Blonde Redhead, Halloween, late show - I’m there! Lead singer/guitarist Kazu Makino came out in a sort of traditional samurai mask, probably created by a world class designer I will never know. It was the only mask in the band, and she wore it only for the first and last songs. It was a little awkward, but expressed that the band can sometimes laugh a little at themselves. Notoriously shy and not overtly chit-chatty, Blonde Redhead has always been an art rock band at heart. That comes with the avant garde presentation and ambiance.
The tour, in support of this year’sPenny Sparkle release, features an incredible light show as well. Blonde Redhead has not changed much in personality over the years, but the albums have gotten progressively more defined and focused. The show was great, featuring mostly material from Penny Sparkle. There were a couple of classics. And some new classics too. I consider anything post Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons to be a second version of Blonde Redhead.
The opener was a DJ set by Panthu Du Prince. The thirty minute-ish set delved into rich atmospheric sound effects and pulsating rhythmic diversions, but ultimately served as an introduction to Blonde Redhead. It was cool and interesting enough to hold my attention, but nothing more than thirty minutes worth of a show. Just when I like what I hear coming from a DJ, a silly, awkward, out of place dance beat comes along. I’m sorry, but I just can’t get past that. Though light on these moments, Panthu Du Prince had a prominent slot for more exposure, and his impressive light show was well fitted. I’m sure he won over a couple of people. I don’t know how enveloping a Panthu Du Prince album might be, but his show was promising enough to hold its own. I would rather have seen a band perform, but this was sufficient as an opening act.
When Blonde Redhead stepped on stage, they dived into one of the first tracks from Penny Sparkle. The album’s relaxed state takes on a more definitive meaning on stage, and almost sounds more aggressive. Perhaps the atmospheric experience of the new Blonde Redhead concert makes the music more powerful. Penny Sparkle sounds a lot more interesting now than when I first experienced it. The standout performances were definitely from the more recent albums, as the older songs seem to be standard solid fare for the band. One song in particular that makes use of the portraiture photography themed light show was the performance of ‘Falling Man’ from 2004’s Misery is a Butterfly. The performance of this song conjured up imagery that screams both predator and poet. A theatrical lighting effect, posting an enormous silhouette of guitarist Amedeo Pace across stage left background, looked almost like a wolf howling at the moon. It was kind of corny, but also impressive and very surprising.
I’m not sure exactly who the band’s fourth touring member is. I’ve often wondered how they would pull off some of their material as a 3-piece. Voila! He’s not anything detrimental to the sound, but possibly adds a notch to the band’s ever changing multi-level soundscape.
At one point, I felt like I was alone in a cave with Blonde Redhead playing at the other end. The sound at D.C.’s 9:30 Club is great, and based on other occasions seeing the band, it was thoroughly enjoyable experiencing the band in a comfortable environment. I’ve seen them play in packed, small venues, as well as opening for Interpol in venues that were almost too big. I really feel like Blonde Redhead has reached a point where they are truly a world class band. They’ve been critic darlings for a while, always drawing slight criticism for their unusual features. Personally, I feel that it is exactly the “unusual features” that makes any act stand out and Blonde Redhead absolutely uses their singular attributes to amplify their persona.
For an encore, Blonde Redhead sent us off with the finale from Misery is a Butterfly: ‘Equus’. This was apparently a request from Makino as the band did not look like they had decided on the set ending. The lyrics of this song reflect an adoration of the crowd, and the band has a small but devoted crowd. I am one of the devotees, and Blonde Redhead’s creativity, tact, and performance are worthy of such devotion.
