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Agents Andy B. |
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and Casey W. |
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We went to the Red Elvises show in Allston MA on October 15, and it was, in a word, fabulous. I’ve been a fan for quite some time, and like any good fan, I dragged my friend Casey here along with me.
Andy had played some of their music for me before, and I thought they were…..different to say the least. But I was still excited to go to the show, since Andy loves this band so much.
Since I was so antsy about getting to the show, we arrived obscenely early…and it being a Sunday night, there was just about no one in sight. After a parallel parking disaster, we made our way to Harper’s Ferry:
We got there so early that when we got in, the band was still warming up. I was very excited that the songs they were playing were ones I had never heard before…that means a new album. Psyched!
I was excited to drink some delicious rum and cokes. With lime.
The giant triangle bass was quite amusing, but I still didn’t really know what to make of the band.
It was fantastic that so many people showed up, despite it being a Sunday night. Heck, I had already worked all day Sunday and was facing another day Monday. Needless to say, I was so pumped all Monday I didn’t even notice the sleep deprivation. In any case, what seemed like hours after we arrived, the band finally took the stage for their performance. (I did say we got there hella early.) Elena had on yet another amazing dress:
(Where do you get these dresses???? I want them all!) The lighting in the place was very odd…very little of it was directed on the band, making everything really dark. Now, I’m terrible with set lists. I get way too caught up in the moment. I do remember that when it was time for “I Wanna See You” I headed straight for the stairs up to the stage, dragging poor innocent Casey behind me. And damn, she was fighting me.
I was about ready to kill her. I was totally unprepared to be paraded around on stage. So when she let go, I thought I was free…but Oleg grabbed me and also pushed me towards the stage. But I gotta say, it was so much fun, being up on stage with all those other girls. I’d never done anything like that before! After the song ended, the band took a break and I went to refill the rum and coke supply.
So after the break the band played three new songs, which of course I can’t remember the titles to. One was very jump-swing, which made me wish I knew how to swing dance. These particular songs seemed to be an echo of Better than Sex, which is naturally welcome to any RE fan. I don’t think the Red Elvises could play a song I didn’t like. Well, that’s probably not true...I’m imagining terrible things, like the band covering a Justin Timberlake song...eek. But as for the songs they have now, I still can listen to them over and over and never get sick of them, which I honestly can’t say about any other band.
Back to the show….after the new songs came Sad Cowboy Song, with that crazy conga line that threatened to mow down anyone in its path!
I never join the line, I’m too afraid of losing my prime up-front spot.
I snapped a few pictures of the crowd at that point, including this guy doing his own conga line, caught in the headlights like some woodland creature:
At the end of the show, there were three encores, including my favorite “Jerry’s Got a Squeezebox.” After screaming along with everyone else for those encores, I felt the need to buy some new gear. I picked up a new tank top and poster, which I had everyone sign for me, and took pictures with the guys.
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Poor Elena had to be fetched from upstairs because there was a line of people waiting for her autograph. Anyway, when I asked Oleg to sign the poster, I laid it across my chest, as a backing.
I of course, blurted out, “Right on the boob!” At which point Oleg says to me, in that fabulous accent, “Oh, you want it right on the boob?” and comes over to me and signs my chest. I was already so ecstatic about this band, but this was just the clincher. We had to go back to Igor and ask him to sign the other side, to which he replied, “I would love to complete the set!”
Overall, the show was fantastic as usual, although it was missing some old standards, most notably Rocketman. Hearing the new material certainly made up for it. All three songs sounded pretty solid, and I can’t wait to hear studio versions.
About the studio versions…I have listened non-stop to the Red Elvises since the show, and I can’t explain why I am so smitten with this band. It’s unexplainable! They are completely and totally addictive…I’ve been thinking crazy things like flying with Andy across the country for a show!
Of course, this is a dangerous position for me to be in. It was great to see the progression of someone from barely knowing the group to falling in love with them, especially in just one night! At the beginning she was just nodding her head; by the end she was rocking out with the rest of us. But at the same time, now I have someone telling me it’s a really good idea to fly down to Florida for one night to catch a show…even if we both have to work the next day.
Yes, this is very dangerous. The Red Elvises are absolutely the best live show I have been to, from the giant bass to the sexy accents to the interaction with the crowd. I can’t wait to see many more shows in the future. Literally, I can’t wait—every day is torture!
| Do svidaniya from Massachusetts, |
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P.S. Quote of the night: “Buy our CDs and T-shirts, they help to feed our children all over the world.”