Neko Case and Rufus Wainwright
August 9, 2007
VooDoo Lounge
Better Than: Dinner for two at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill
Review by Scott Wilson. Photos by Michael Forester.
Anyone hoping to hear Rufus Wainwright’s best music -- the bright, concise letters from a young genius that made up his first two albums and the leaner parts of the Want discs -- got an earful of spam at the VooDoo Lounge last night. The songwriter and his seven-piece band, dressed as pieces of Fruit Stripe gum, emerged around 9:30 and committed themselves to a breathless recital of the Wainwright hymnal, a book of cloudy self-devotionals that sounded no more exciting onstage than on this year’s frustrating Release the Stars -- though equally bombastic.
Early in his performance, Wainwright dedicated “Sans-Souci,” one of the cannier (and gayer) cuts on Stars, to Toby Keith, namesake and absentee proprietor of the steakhouse next door, and praised the Liberty Memorial as an impressive ode to the phallus. That was as witty as things got. Most of the show was devoted to the business of keeping the blood flowing to his priapic new songs, too many of them lurid boleros swollen with French horn parts and Ron Burgundy flute solos.
The singer’s oozing tenor (in his mouth, the word knees rhymes with mayonnaise -- all three syllables) stayed strong in the mix, even above the Wagner-in-a-box arrangements. But his insistence on tendering nearly every track from the weak new album and his prodigal refusal to acknowledge Poses combined to make the night a lesson in squandered gifts and poor pacing. Giving no quarter from his fussy, monochromatic new material, Wainwright veered close to self-parody, and the burlesque seemed to weary all but those onstage and those directly in front of it.
The venue didn’t help. A kind of USA Network re-creation of a bar built for bands, the VooDoo Lounge sounds fine but has the lines of a crazy-expensive grade school gym. There’s just no getting around it: Even when the act is as outré as Wainwright, the show is at a big fucking casino, sniffing distance from big fucking casino feeding troughs and next door to a big fucking casino hotel.
Despite the $50 ticket price and the fact that Wainwright and opener Neko Case remain on a secret-handshake-basis acquaintance with Middle America, a big chunk of the crowd seemed to have wandered in from a nearby crab-legs buffet, gripped by curiosity. Some took in a few minutes of Wainwright’s Jack Tripper-in-lederhosen shtick, shook their heads, and sought refuge again among the slots and cards. The room’s twin bars remained noisy, except during Wainwright’s two-song summary of his Judy Garland tribute last year, the simplest, most graceful part of an otherwise exhausting night.
Local actress Nina Murphy, introduced by Wainwright as a contest winner, jiggled and vamped through her cameo as the spoken voice of “Between My Legs,” the most upbeat song of the night. Hers was a decidedly non-Equity performance, though, and the show’s scarce momentum vanished when the band took a break, presumably to tie Murphy to some railroad tracks.
Hinting at none of the carnage to come, Neko Case whipped through her 40-minute opening set backed by a loose band and frequent tourmate Kelly Hogan singing harmony. Case took little time to introduce songs or address her audience -- “This is a Bob Dylan song,” she said before beginning his “Buckets of Rain” -- though her haste didn’t hinder the music.
She and the band had to leave for Dallas right after her set, she said from the stage. Too bad: The hint of Case and Wainwright sharing a stage was part of this show’s allure, and a proper double bill might have saved the night. The music in the van, with Case and Hogan and the boys, was probably more fun than Wainwright’s largely wasted two hours.
Critic's Notebook
Personal Bias: More Kelly Hogan , please.
Random Detail: Hearne Christopher Jr. took a short fact-finding tour of the floor late in the show.
By the way: Confidential to divorced-dad-looking man wearing iridescent blue nail polish on his toes: Your sandal license is revoked.
Photo Carnival:
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Scott-
You strike me as a. a poser b. a wannabe writer resorting to the low hanging fruit of criticism in the absence of actual talent and c. a homophobe. Nice pics, though.
To be fair, guys -- and having seen Rufus multiple times before, *including* around the time of Poses, solo opening for Tori Amos -- it really is hard to top those gigs. He didn't need spectacle or grandiose accoutrements to be a standout performer; his voice and songwriting did the trick.
And with this album, it's bombast and decoration -- and the songwriting is weak. Period.
I think the reviewer is coming from the perspective of someone who saw older Rufus shows -- and saw the unadorned version, and found it perhaps more moving or affecting. He's not saying that Rufus can't evolve, necessarily; he's just saying that this particular show found him going over-the-top to cover up weaker songs.
I'd never seen Rufus Wainwright before his show in Dallas. I was impressed with his voice, but much less impressed by his fans.
I was there for Neko Case, but half way through her set I had to turn around in my seat and tell a cadre of campy, effeminite Rufusites to STFU as they were mocking Case, yelling "YEE HAWW" at the tops of their lungs and screaming, "Play the Dylan cover again!"
Other than that, the sound was amazing...much better than most venues Case plays. Her set was mostly her standards, nothing new there. But for her fans, she's always an event.
I agree with my fellow Texan! WTF is wrong with this reviewer??? I saw the Dallas show on Friday night and was mesmerized by Rufus. Neko Case and A Fine Frenzy were amazing as well. Perhaps this reviewer knows more than the The Metropolitan Opera of New York: http://www.dallasnews.com/shar...
I caught the same show 2 days later here in Austin. I was no fan attending the show; I have never seen or listened to Mr. Wainwright much at all. I was very impressed and entertained, so much so that here I sit the next morning looking up the show on Google and finding this review. I can't believe that I saw the same show reviewed here, but you have the pictures to prove it. This review seems incredibly harsh and biased.
Wow, I feel like I saw a completely different show. While I was reading this review I couldn't help but sensing complete aggression throughout all of it. But whatever, I am certain there were a lot of fans that left the show satisfied.
I certainly was satisfied. I have been a fan of Rufus' for about 3 years now and have never seen him live before. He was witty, personable, and an overall fantastic performer. What more can a hardcore Rufusfan ask for?
Conclusion: The only thing good about this "review" is the pictures that were included.
This reviewer is obviously blindly biased toward the Poses album and lets it be known to all in this review. He seems to completely neglect the beautiful, complex arrangements of Release the Stars. Interestingly enough, I've talked to many people who attended this show and they had nothing but good things to say about it. I attended the Denver concert on Tuesday, which was fantastic, the best I've heard and seen. According to this illogical review, a lot changed in 2 days. Luckily I'm not ignorant enough to believe everything I read...
I guess Rufus will just have to skip over Kansas City on his next tour. Seeing as I'll be in college an hour from NYC, I'd have no problem with that decision.
the new Rufus disc is terrible. there, i said it. except for 'between my legs.' in contrast, i saw neko case at the blue note in columbia in april, and it was astounding. wish she had headlined.
that being said, i see shows in a casino if the music is good. i don't care what the venue is, as long as i want to see a band. i saw nada surf and the lemonheads at the casino in st. louis; the juxtaposition of the gaudy atmosphere and the good music amused me.
Wow, what an aggressive review. I saw Rufus perform in San Francisco last weekend and have read many reviews for the shows so far this tour and they all have been glowing. Since this is the only bad review so far I think it is the reviewer who has it wrong. I'm sure everyone at the show was in awe of his extraordinary talent and beautiful music.
Yes, Bergman. The views expressed by this blogger do not reflect those of the whole city. I don't think that I was the only one who thoroughly enjoyed the show. Everyone in the audience appeared to be exhausted and satisfied when they left. Rufus and Neko did not waste their time here at all.
And as you can see in the review, even the people in this town don't take much pride in it. Yes, the venue is in a casino. But, it has the best sound and lighting systems that I have seen in this town. Its the perfect size. They don't kick you out promptly at 11:00 like the Uptown theater. And, most importantly, the bathrooms are immaculate and have enough stalls to accommodate the crowd. I can look past the ads for Toby Keith's I Heart this Bar and Grill and the smell of a buffet for that.
Well Caroline, I am a big fan as well, glad you got to see him in your city despite this tepid review.
The fact that Wainwright neglected to play any of his hits (April Fools, Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk, etc.) should be ignored. Clearly, this was a show for his most devoted fans, at least the second set was. Christ, he sang an Irish folk song without any microphones. And people actually shut the fuck up at a concert for once. The gob smacked audience seemed so impressed that could hear the ice machine gurgling from across the room. I think that deserves some more credit. His voice is amazing, and I don't think you can compare it to another man currently singing in the same genre.
Plus, costume changes galore. The man has better legs than the women featured on pantyhose packages.
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