Jamie Lidell at Paradise in Boston, MA (06/07/08)

This should come as a surprise to nobody, but I’m a big fan of the internet.  In particular, the internet has changed how I listen to music (or, more appropriately, how I encounter and interact with music).  Specifically, the plethora of resources available to research, discover, and acquire music makes being a fan entirely different than it was ten years ago.

However, before this introduction becomes a full-on digression, I only bring this up to suggest that very rarely do I encounter something without at least reading something about it, let alone hearing a track or two, seeing some pictures, or reading a review.  I suppose this is the price to pay for being exposed to so much music (and, therefore, discovering lots of new and exciting things).

So when Jenny invited me to come see Jamie Lidell with her this past weekend, I was intrigued to say the least.  I’d read things in passing about Lidell – I knew he had some kind of association with Beck, played some kind of electro-funk hybrid (or perhaps the Beck thing suggested that), and will be opening shows for Elton John in the near future – but had no concrete idea what he sounded like.  After realizing this, I openly embraced the chance to genuinely experience something new and foreign to me.

Simply put, I’m glad that I did – it was one of the most bizarre, fun evenings of music in a long time.  After spending the early part of his career as a producer/DJ/electro-whatever, Lidell moved towards a sort of neo-soul/funk mix.  On record (granted, only after a couple listens over the last day and a half), he comes across as a slightly less charismatic (albeit equally capable) Justin Timberlake vocally (with some damn good songs – don’t be surprised if “Another Day” starts popping up places this summer).  In the live setting, Lidell proudly waves the freak flag in every sense of the word – he came out in a gaudy black and gold jacket over a t-shirt, pajama-like pants with bare feet, and his thick-rimmed Coke-bottle glasses (with his band decked out in similarly absurd manners – mustaches, Evel Knieval jumpsuits, etc).

When the music starts, it’s a full-on onslaught of keys, percussion, saxophone (at times, the sax player played an alto and barritone simultaneously) and visual effects (we gawked over the video mixing equipment during Jennifer O’Connor’s tepid opening set).  Lidell himself danced, spazzed out, and propelled himself around the Paradise’s small stage, careening between his various band members, his dj equipment, and his record player that spun toy records for show.  I’ve never seen Gnarls Barkley live, but this is how I imagine their band should sound – taking rock, soul, funk, hip-hop, and effects and producing a joyous blend.

While the music was exceptional, the antics are also worth noting.  About twenty minutes into the set, Lidell moved over to his samplers and started looping his voice for the song “A Little Bit More” (among others).  As he added and twisted new layers of vocals, we turned around to see members of his band in the audience dancing with the crowd.  Then, a bit later on in the set, a bagpipe player (what looked to be a local fireman, but that’s pure speculation), marched on unannounced, played for a couple minutes, and marched off as well.  Somehow, the local touch managed to be surreal and endearing rather than out of place.

Finally, Lidell returned from the encore with a TV (and his turntable) on his head to sing a heartwrenching ballad.  Well, I assume it was heart-wrenching, but I spent most of the song trying to get a decent picture of this site on my cell phone.  Instead, I’ll borrow this one from Brooklyn Vegan’s review of his show the following night:

Two things that I think summed up the evening well.  Upon returning, I sought out copies of Multiply and his new record Jim and have been enjoying both.  Additionally, while waiting for the T, I told Jenny, “there’s no way that Old Man Elton John can go on after that.”  It’s probably true.

(As a side note, this show was proof that I should bring my camera to every small venue show I go to from now on.   Think of all the YouTube clips I could have shot!)