For me, last nights show at the Beacon was bittersweet. Having run the gamut
of the solo shows,(Westbury, Town Hall) I'd seen enough mellow Todd. Then he
burns through town with "The Liars", and my faith once again, rejuvenated.
Our Hero has a way of doing that. Then,as quite a surprise, there was the
Delacorte Shows, at the end of last summer, which had knocked me on my ass.
The entire show was flawless, and I found myself wishing that everyone could
have seen that show. Your wish is my command, presto, they take it on the
road. Then I learned of the Melbourne fiasco, and thought "How could
something that good fall apart", and that I had told all my other Todd fan
friends, how great the Delacorte was etc. Luckily, O.H. Had seemed to pull
it together for the other shows, and they rolled into The Beacon, ready to
do business. Ethel, who seemed like high school geeks at a rumble last
summer, were more comfortable and competent with their new audience.
Joe Jackson, whom I've seen almost as many times as I've seen Todd, was dead
on, vocally and musically. He delivered some of his beauties effortlessly
and was in fine form. "(It's) Different for Girls","Home Town", "The Obvious
Song", and a number from an upcoming "Disney" film, in which Joe plays... A
piano player, were just a few strong points. At the Delacorte, Joe confessed
to being "nervous as hell", well, he has certainly gotten over that. A side
note to Joe, No, you are not a "Disney" kind of guy!!
Then came Todd. Clearly, he was glad to be in N.Y.C. And clearly, he was
like a schoolboy who had been spanked. This time, everything was in order
and he ran through his set like the pro that he is."Love of the Common Man",
"Afterlife", "Hello It's Me"and "Hawking", were all stand outs, though
"Hawking" was decimated by audience members...talking. This is a common
complaint in almost all the reviews. What is up with that people? A song as
powerful as "Hawking" relies on silence as an effect, which gets ruined when
the said silence is punctuated by what the folks next to you are saying. I
did not come to the theater to find out that your boss is an asshole.
Thankfully, the entire show made up for any small glitches. A side note for
Todd, lose that guitar effect on "Black and White", or fix it!!
After weeks of anxiety over what to expect, I was not disappointed at all,
with the exception of those noisy audience members. All three components of
a completely fresh approach to live shows delivered an outstanding
performance. Anyone going to the remaining shows, relax, as I am sure this
Excitement is coming soon to a town near you. Enjoy!!
