The Boy Least Likely To with some guy named James Blunt @ Webster Hall

I do realize that my music credibility dipped down by attending a headlining show by James Blunt, who's as mainstream as you can get. Believe me, if The Boy Least Likely To were playing in the area at a more convenient time, I would do it. Unfortunately, my snobbery cannot change Metric's tour dates so that it wouldn't be on the same night as BLLT's R&R show. Plus, R&R is a dopey venue. In any event, I met up with my crew later on that night and sometimes friends are more important then gigs.

So Jimmy B ... Me and Jerry were asking ourselves, "Who would we rather see if we were forced to? James Blunt or Fall Out Boy?" He picked FOB, but I went with Bluntboy -- my reason being that they'll be more pretty girls of legal age at a James Blunt show. So this is me taking one for the team. I went to the gig so you wouldn't have to.

Tonight, I found myself among the masses. At the end, the experience isn't as bad as you think, but I'm going to talk about BLLT first.

At the heart of The Boy Least Likely To is the British duo of Jof Owen and Peter Hobbs, two guys with an affection towards late 60/early 70s folk-pop and childhood imagery. Think the Partridge Family meets School House Rock. Their debut, The Best Party Ever, bring together banjos, harmonicas, xylophones, lazy summer day guitars and sing-a-long choruses that make it a must-have for those who like a smile with their BritPop music.

Tonight's performance in front of a crowd of people, of which 99.4% didn't know who they were, featured their energetic take on the weird and wonderful world that they've created in their music. I didn't care that the majority wasn't paying attention, I was completely into it. The merry band of misfits bounce along and walk in step with every tune sort of like the New Zoo Review use to sing songs.

"Hugging My Grudge" has a lot more energy live, on CD it's a breezy little number. "Apple Wagon" has the best chorus of their repertoire -- it best defines the sound and space that are creating. Obviously, I can't compared Friday's intimate performance to tonight's, but I thought the big room did them justice.

I grabbed a setlist (which has the same font as the album art):

• Hugging My Grudge
• I See Spiders
• Warm Panda Cola
• Rock Upon a Porch
• Every Grubby Memory
• My Tiger My Heart
• Monsters
• The Battle of the Boy
• Paper Cuts
• Fur Soft As Fur
• Apple Wagon
• Be Gentle With Me

In case you were wondering, I was one of the lucky recipients of the cupcakes. The female keyboard player was right in front of me. I pointed to the cupcakes in her bag and did the international sign of "May I please kind lady have a baked good." Since I was singing along to every song, she threw me one and a couple of others into the crowd. She then continued to munch on her Frosted Flakes.

When they ended and I stopped screaming like a madman, I looked around and saw a lot of "that was an unusual band" looks. I think it's cool that they are supporting a superstar, but at the same time, I'm apotheosizing that they might be too obtuse for a crowd not use to "obscure British pop music." For the band, upon reading the band's journal, they are having a fantastic time and have become close friends with Blunty. We should be happy for them.

Okay, Sir Blunt-a-Lot. In the picture on the right, doesn't he look like SNL's Andy Samberg? I need to be honest with you, it wasn't a torturous experience. He did a cover of the "Where Is My Mind?" by the Pixies, and that's pretty decent. I figure I should get my money's worth, so I stayed up front.

I have to give a pass on James Blunt, the artist. I'll tell you why -- half way during his set, he performed a song with just him on piano called "No Bravery." It's a song about his military time in Bosnia. On the screen behind him were scenes of the war torn area and people sifting through rubble that was once their home. The guy probably saw more unthinkable shit than any of us has ever dreamed. I'm sure this song means the most to him and playing it every night is a struggle. Thus, he gets a pass. No nit-picking or funny, flippant, cutesy critique on his music.

With that said, he came out tonight ready to entertain with a "Fuck Yeah!" expression on his face. He walks onto the edge of the stage the crowd goes nuts. That shows you how much power this guy has, he just has to show up and woman will get all moist for him. That's some feat for a guy nobody in the U.S. ever heard of this time last year.

When he came to my side of the stage, I gave him the peace sign, we made eye contact and he nodded in agreement. I was like, "Okay, that's somewhat cool." Listen, I'm sure he's a good bloke, someone you can have a pint with and talk about footie. He has a dry sense of humor, teasing the audience with a few bars of "Hotel California" before stopping. He even commented how this song is for the woman to sing, even though he sings like a woman himself. Hey, he said it not me.

A little funny, awkward moment occurred. During a soft song, the crowd was a bit on the chatty side, so people were Shhhhhing each other. It gets dead quiet, then all you hear is the idiot Webster Hall staff dumping a pile glass bottles into the garbage can. CRASH!!!!! I said to myself, "Smooth move, crew." Also, for stupid reason, somebody threw a pack of gum on stage. I guess Jimbo needs fresh breathe.

Meanwhile, I'm squatting the whole show because about 50 women who are about 5'1" tall are behind me and they are big fans. I'm just an idiot blogger just soaking it all in so I did the best I could so that they could see. I was observing the show thinking of how I'm just not into his music and why, but clapping in appropriate moments and being polite. Then he did the Bosnia song and said, "Fuck it. Crowd loves him, who cares if it's not cool to like him."

I don't have Back to Bedlam, but my friends play it constantly so I'm familiar somewhat. At one point, I thought all of his song has "Beautiful" in the title. He did close the night with the Pixies cover and that "You're Beautiful" song. I did a whole post about him trying to straddle the main stream by being on Oprah and having his music in airline commercials while playing these medium-sized non-Clear Channel clubs and booking a small, indie band to open up. I figured out the deal with his music and the album. If I'm going on a long car try by myself, I'm not listening to James Blunt. If I'm working around the house, I'm not listening to James Blunt. If I'm macking on my womenz, I'm not listening to James Blunt. That's all, the music is harmless and inoffensive, it's just not my thing.

In all, I'm glad I stuck around. It was interesting seeing how he performs and puts himself out there. I just wouldn't see him again.

So Jimmy B is photogenic I'll give you that. Plenty of pics. I have some quick observations on the crowd after the photos...

The crowd, as I suspected it would be -- were mostly woman who don't normally go to concerts. Most of them were expecting seating inside like a theater. Ha ha. I got on line probably 90 minutes before doors open because I knew it was going to be insane to get in. The line behind me might have spanded three blocks up 3rd Avenue. I wanted to delve into the new Flaming Lips biography, when within earshot people were complaining the whole damn time about how cold it was (it wasn't) and how they've been waiting forever. "Why don't they just let us in?" Okay, imagine that for 90 minutes straight. One person would just not shut up ... the ... whole ... time. I was ready to sell my ticket to the highest bidder right then and there. That was the torturous part of the night. Shouldn't these people be at home watching American Idol or some crap like that.

Security was also un-necessarily brutal to these novice concert goers. They wouldn't allow people to eat pizza on-line. That lead to a shouting match. WTF? You can't eat pizza on-line? That's a new one. Bravo Webster Hall staff.

Inside it was fine, everyone headed for the risers in the back or on the side to sit. I got a prime spot against the railing as you can see. Everyone behind me filled in behind me eventually, giving me plenty of room. It usually crotch to ass up front but not last night. It was that same distance you use when you're in line at an ATM. It's an older crowd who's not concerned with how close they are to the stage.

As for the probablity of pretty girls -- none up front, when I ran to the back after the show, they were all hanging back there. The back must be the hot chick section.

Comments

[Dave]

what time did BLLT go on? im going to see them tonight...