1) The Daphne Brooks "Jeff Buckley's Grace" reading went so far beyond my expectations I can't even just say, 'it went really well.' The venue was perfect, the house was packed (sorry but thanks to those who stood in the back) and all the books we ordered were sold so that D. Brooks fans could get autographs. Also, duh, Daphne's reading was fabu - she read from her introduction and her analysis of the "Hallelujah" section - putting into practice what the 'rockism' debate tries to encourage - expanding borders of the canon and who writes about it, and how. Good questions too, none of that 'pontificating in the guise of a ???' bs.
2) Left dinner to see the last of the Fischerspooner shows at The Canal Room. Holy brocade and wife-beater, Batman, it's 2005! The band came out in full pancake with silver-grey pomade making them look like wedding cake figurines. Okay, actually, their drummer was wearing a yellow basketball outfit but who cares, because if there's one thing that doesn't matter about Fischerspooner, surely it's the live drums.
On "Get Confused," this bizarre woman who'd been in the VIP section making exotic bird noises got on stage and danced with Casey. After the song he exclaimed that he, 'didn't know she was packing heat,' and asked her what she did for a living, "Date guys like you..." 'what does that mean,' "Guys with money." He then very publically asked her to get off the stage and asked for a shot of tequilla "petrone, please." Later, I called Amy and recounted the show, most of which matched up entirely with her experience at the show last week. Was this queen-humilation moment planned too? I doubt it, but it was really odd, esp. considering the woman was in the VIP section.
Also, during "We Need a War," which Casey enhanced with deeper, playfully dark singing (he had thrown off the earpiece he was wearing all night that was feeding him guide-vocals) after the exclamation "get political people, yahhh!" two very attractive topless women got on stage and danced while the guitarist played a sort of raunchy solo, then making out while Casey finished the set, and the night. It reminded me of Tim Quirk's EMP paper about women who flash at concerts, and whether this is a liberating or humilating thing. I would have to say in this context it was, at the very least, sadly misguided on the part of the women and ignorant on the part of Casey. I mean, Susan Sontag wrote the lyrics to the song...and it's about...war....Is war sexy topless dancing? In the one weird and maybe misguided gesture of Fischerspooner, it was the most misguided thing - or was it the audience begging FS to just keep emerging? They did, twice, the first time Casey saying, "I'm bored with this song, it's sooo 2000, no, so 1990...eight!' and then, sadly and without build-up or audience request, he called for it again. Confetti flew and vocals glitch/sped but even the band seemed bored. After the lights went up, Carlos D began to DJ and I knew, like I've felt so many times at shows, that I had to get the hell out before something stuck to me.
Dear topless chick 1,
While I agree with the librating and beautiful world of nudity, and indeed public nudity, I think that there is in fact a whole world of social convention and perhaps even responsibility as being part of the audience, or even 'an audience member.' Some of these rules are spoken - you don't bring in in weapons or outside drinks, you don't attempt to hurt anyone around you, you don't take a shit on the floor. Also, I might add to your argument, wearing clothes in public is a social convention.
Others rules are less obvious and allow for dancing on the tabletops, crowdsurfing, taking pictures, heckling, and indeed, taking off one's clothes. All conventions of non-conventional rock music audience participation, well codified by a half-century of practice.
Does that mean you have to think about it when you get up and do it? Well, the response is bodily and unrestrained, perhaps, and that I applaude under the sad and tired 'authentical' marker - do it cause you love it. Getting on stage and dancing naked is great and awesome - thank you for that. What I take umbrage with is a) the choice of song, which was in poor taste if you are a fan of the band and have listened to the lyrics and b) the girls-gone-wild like spectacle of essentially only addressing the audience while on stage, front forward, and the rather lame last minute carresses that seemed more 'girls gone wild' than 'temporary autonymous zone.'
Taking the stage subverts the power of the performer, which is something Fischerspooner are very much about but doing it to make your own spectacle by making out is maybe 'misguided' and 'ignorant' or, it could be argued and maybe will, 'brilliant' and 'satirical.'
Or it could just be argued that it was done to 'have a blast' because you were 'paying customers' whose only interest was 'to enjoy the performance and ourselves,' in which case you may want to check out Blink 182 or Louis XIV, who are a lot more fun live and whose fans are less likely to think about such things for long enough after the show to post about it on their blogs.
As one of the "two very attractive topless women" (thank you) who danced on stage during "We Need a War," I can assure you that the act was neither humiliating nor liberating; it was just plain fun. Our tops were off before and regardless of the song/lyrics. While our toplessness may not have been perfectly in synch with what was being performed, I'd like to remind you that as audience members we do not take on the responsibility of ensuring that everything happening on stage is. Our sole responsibility as paying customers is to enjoy the performance and ourselves and that we did. Also, I fail to see how nudity or partial nudity could ever be deemed "misguided" or "ignorant" as it is the most natural way of being that I can fathom. We were born naked; clothing was created not for warmth and bodily protection against the elements but as a shield against embarrassment and the criticism of others. My topless friend and I are clearly not ashamed of our bodies and felt no need to hide the fact from the rest of the audience. We had a blast that night and did not receive complaints from anyone else. Live a little!