B-52s, Hercules & Love Affair: Live It Up On The Day Of The Dead
- Nov 12, 2008
Yeah I know... the most you think you know about The B-52s is that song that won't get out of your head: Loveshack. That's why we were surprised but intrigued when we heard The B-52s were performing along with indie disco demons (and hipster DFA-record darlings) Hercules And Love Affair, at Hammerstein Ballroom the day after Halloween. We figured it was an ironic match worth checking out. Plus the post-Halloween date appealed to some of the more wildly attired drag queens in town (as did the gorgeous transsexual Nomi who sings in Hercules and Love Affair). Better yet, James Murphy was DJing in between sets.
So off we trotted off to Hammerstein Ballroom, head buzzing with halloween hangovers, in time to see Hercules and Love Affair's dancer and trumpet-infused set. Truth told, the large band has all the elements of a riotous live show (transexual scantily clothed in sequins, androgynous lead singer, two DJs/samplers, trumpets, side-dancers, tambourines, bassists) BUT they never seemed to just let go and have fun while onstage. Another issue is while Blind is a killer song, the rest of their tunes simply didn't have the same "oomph"... and sadly Anthony (the uber-talented similiarly androgenous ingenue from Antony And The Johnsons) was nowhere in site, despite having been the original vocalist for Blind. So while we really want to love the Love Affair.... they've got to give us more to grab on to.
Meanwhile, James Murphy played cheesy disco music in between sets. Murphy has got a stern love of special disco edition vinyls and he's in the 'uber-cool' DJ league where he can devote the night to playing cheesy disco music and no one (even drag queens with balls) will utter a word. Thus he waxed his own ego and we gritted and we bared it until the B-52s. (Sorry Jamesy; we only say it sucked because we know you definitely don't give a crap).
And who knew? The B-52s whacked the show out of the park. Not only did we actually know more songs than we thought (Rock Lobster, Party O/O Bounds) but the band made us feel welcome regardless. Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson came out in full black gear, glitter and fake eyelashes, while Fred Schneider came out in a wig and pink lipstick and Keith Strickland was in a slick suit with guitar. The chicks still have a voice that's electric - so much so it makes you realize how many of today's acts are so heavily produced you can't tell if they are the same act when they perform live. The B-52s on the other hand sound exactly as they did in the recording studio in the 80s - full spunk and retort. And Fred Schneider's witty retorts didn't stop coming ("If you see us coming in to your party, lock the doors"). Sure they are older now and wrinkled, but the guys just want to have fun. They ended the night with the whole ballroom - drag queens, clown-costumed, girls, kids, and 60-year-olds - all hands up in the air dancing and shouting "Keep This Party Going."
