INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH THE SCOTS!!

it was hot. it was sticky. it was even wet for a while. yesterday's july 4th was one for the record books as i queued up for a few hours waiting for the Belle and Sebastian show at Battery Park. did i mention it was a free concert? yes, a week ago, i took off of work to wait on line (x2) at local starbuxs for the tickets.

in an act of, what hopes to be, impending good karma, i even traded one ticket away to one lucky craigslister for VIP tix to the Daily Show. i couldn't even think of selling them...people on the list were trying to fetch up to $150 for the tickets. bunch o' bastards. so my craigslisting stated that i would gladly trade up for something "interesting". the responses ranged from an 8" all clad frying pan to "rolfing" (i don't know what that is, but i'm pretty sure i'm not game for that), and one dude even offered "man-sandwiching" (and was deleted quickly). but when one gal offered tix (and VIP, at that) to 2 of my fave shows (TDS and TCR), how could i refuse that. i hope she had as incredible of a time as we did.


yeah, so it was me, my sis and her boyfriend, somewhat B&S virgins...suffered through what felt like 100 degrees got a nice spot under a tree about 20 feet from the stage in Battery Park's "Great Lawn", which really is more like "Adequately Sized Lawn" or even "Eh, it's OK, not Great, just OK" Lawn. the placed packed out quickly with the usual "tortured and weepy schoolboy/girl" crowd that the band usually attracts...we were getting pissed as there were teenaged hecklers sitting behind us, one i think was even suffering from heatstroke. i stood over, pointed and laughed at that kid...ok, maybe not, but i wanted to.



it did rain for a bit which delayed the show but the gods were with us as it stopped after about 1/2 hour and then it was on with the show. i'm so bad w/ setlisting but here's a "in no particular order b/c i have the worst memory" setlist

i fought in a war
suki in the graveyard
another sunny day
le pastie de la bourgoisie (WOO HOO!)
lord anthony
your cover's blown
the model
the wrong girl
jonathan david
funny little frog
if she wants me
white collar boy
dirty dream number two
sleep the clock around
if you're feeling sinister (double WOO HOO!!)
don't leave the light on baby

ENCORE
the boy with the arab strap

i don't think i left anything out...but it'll come back to me if i did. the band has become a true rock band and stuart a rock star, sporting a Pretenders II t-shirt...witty banter with the audience, epileptic-type choreography, he even asked around for mascara and required assistance to put it on for "Lord Anthony" and there was even a bruce springsteen "dancing in the dark" moment where a lucky fan got to dance onstage for "jonathan david". and one girl had a chance to inject the spoken word lyrics in the middle of "dirty dream number two" but f'ed it up...stupid. they had the quartet of strings backing them up which really brought the fullness of sound and melody. and they even have a new gal on the cello/violin, finally replacing the irreplacable isobel.



Here's the Gothamist's take on the show:

"Today Martha Wainwright and Belle & Sebastian played at the River to River Festival in Battery Park. Rain and an electrical storm threatened the show...But after some downpours and delays, the show went on. Belle & Sebastian played an amazing, and long, set - bringing on stage with them a string section that they claim actually showed up at the park that morning asking to play with the band.

Masters at working the crowd, the band had the audience hanging on every word, lyric, sound and move. One fan was brought up on stage, one asked to apply mascara on singer Stuart Murdoch and one taking the mic to help sing. Murdoch also addressed the whole ticket issue, not mentioning that coffee shop by name, saying if they had known they would have surely done something about it.

One of the encores included a Jimi Henrix at Woodstock-esque version of the Star Spangled Banner."

overall, i think my sister and nigel are newly converted B&S fans, finding them eclectic and genre-defying but most of all entertaining...something that you probably couldn't say 4 years ago.

they get better every time i see them, and i will no doubt be there when they're back in town. now they're headed to play with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, tomorrow!!!...why, oh why didn't i get tickets!!!



thanks to Mary and Jen C. for the pics!