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BANDS: Punk & Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About LOTD
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The Magnetic Fields at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA - 12/3/04
Stephen Merritt readily confesses that his band dislikes touring; so much in fact that the band now limits its tours to two weeks or less. One of these ambitious tours began recently when the band played two nights in my hometown of Alexandria, VA. Since Ive considered riding the old Greyhound bus to catch the band in NYC before, this was an extremely convenient chance to see them live for the first time. I met up with a number of friends and LOTD compatriots, and nobody quite knew what to expect for the evening. Previous shows at The Birchmere were in a large restaurant-like dining hall, where you can get a bit of a dinner before the band takes the stage. Instead, for this show, a bunch of chairs were put up near the entrance, and a makeshift stage was assembled. We got some front row seats saved early, and then we went off to a local diner for some dinner and to CVS for some candy to keep us going for the opening act. Confusion set in as soon as Australian Darren Hanlon began playing his acoustic songs. His guitar playing was quite sparse, and it left a tremendous burden upon his lyrics to carry his songs. Fortunately most songs were injected with a bit of humor, but it was a sort of twisted humor that wasnt too easy to understand. One song ridiculed the punk lifestyle of a past roommate, and another explored the pride one might feel if he had invented the kickstand of a motorcycle. Seriously. Some amusing between-song chatter was warmly received as he noted how his DC Metro train driver sounded like Barry White. A number of his song lyrics did have me laughing as well, but it was just a bit of a strange performance overall. About 80 jellybeans later, it was time for the main act. The Magnetic Fields took the stage and performed the entire set with 5 instruments. Stephen Merritt had his ukulele, Claudia Gonson played piano, and there was a cellist and banjo/guitar player. The music was flawlessly performed as far as I could tell, but Stephen and Claudia were the only ones who actually spoke. The awkward stage banter seemed to fit the bands persona fairly well, but it wasnt what youd typically expect for entertainment at any normal concert. Claudia and Stephen were separated on opposite sides of the stage, and apparently it was tough to coordinate the proper time to start different songs. This prompted Claudia to deliver a very rock nroll 1-2-3-4 which was immediately followed by the shockingly un-rock n roll picking of Stephen Merritts ukulele. Hilarious moments like these were really what made this concert one of the best Id ever seen. Most of my Twizzlers were running out by this point. But sugar was probably a far better choice for the evening than beer. Ridiculously bleak tales like I Looked All over Town from i sounded even more tragic when the band slowed them down; the sugar had me busting out in giggles, whereas alcohol probably would have left me crying into my pint. The new albums lyrics are so dark in spots, and Merritt seems to exercise a bit of the poppy flair that his recorded vocals have when he sings his songs live. Lines like You seemed to be in love with me, which isnt very realistic came off with such a dry lack of emotion that you could still leave the performance imagining every lyric is as sincere and hopeless as you originally thought they were. Which is exactly the point, right? You dont believe it when you just hear the albums; you have to see him sing these songs live with a straight-face for proof. One song each was lifted from Holiday, Charm of the Highway Strip, and Get Lost. But the set dipped mostly into songs from both i and 69 Love Songs. I guess potential disappointment came from the decision to play hardly any upbeat tunes at all during the main set as well as the inclusion of Reno Dakota, a track that we joked about before the show as being a bit weak. Then again, amidst the descending gloom, we were given the cheery message of A Chicken with Its Head Cut Off. Plus, Stephen didnt play Bitter Tears, which must suggest that he was in a good mood of sorts. Seriously though, there is a drop of humor in all of Stephens lyrics, no matter how hard he tries to convince you that the glass is half empty. Such mirth finally surfaced full-fledged for the encore of Yeah! Oh, Yeah! Stephen and Claudia traded off lyrics describing a relationship full of naivety and lies as they ran around the stage striking dramatic poses. A Pretty Girl Is Like was another fine choice for the main set, and the show seemed to peak with the carefully performed Papa Was A Rodeo. Merritt lit a lone cigarette to add a bit more mystique to this mysterious tale of fleeting romance. During the second verse, a disco ball lit up on cue with the lyrics. Then Stephen masterfully downplayed this lighthearted surprise by bashfully shielding his eyes from the ridiculous prop, as if some record executive at Warner Brothers had forced him to include it in his stage show. In reality, the whole performance seemed carefully planned out for maximum subconscious impact, whether the audience was aware of it or not. Even the anticlimactic closer I Die was there for a reason. After the show and all of our candy was gone, we realized in the parking lot that the concert was sandwiched between opener I Was Born and the closing of I Die. And if you cant laugh at a bit of dark humor like that, you probably had no business seeing The Magnetic Fields live in the first place.
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