Going back to last Saturday, because I can't tear myself away from live music, I went to see what the brew-ha-ha is over the M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel project, She & Him.
I do have a problem with actresses or actors starting a band, mainly that if they were nobodies, that people would give a shit about the band. Also, they would actually have to work at the band and not get signed immediately just from the name recognition and attractiveness factor. If Ellen Page wanted to start an-all girl indie rock band, some indie label would sign them in a second, sight unseen. It explains why Scarlett Johansson got a deal. Name -- check. Looks -- check. Musical ability -- *silence*. It's no mistake that there's a sticker on the album that says "She & Him is Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward."
Granted, Ward is an established and respected musician in his own right, and if he wanted to do this album with somebody else less high-profiled, he could probably do it anyway. I, like everyone else, was a little befuddled when this collaboration was announced. It was like "Huh? She can sing?"
With all that on the table, I think the album is wonderful -- boarding on cutesy goodness. Like wise, their set at Terminal 5 was alright in my book. It wasn't shockingly awesome, but it was a perfect representation of the album. It's a throwback to the old country collaborations from the 60s and 70s. Think George Jones and Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.
I'm not an M. Ward fan at all, but I think her faint, girly voice works with his guitar work. When her voices falters between pitches, it actually seems to make it more realistic. The unpolished nature of her voice makes it feel honest and earnest. If I did have a wish for Volume Two, is that Ward gets to trade vocals on some tracks like they do on "You Really Got a Hold on Me". It would be in the same vein at the Isobel Campbell/Mark Lanegan albums.
The show was straight forward, not much banter or interplay between the two of them or the act. They threw in a Joni Mitchell cover, “You Turn Me On, I’m A Radi," for good measure. When they walked out with their band, it took a few songs to realize that it was Becky Stark from Lavender Diamond on backing vocals. Good for her.
It was a fine performance, as expected for the Z. and M. Terminal 5 can be a hassle with the acoustics, but since this show is not a dynamic rock show, the venue was perfectly fine. It's those big rock show where Terminal 5 just becomes one big headache.
In the end, it's hard to tell if people would pay attention to She & Him if it was somebody else not famous. It's a nice music snobbery debate. I dig the album for its nod to nostalgia and the show was a reflection of that.
Thanks to the messed up posted set times, I never saw Freakwater, but got to see my buddies The Rosebuds take the opening act slot. Always a pleasure to see them and Miss Kelly wore a dress you could see from central park. It's as hot pink as hot pink can be. Their new album drops in Rocktober.
As a side note, I have never been so thoroughly searched before in my life going through Terminal 5. I didn't pursue a photo pass so I didn't have anything to search. That didn't stop security from giving me the aggressive pat down. The guy made me take out my handkerchief and my ear plugs from their case. That's right, the latest thing is cocaine shaped in the form of ear protection.
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