 
be some 400 people crowded outside the auditorium 1 hour before doors 
opened.  "Organize Yourselves" demanded Middle East Nazi Bilbo Baggins 
(who one year earlier yelled at Stephen Pastel for not being able to get 
his equipment out of the club on time before closing).  But not even his 
pleas were able to straighten the line to the auditorium or alleve the 
pressures of some 50 odd people pushing me up the steps.

Inside the venue I had the hellish task of organizing (i.e reserving 
seats for) a group of 8 people separated in the frenzy of lining up to 
get into the show.  As I am frantically trying to reserve a seat, a 
young smiling sandy blond hair boy with a scottish accent is trying to 
procure a seat for his friend.  He asks me if the one of the seats I am 
leaning over is reserved.  My realisation that this was the lead singer 
of the headlining band was gradual and came in an epiphanic wave. I was 
speechless as I humbly relinquished my seat to his friend (fortunately, 
my girlfriend had found some seats in the next row).  Later I would see 
Stuart M. laughing at the people, including myself, in front of the 
Tshirt venders frantically holding out their money.

Containe was the opening band.  I guess they are a sort of American 
indie-rock super group who sported (for the show) members of Versus, 
Pacific Ocean, and Yo La Tengo.  I think they were great.  They played 
the song they are probably most known for (the "I want to fuck you 
song").  The set was short (~5 songs) but the last song (does anyone 
know its name or where it comes from) really brought down the house.  I 
and others agreed it was incredible.

The Belle and Sebastian set was wonderful but whenever I see them (this 
was the third time) I am always faced with the (probably pathologic) 
paradox that although I am being raised to angelic heights through the 
experience, I am saddened that the show can't go on for ever and before 
I know it is over, and it was over.  Our pleas for an encore went 
unheard but were nontheless quite expected.

If Isobel feared that US audiences would not appreciate B&S, she was 
happily mistaken in Boston at least.  Actions that would normally quite 
easily cause a crowd to turn on the performer (such as Stuart forgetting 
his riffs to Judy and the Dream of Horses) only further endeared the 
band.  It seems as if all the US shows are already sold out and even the 
Tshirts are already sold out.  3 of the people in my office went to the 
show including myself and my officemate Zung has TBWTAS on repeat now 
(he does this to music).

Other pleasant events that passed that evening involved a nice chat 
(whose topics included antidepressants and herbal relaxants) with the 
kind people in the band Toulouse (my favorite American band).  (They are 
playing a free show at the MIT coffee house with Aden and the Aluminum 
Group and if anyone wants details I'd be happy to relinquish them via 
email.)  Their new single on Scotland's Tinseltone records is fantastic.  
And their lead singer and guitarist is back to stay in Boston which is 
literally music to my ears.

Matt 

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
      +---+  Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list  +---+
 To send to the list please mail "sinister at majordomo.net". To unsubscribe
   send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to
 "majordomo at majordomo.net".  For list archives and searching, list rules,
   FAQ, poor jokes etc, see http://www.majordomo.net/sinister
          +---+   "legion of bedroom saddo devotees"  +---+
 +-+  "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list"  +-+
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+