Amy Winehouse/The Pipettes @ Bowery Ballroom

They said it wouldn't happen. They being me. Amy Winehouse got on a plane, came to New York, performed on Letterman, made it to the Bowery Ballroom and actually got on stage for a performance. She doesn't need rehab, she needs ReMax to get herself a new apartment with all the money she's going to earn.

All kidding aside, it could have gone either way, either a train wreck or a show that will have me talking for weeks. It's a show that I'll be talking about for weeks. Tonight, we saw the end of Amy Winehouse, obscure U.K. import and the beginning of Amy WInehouse, a recording artist to be reckoned with.

The setlist:

• Addicted
• Just Friends
• Cherry
• Back to Black
• Wake Up Alone
• Tear Dry
• He Can Only Hold Her
• Pumps
• I'm No Good
• Me and Mr. Jones
• Rehab
• Encore: Losing Game
• Valerie

There's so much to admire about Amy. Flat out the girl can sing. Yes, she sounds like Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill wrapped up in a little British ball with big hair, big tattoos, big eyes, big heels and big, ummm, you know, ambition. When you boil down her music, it's not just throwback R&B and Soul -- there's a lot of early ska, 40's jazz, calypso and modern hip-hop/R&B. Her references read like a blueprint of modern music.

The two albums she put out display all her talents in full glory. What surprised me tonight is when I saw the 10 piece backing band -- that her live show is a different sounding entity then her produced album. Back to Black has a lot more attitude then her debut, Frank. This new one has the production stamp of Mark Ronson, so it has some processed beats, samples and vocal effects. The live show is much more raw with a live horn section and 2 back-up singers. I guess you can call them the Winettes. That elevated the show from just her performing songs to her creating a unique experience for the audience.

The whole show was just sheer fun. It was like an old school block party in Harlem when everyone comes out to have a good time. Amy doesn't have to do much to get the crowd into it. She's so talented and her voice so meaningful that she doesn't have to encourage the crowd to be more lively. If anything, she doesn't make much eye contact with the crowd -- preferring to stare at the floor. Gone are Ronson programming and in come top-of-the- ine musicianship and performance.

Between songs and sometimes within songs, she gulped down her jack and lemonade with pride like a true Jewish girl should. If anything, she seemed pretty shy on stage. She tried to crack a joke and loosen up, but she mostly grooved her way through her hour set. I'm thinking that the British tabloids have made her out to be a drunken nutter with diva tendencies. That's wrong. She repeated often how thankful she was for us showing her music love. Even when she messed up mid-song, she laughed it off.

So it's off to the big time for her, let's hope she gets some respect for her stellar album and performances.

If that wasn't enough, The Pipettes made their Manhattan debut tonight. Although it was much more fun on Sunday, tonight's show was spot on. They'll be back to take over our planet again when the album drops here in the late Spring.

Setlist:

• Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me
• Why Did You Stay?
• Because It’s Not Love
• Hurts to See You Dance So Well
• Tell Me What You Want
• Guess Who Ran Off With The Milkman
• One Night Stand
• Judy
• Dirty Mind
• Pull Shapes
• We Are The Pipettes

Now is as good as a time as any to tell you that me and Gwenno (picture to the right, above), or as I've call her Gwenie, are engaged. It's a long time coming and we're excited by the next chapter in our life. We care about each other very much. So the rumors that "One Night Stand" was written about me are totally false.

We haven't set a date yet but we are registered at Target in the U.S. and Fortum + Mason int he U.K.

I'm sorry fellas that I had to take her off the market. I've got the best looking girl in the game wearing my ring, yo!

 

Since Bowery was the place to be tonight, a lot of fellow bloggers were there -- me and BrooklynVegan held hands during "Tell Me What You Want," Thighs was tending bar, Sound Bites was thinking about what he had for dinner and Heart On A Stick was holding court in the back.

Comments

[brooklynbee]

Wasn't Amy's backing band the Dap Kings- Sharon Jones' backing band?

[Stevie B]

THERE IS NO PROGRAMMING ON AMY'S ALBUM. THE SAME EXACT BAND THAT SHE PLAYED LIVE WITH ARE THE SAME EXACT BAND ON THE RECORD.

READ LINER NOTES....

last night's concert was amazing. best show i've seen all year. and who knew winehouse could sing like that live! bound to do big things, that girl. but my biggest complaint was the lack of dancing... new yorkers have to crawl the fuck out of their shells and cut loose once in a while. people around me were acting annoyed that i was bopping. that kind of attitude makes a great show merely good.

It was the Dap Kings. They were fantastic!

[Greg]

yea man, nice review and pics but some big typos...as the above poster mentioned, the liner notes shows that ronson produced the album but not with an mpc or beat software, it is all live instruments. also, might want to make a correction as her album is back to black, not back in black as you wrote. good show, you see amy at the mercury lounge live from london afterparty?

[Patrick]

I'd agree with anonymous there that people need to get a little more into the show. There was a patch of people who were into it, but everyone around me was just taking pictures and standing there all statue like. But, it was still a great show and you summed it up well. Though, I thought it sounded really similar to the album, that was actually the only critique of the show I ahd in my review: http://thoughtsonstuff.blogspot.com/2007/03/after-seeing-pipettes-couple-of-nights.html

[Rod]

Yes! Got 2 tix for the May 8th show at the new Highline Ballroom. i am soooooo excited about this show. had to get the may 8th show, just so i can squeeze her in between arcade fire shows on may 7th and 9th.

then again, i'll squeeze her in anytime.