Last night's Blonde Redhead show was so amazing I'm still speechless. That was definitely one of the best live rock performances I've been to, and I've been to a lot, my friends. Okay, so the twins aren't Greek, they're Italian. But they still make a damn fine sandwich.
When leaving the show, Ruby and I just kept looking at each other, shaking our heads. This was after 1 1/2 hours of looking at each other with our mouths hanging open, shaking our heads. I said, "I don't even know how I'd explain this to someone." And she said, "I don't even know how to explain it to myself."
Firstly, they're a three-piece that makes so much goddam noise that the floor almost fell in. I spent the entire set (plus two encores) watching the drummer, who apparently had four arms. And he was smiling the whole time. The beats were so clean. The three of them are tight. I think the reason they sound like no other band on the planet is because they work as a threesome. They share vocals, instruments, lyrics, the whole nine. You can tell each member brings in a third of the influence, a third of the flavor.
And of course, I have such an affinity for small Asian chick bass players. Kazu Makino comes out on stage wearing next to nothing -- this little white slip, her hair kind of flying around, and there's nothing contrived or purposefully sexy about her stance. She's just raw, and gorgeous because of it. Slings on a six-string bass bigger than her and wails in her crazy twelfth octave voice, sliding around on tiny white ballet slippers. She sings and dances like she's about to freak out, like she's having a big fight, and the passion is overwhelming. Her dress is riding up and she's banging on the instrument with her whole hand and she becomes a sex kitten not to be reckoned with.
The chemistry on stage is riveting. She sings to Amadeo (Pace twin #1) and he plays to her; it's like they're fighting, making up, and making love all at the same time. Then they switch instruments, and she's railing on the guitar, he's singing, and the drummer Simone (Pace twin #2) is cantering about on the drums with one hand and playing the beat box and keyboard with the other. Their rhythms and tunings and strange keys are like nothing I've heard.
I'm all full of musical goodness. Think I'll go have a sandwich.
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