Well HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I have a new love in my life...
...And it's name is KEANE.
In our ongoing concert series, Dio and I went to go see Keane at the Aragon Ballroom last night. First of all, what an amazing venue! I have not been there since my last Alanis Morrisette concert circa 1997. Back then, I saw all sorts of shows at the Aragon. Weezer. The Offspring. Erm, I know there must be others. But none that I can recall right this second. I must still be suffering from mosh pit trauma. I got a steel toed boot to the head during some show there and I haven't been the same since.
But I digress...
We arrived at the Aragon and after a brief scuffle with security over a keychain pocket knife, we entered the venue. Dio's sister's best friend is a huge Keane fan, so she accompanied us. Awesome gal. I blanched at the idea of standing for a few hours, but I just drank my flat Bacardi and coke and dealt with it. If the 4'9 400 pound woman in front of us could do it, so could I. The crowd was as eclectic as they come. Teenyboppers, businessmen, dippy hippys, suburban housewives and even some goths were in the mix.
I spotted a pregnant lady smoking a cig and gulping a beer and my excitement turned to pure outrage. HOW DARE SHE!?!? Her salt and pepper husband smoked in tandem. I almost tapped that bitch on the shoulder and gave her a piece of my mind (and I don't have much to spare, woman!) but then I noticed a fresh-out-of-the-womb shot of a baby on her cell phone screen. Thank God I saw that. How embarrassing would that have been?
"Excuse me, you are obviously pregnant, why the hell are you smoking, drinking and standing at a loud ass concert?"
"You bitch! I just squirted that kid out last weekend!!!! Sorry if I haven't dropped the weight yet!!! Do you even have the slightest idea what the fuck I've been through??? Fuck you!!!!"
She looked like the angry type, fresh out of her track home in Des Plaines or some shit. I slowly backed away.
A fun, cutie little band named after the lead singer, I think, opened for Keane. We quite enjoyed Brendan Benson. I'll have to see if they have anything floating around on LimeWire. They played a pretty long set, but it was all peaches and sunshine.
Keane came out, very sweet and humble. Very simple stage set up, which I love, because that way you really concentrate on the music. Shirking the usual bass guitar-drum-rhythm guitar set-up, Keane showed up super original. They do not have a single guitar in their band! In fact, it is one guy on the keyboards, which supplies the rhythm and bass, and a drummer. The lead singer played an auxiliary keyboard for a couple of songs, but mostly he pranced around the stage in his cute all-black with a white belt outfit, making all the ladies (and a few of the fellas) fall in love with him.
They are so dynamic in person! It is amazing how only two instruments can make such full sound. Tom Chaplin's voice was the greatest instrument of all. Dio and I later discussed how it is key to have a signature voice to have a successful band. A lot of rock bands, rappers and female singers have such similar voices. They can get big, but eventually fade away. Lead singers like Dave Matthews, Bono, Chris Martin, and Norah Jones have such unique sounding voices that they immediately recognizable and stand far out from the flock.
They were geniunely taken aback when they were received with such thunderous applause. I about teared up witnessing their facial expressions when people stayed rooted the the spot and the got a stand O from the balcony. They are a band on the cusp of greatness. So, two thumbs up from me. Go grab that CD. These kids are going to huge. It also helps that they are totally adorable.
Hello, boys!
Especially homeboy on the keyboards... Mr. Tim Rice-Oxley. Grrr.
Once again, camera forbidden, so camera phone was all I had. Sorry for the piss poor quality.
The Aragon Ballroom is so beautiful!
Kinda cool stage shot.
Could this BE any fuzzier?
The joint was packed!
Nice little weekend on tap. Tonight, off to Happy Hour Trader Vic's with LL and new roomie. I am going to watch my intake and try to behave. I swear. Tomorrow, maybe some rollerblading. Maybe feeding my tanorexia. Saturday night, Dio and I are going to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner and then ascending the Hancock to sip a few drinks at The Signature Room Lounge, which is 96 stories above the city. Holy shit, I just gave my stalkers a road map!
Random Fact Of The Day: Women blink nearly twice as much as men.