So after blabbing about it incessantly over on my Facebook page for a few weeks I did, indeed, finally go see my buddies in Camera Obscura at the end of last week. I would have normally blogged about the show already but I was in Napa for vacation (post to come soon) from Friday to Monday and haven’t had the time until now. Oh and I wanted to wait for the creepy youtube people to post clips from the show which they graciously, and ably, put up in the days since the show. So without further ado, here’s a short-ish re-cap of the show.
I was able to catch the show (once again) with my friend Caryl from church as we met at the North Hollywood Red Line station and made our way down to Hollywood and Vine as the show was at the Henry Fonda Theatre. The tickets said the doors opened at 8:00 with the show starting at 9:00 but worried guy here started getting that way after hearing that people were lined up as early as 4:45. I began to think that maybe the show time had changed or some daft thing but alas it was my good friend worry as when we got in at around 8:30 we had more than enough time to grab a beer, talk for a bit with the show (surprise!) starting right at 9:00. And yes, I DO worry too much…
Anyway, these things tend to be about the music so let’s get to it. There were two opening acts with the first being the very delightful, and super talented, Anni Rossi. Anni plays the viola (NOT the violin…thanks Myspace page!) and is a one woman band as she will often alternate between plucking away and using the bow while keeping the rhythm by stomping. Even though it was presented in a manner one might not be familiar, her songs are structured really well and her voice is just a simple mini revelation. I don’t think we were properly prepared but sometimes that’s how it works. Now, there were no clips of her from this show, but here’s a good example of what she normally does:
Anni Rossi - Arctic Swing
After Anni’s set, I was instantly worried (there’s that “worry” business again) as I had done my research leading up to the show as I knew the name of the other band and was preparing for the worst. The other opener was a Sacramento based group called Agent Ribbons who…were terrifying. I’ll quote from Caryl’s Facebook page from right after the show: “Agent Ribbons: worst band ever” They are allegedly a, wait for it, Vaudevillian Punk group. They’re actually a really overly pretentious artsy group who dress somewhat Goth in baby doll dresses and do their best to scare the crap out of everybody. I knew I was in trouble when, after telling one of the library student employees who is from Sacramento, was told that he’s seen them a few times…playing in various back yards and basements. My question was how in the WORLD does a band like this get the opening slot for Camera Obscura? Anyway, I will not sully my blog by including a clip of theirs but feel free to knock yourself out on youtube.
Okay now on the headliners. Here are a few thoughts in no particular order…even though she’s not the most outgoing front woman (she’s known for having problems with stage fright), Tracyanne is every bit the singer and performer you would love to see. She’s brilliant, beautiful (and yes, I discovered I am indeed a fanboy in the lead-up to the show) and really deserves a larger audience. The rest of the group played well, with the exception here and there (not everyone was in the same key at the beginning of Eighties Fan and Tracyanne seemed a bit not alright with things during the beginning of If Looks Could Kill), and I loved the visual of seeing these two HUGE guys on one side of the stage being flanked by the two girls on the other. The audience was obviously filled with fans who went crazy just by hearing the first strum of some of the songs and I even called it on one even before they played a note. Tracyanne mentioned they would be heading down to Mexico the next day and that the next song was appropriate which then made me think, “Oh! Honey in the Sun mentions Mexico City. That’s the next tune.” And it was…I have problems. Oh and I also called the encore as when they came back I said to myself well they HAVE to at least do Lloyd, I’m Ready to be Heartbroken (one of their most popular songs) and Razzsle Dazzle Rose be the perfect closer…which is what exactly happened. Go Josh.
As far as the set list, they mostly drew from the last two albums with only one from the first album (the requisite Eighties Fan) and two from the second (the odd choice of Books Written For Girls and Teenager) so it was a little top heavy but I think that can be a good thing as it shows they really believe in the newer stuff and it holds up with the rest of their career…plus they have a new album to push. Other than that, my only disappointment was that it seemed a little on the short side (running about an hour and fifteen minutes). However, I’ll take and will be looking at the tour calendar to see when they’ll be back. Let’s see who I’ll nab next time. Anyway, here are a few clips I found online so you can get a vicarious concert experience (note to Facebook readers. The videos never transfer from my blog to FB notes, so if you want to take a look go over to my regular blog page. Enjoy:
My Maudlin Career (The show opener)
Honey in the Sun
French Navy
Teenager
Away With Murder
If Looks Could Kill
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