Keane @ Bowery Ballroom: Something To Rely On

I've got my Iced Harrods Colombian Coffee and I'm ready to blog. Let's do this...

Where the heck do I begin? I can start by telling you about how this was one of the finest, if not, the best concert experience I've ever been a part of in my seven years of going to the Bowery Ballroom.

Reason No. 1 is the music. Always about the music, not about who's who, what's cool in the blog community. It's down to the damn music. Keane brought it. Period. End of the story. Next question.

Here's your setlist:

• The Iron Sea
• Put It Behind You
• Nothing In My Way
• Bend and Break
• We Might As Well Be Strangers
• Everybody's Changing
• Try Again
• Leaving So Soon?
• Hamburg Song
• Can't Stop Now
• Somewhere Only We Know (I have video of this after the jump)
• A Bad Dream
• This Is The Last Time
• Is It Any Wonder?
• Encore: Atlantic
• Crystal Ball
• Bedshaped

I wrote in my post from last year about their Radio City Music Hall show that Keane is one of the best medium bands. What I mean is that you can elevate your music tastes by listening to the band if you're out of touch with what music is out there. Once you get into them, you can discover other great sounding like Doves, Arcade Fire, Decemberists and on. If you're all into indie rock with your Tapes N' Tapes, Sunset Rubdown and Beirut, you can mainstream your collection by appreciating Keane without loosing credibility. I know Keane is something your parents would like and they do attract the VH1 safe playlist, but if you ignore all that, you'll hear that these fellows create some of the grandest sounding music you'll ever hear from three guys.

Tonight, they showcased new tunes from their sophomore effort, Under the Iron Sea. The material successfully manages to be tonally different than Hopes and Fears while not straying to much from that "Keane" sound. That sound is a hard driving piano melody from Tim Rice-Oxley and larger-than-life vocals from Tom Chaplin. It's wondrously simple arrangement, but the energy is so potent. It pounds into your soul until you're left singing the chorus hours after listening to it. I still have "Is It Any Wonder?" going through my head.

Even if you just fancy their big sounding, grab the person next you, sing your bloody heart out, pump your fists into the air songs like "Somewhere Only We Know," "Bend and Break," and "This Is The Last Time," their slow-tempo songs have better grandeur live than on record. That's due to Tom being a theatrically savvy lead singer. If he gets tired of being a rock star thirty years from now, he'll have a fine career on Broadway or the West End. He doesn't sound like a little girl, he's got this booming voice that makes you want to match his effort when you sing along.

Sometimes, it takes me a while to determine whether I like Under the Iron Sea more than Hopes & Fears. They both have great pop songs that stick in your head. Hearing the new material tonight made a strong case from the recent album. I just want to pound the keyboard on how fucking good "Is It Any Wonder?" was. That "wah-wah" effect is killer. Then there's "A Bad Day," which is a general statement about how men go off to war thinking that they'll be heroes, only to come back defeated and a mess. During that performance, the place went silent, no yelling, no shoving and people put their camera-phones away. It was a complete out out-of-body experience.

I'm going to have to interject something personal about what I said aloud before Tom started "The Hamburg Song." Tom was waxing about how amazing it is to play the Bowery Ballroom for the first time. Being that they've played Madison Square Garden (opening for U2), headlined Hammerstein and Radio City and started at Mercury Lounge, the band has pretty much conquered NYC. Anyway, he was saying how after their Mercury gig that they ran over to Bowery to see The Strokes play and how it's an honor to play such a legendary event. He was readying himself when I said in a regular voice, "You're so cool, man." He preceded to crack up, then when he was about to begin the song, he stopped again to laugh at my comment and compose himself. I didn't say it in a sarcastic way, it was more like complimenting him on the band's achievement. As much as I am the class clown, I didn't want to take over the show. Luckily, he performed the song in fine form.

Now, Tom as a rock star, the guy can work a crowd. He lets it all hang out on stage. He sings from his heart, he moves around the stage to feel the music from Tim and drummer Richard Hughes and makes everyone in the crowd feel like a part of the show. Since I was dead center in front of him, I got to sing a few lines of "This Is The Last Time" as he was slumped in front of me looking directly at me. After he smiled at me and stood up, I jokingly passed out. That's just cool as hell.

The back story behind the whole Keane experience is the waiting in line for two hours, running to get to the front of the stage and basically having the force of the crowd press against my body to get to Tom for most of the show. It's an unmatched experience to see a major band in a small venue. When you're up front, you feel the energy all around you, from the band and the screaming fans. It does get dicey with so many bodies around, but it comes with the territory. As long as no one gets hurt, it's all good. Tom did whack me in the head with his microphone stand. No blood, no mark, no foul. No apology necessary, Tom. As you can see with the picture, I was pretty much in his crotch the whole time -- I could even see the rip in his pants. There's close and then there's a rock star leaning over you.

As much as I like the front, I do get paranoid that everyone is looking at me from behind and cursing at me. "That idiot blogger is always up front" or "He's too tall, get out of there." It's like when Tobey Maguire sat behind me at Radiohead and hundreds of eyes are looking at me. So my big Italian head will be in everyone's pictures, especially Laura of Modern Age.

The crowd was just amazing tonight, a lot of well-deserving fans got the experience of a lifetime. When I looked around at the end during "Bedshapes" I saw everyone with their hands raised singing along. To the left of me I saw a woman in tears. Then to the right of me I saw a sweaty, drunk Thighs Wide Shut with his eyes closed, and feeling the moment. "Sweaty Drunk Thighs" -- that's a good band name.

The strangest experience for me was apparently some girl pushed her way to the front to get to me during the encore. I feel someone squeezing my sides. I turn around, and she says, "Chris Music Snobbery!!!!!!!" I have no idea who she is. I'm flattered when someone likes this space and wants to say "Hello", I'm just use to a hand shake, pat on the back or a rub of the tummy. Honey, if you're going to squeeze me, at least introduce yourself and buy me a drink. It's the right thing to do.

Celebs in the house ... Fran Healy of Travis, Mike Myers, Donald Faison, Zach Braff and Amy Sedaris.

Damn, look at the time. Enjoy the video after the jump. I'm out. I got Springsteen tomorrow. Good night, Canada.

Just a note gang -- you don't have to enter your e-mail address to leave a comment.

Comments

[thigh master]

u love the crotch shot
almost more than i love fried chicken

[laura]

whatzup Keane crotch?

[Kat]

Wow, a total stranger squeezed your sides during the show. I hope it was a firm one!!!

[manainos]

RE: "You're so Cool!" So that's what was said! I was wondering what made him laugh like that! :-D

[andrew]

I was about 30 feet back from stage. I did catch a few glimpses of your big fat head. Thanks for getting in the way.

['that' chick]

Well... Really? Strangest? hahaha.... I'm just a friendly chick who wasn't trying to "get to you" but to the front. I had a perfect view from corner of a balcony, and wanted to experience KEANE from a different angle ~that now famous crotch angle. Obviously I had to make up an excuse to get to the front, cause those bitches were not going to move over.

~ sorry I do not buy drinks for boys. Perhaps you can buy me a drink at some future show, if you are not too big of a snob that is ;)

** So do you have a crush on Tom ? Hmmm... well you know... he is straight and has a girlfriend ;)

Coolest blogger for appreciating Keane.

[SweetTea]

That would be "Sedaris" with an "e".

[thechairguy]

I was about 30 feet back from stage. I did catch a few glimpses of your big fat head. Thanks for getting in the way.

Posted by: andrew | June 24, 2006 at 10:22

Aww poor Andrew, too stupid to know that if you want a good view at a general admission show you 1) Arrive as early as you can. 2) Don't stand behind someone taller than you.

Then again, I guess it's easier to blame other people for your own lack of good sense, huh?

[Amrit]

Whoa, is that little Keane in your pocket? Or are you just happy to thrust your crotch in Chris's face?

~ going through my Keane pictures - and I can not believe that Tom didn't kick you in a head ! cause I definitely would ! You must have been the ugliest and most obnoxious big headed fucker at the front. Would you like to see some pictures? THE ENTIRE show you were laying at his feet moron !
How old are you anyway ? ...hellooooooo Kindergarten !

[Arya]

so how 'bout that shot of tom's crotch for a mapplethorpe-esque moment?

i remember that comment before Tom started Hamburg Song, so funny.

[Rich]

How early do you guys recommend getting to a Keane show on this tour to get close to the front of the stage?

[carla from brazil]

i just feel so envious. the stage is so close to the public, i can imagine what a comunion that was. your description of the public's reaction to 'a bad dream'is..thrilling, i so wish i was there. they played in brazil, and i could not hear tom sing, cause the fans knew all the lyrics. in brazil! fans sang not only the chorus- they sang every word. i had never seen that!one of the best concerts i saw. and i completely agree with the way u placed keane in the music scene-mothers love them and yet, such an irreprochable songs qualit. sorry for reprochable english.

[Felix]

Me encanta Keane y lo estoy esperando aqui en Mexico tus fotos son muy obsenas pero me agrada Tom Chaplin

[elsa]

DIOS MIO QUE LINDO ES TOM,COMO ME GUSTARIA PODERLO MIRARLO A LOS OJOS ... MI AMOR TOM !!!
TE AMO ♥♥♥
*E*