Merry Swankster: Beg Yr Pardon # 6 @ the Delancey, New York City. 08.15.2006

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August 18, 2006

Beg Yr Pardon # 6 @ the Delancey, New York City. 08.15.2006

The sixth edition of Beg Yr. Pardon was clearly the most fun I've had there yet, and not just because I've let myself be enveloped in its loving embrace in my role as 1st half DJ. A sort of hanging energy was present at the Delancey on Tuesday that has only peeked in previously. There was an almost rowdy edge to the room by the time we headed into the beer frame around 11, but it was always relaxed and fun. It came closest to fulfilling its initial mission statement of a party without pose. Just a bunch of kids hanging out, checking out uniformly enjoyable local bands, and chatting it up. If the bi-weekly night can keep up the momentum it seems to be generating...well I guess I don't know what will happen actually. Let's come back and find out, huh?

- For the curious, a note about my DJ sets*. I went a tad obscure (but up-tempo), because I figured, "Hey, it's a pretty hip room right?" Well, it was. The influx of people sadly picked up when I was winding down and for most of the time it was a close cousin to playing records for your pals hanging out pre-painting the town, but I got no problems with that. There were a few head and leg nods during "Fred Vom Jupiter", "Autonomy Boy", and "Pillars Were Hollow..." in the second set (list in it's chronological place), so I was pleased enough. When I make my triumphant return in a later slot, or in the dreaded cage match format, watch out! -

DJ Set # 1
Holy Shit - "Written All Over Your Face" / Peter Bjorn & John - "Young Folks" / Serge Gainsbourg - "Requiem Pour un Con" / Tom Tom Club - "On, On, On, On..." / Fire Engines - "Candyskin" (John Peel session) / Orange Juice - "Poor Old Soul, pt. 2" / TV on the Radio - "Wolf Like Me" / LCD Soundsystem - "Jump into the Fire" / Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - "Young Shields" / Neu! - "Lila Engel (Lilac Angel)" / Televsion Personalities - "...and Don't the Kids Just Love it?" / the What Four - "I'm Gonna Destory That Boy" / Delta 5 - "Mind Your Own Business" /
Erase Errata - "Ca. Viewing"

Animandible

Animandible screamed along to goofy, trashed electro aided by live guitar and the occasional haphazard drum and cowbell shot. Less grim than Suicide, less clever than LCD, but both were obvious touchpoints. The room at this point was pretty sparse, but the boys played for the photogs in the front, and the lurkers in the back with alot of enthusiasm. I think they crossed the line into totally ridiculous one or fourteen times, going out into the "crowd" writhing on the floor, etc., but they really committed. Swinging for the fences is an admirable move for an opening band, and it was an entertaining set in the end.

DJ Set # 2
Malaria! - "Your Turn to Run" / the Long Blondes - "Autonomy Boy" / Elastica - "Ba Ba Ba" (BBC session) / Cristina - "Ticket to the Tropics" / the Knife - "You Take My Breath Away" / Charles de Goale - "Synchro" / Andreas Dorau & die Marinas - "Fred Vom Jupiter" / Liars - "Pillars Were Hollow and Filled With Candy So We Knocked Them Down..." / James White & the Blacks - "Contort Yourself"

My Teenage Stride

My Teenage Stride were a really tight, poppy rock group making them the odd man out on this mostly electro-fied bill. I liked pretty much everything they played, but if I had one reservation it'd be that their set was all over the place, in way that made it seem like the work of several different bands. One minute they did angular, sort of like a less nervous Feelies. Next thing you know, you'd have super crisp power-pop. Then we'd be in for a feel good retro 70's AM radio jam, followed by a neo-new wave up-tempo Clap Your Hands-ish one. I mean the range was impressive, and they were never boring certainly, but you didn't get a real sense of the band's identity. On a night focused on crazy antics and outsized performances, that might not have been enough to wow. But, I did like it.

1 Song DJ encore/ time for Mathilda von Crumbcake to set up
Talking Heads - "Love > Building on Fire" (live)

EZ Machine

Weirdly, these guys one me over with a Don Henley cover. At the beginning of the set, the two man EZ Machine were obviously amusing, but hard to take seriously. Heavy vocoder, pantomiming as if synth bleeps and bloops were being sung a capella (unless they have some serious next level software), a future shock light show, prominent key-tar, and a guy named "DJ Law School" (which wins points with me as I was unable to think of anything close to as good for my night's duties) add up to a larf. But then out of the neon-salted darkness, strumming lightly on guitar, whispering earnest vocals, and adorned with only a tasteful sprinkling of electro tinsel, "Boys of Summer" became somehow palatable. Sure, the lyrics are still nostalgic crap, but they grated the cheese right off in a way that made it modest and pretty. My newfound attention was rewarded with another cover of Prince's "When U Were Mine" in the beloved Cristina style. Respect.

Cassettes Won't Listen

The Cassettes Won't Listen audio-visual spectacular started with the first airing of the new CWL remix of Asobi Seksu's "Strawberries" soon to be topping the elbo.ws chart. With crowd hyped, our man Jay (and to be perfectly transparent, he is a friend of ours) invited some lovely ladies to the stage for back up. Not only with voice but with flute! That's an instrumental gauntlet thrown down right there, future BYP'ers. With the ladies silking up the slow turntable beats and keyboard, the result had sort of a Tricky/ Massive Attack trip hop feel (I think we're about due for a revivial on that front, no?). It was one of many sonic facets displayed in an eclectic and impressive show.

For all the times we've shot the shit, I'd never seen Jay Drake perform, so I had no idea what to expect really. This element of surprise was key to the enjoyment. An ever changing light show livened up what was necessarily a stationary keyboard bound show. The popular synth pop makeover of Pavement's "Cut Your Hair" won fans with it's warm bounce, before meeting the original on it's own terms with an unexpected electric guitar breakdown. This polyamorous music love was on display all night as JD proved equally comfortable with a hopping beat showcase or a bedroom indie strum along. My usual indifference to all things rap was also momentarily shelved as the obviously free styling guest MC, Bisc One, made short work of the surrounding enviroment in cobbling together his flow. He then slid back into the sudience like it was nothing, and I had to admit it was a cool moment.

The songs had so many places that they could possibly go, but always felt pretty organic in their course. The audience couldn't help but be a bit electric, caught guessing at what sonic element was going to come from within the swirling lights. Color me impressed, man.

More pictures after the jump...