Gnarls Barkley @ Webster Hall: Crazy for Brushfire

The pairing of soul singer Cee-Lo and America's most wanted producer, Danger Mouse, seems unlikely at first. Cee-Lo, formerly of Goodie Mob, takes a cue from Al Green and twists it towards a southern fried gospel and soul sound. Danger Mouse, the master knob turner of the unauthorized Jay-Z remix project The Grey Album, the MF Doom collaboration The Mouse & The Mask and Gorillaz's Demon Days, makes heady electronic music for the college set. After seeing tonight's live NYC debut of their Gnarls Barkley project, it all makes sense.

The one mystery of the night was what kind of group costume the band would wear. In publicity shots, Cee-Lo and Danger dress like A Clockwork Orange and Napoleon Dynamite and on Top of the Pops, they dressed in formal Navy attire. When a stagehand tied a Steven Tyler-type silk scarf on the microphone and the elaborate drum set include a gong, it gave a hint. Then out came a man who introduced a band that would do Gnarls Barkley covers. The name was Brushfire and out came the Gnarls crew wearing outrageous hair metal outfits -- big fake wigs, spandex, ripped shirts, big sunglasses and elaborate make-up.

First off, here's the set list:

• Final Countdown Intro (must be popular since Of Montreal also covered the Europe song)
• Go-Go Gadget Hospital
• Who Cares?
• The Boogie Monster
• Just a Thought
• St. Elsewhere
• Gone Daddy Gone
• The Last Time
• Necromancer
• Smiley Faces
• Transformer
• Crazy
• Encore: Storm Coming

The only songs they didn't play off of St. Elsewhere were "Feng Shui" and "Online."

With the silly costumes and band alias, one would think that the music would be in the same vein. It's the contrary. The songs off St. Elsewhere are sad laments on confusion and conflict. The U.K.'s No. 1 song, "Crazy," is exactly about being crazy. "Just a Thought" is a manic depressive song about suicidal tendency. The odd thing about the album and this tonight's show is that it was a happy feet, dance like a white guy type of vibe. So with the onstage theatrics, it's done more to diffuse the dark themes of the album. In the end, it's all about entertaining.

The live show is all about the live instruments and vocals. In the mix were a string quartet, three backup singers, a drummer, bassist, guitarist and Danger Mouse and another guy on the keyboards and electronics. The live drummer is the essential part of the mix because it gave the music a better pulse than a drum machine.

Standing center is the larger-than-life Cee-Lo, who I saw open during the last incarnation of the Smoking Grooves tour with Outkast, The Roots and Jurassic 5. He's an old fashioned, sweaty soul singer making his way in a hip-hop and R&B world. The pairing with Danger Mouse makes sense because both share a love for sounds not heard in mainstream music. Up front, you hear more traditional soul and gospel that's not heard from the more hip-hop oriented Ushers and R. Kellys of the world. Behind the crooner are Danger Mouse's odd flourishes like small samples of break-beats, 70s disco soul, horn arrangements and Motown pop -- and that's all in one song, "Smiley Faces." All this and a Violent Femmes cover of "Gone Daddy Gone."

As far as the onstage comedy, Cee-lo looked like he stuffed his spandex with a dildo, but it was just his water bottle. He gave a shout out to his man Puff Daddy sitting in the balcony and then corrected himself -- he goes by P. Diddy now until he changes his name again. Also in attendance was T.I., Beyonce and Jay-Z. When I got outside, I saw six Cadillac Escalades on the street. I made sure to stay away from them -- don't want to get fingerprints of Puffy's ride.

Anyway, a quick and fun set from Gnarls Barkley. I think it's great that the project is getting recognized. It's different from the majority of hip-hop/R&B crap being produced by the major labels and it's appealing to a diverse crowd of music fans. It's also great that Cee-Lo mooned the crowd at the end -- it leaves you something to think about.

Just a quick note, if someone from the Gnarls camp reads this, I would like to buy a milkshake to the string player on the far right, who looked like she steps out of a Duran Duran "Wild Boys" video or as an extra from Blade Runner. Consider this my craigslist missed connection .... I was in the front row .. you were on the bass in the band ... I think you're really cute .... I attached a picture of you... let's meet for beer milkshakes at Schnack in Brooklyn.

Poor sounding video...

Senior Thighs was there.

Comments

[dave]

the lady sitting at the far right was beyond just 'cute'. she was smoking. anyone with a better picture?

[MusicSnobbery]

I took some other ones, I'll see if the others are better when I get back home.

[Rob]

Can we attribute the recent interest in "The Final Countdown" to GOB Bluth? I think so.

[MusicSnobbery]

http://gobarrested.ytmnd.com/

[thigh master]

love the crotch shot

[Scarlet]

The Sonus Quartet playing with Gnarls Barkley is hot! They're going to get me in a barney. Vanessa on cello is my favourite. Check them out at www.myspace.com/sonusquartet