According to Wikipedia, Deborah Harry, lead singer for the new wave band Blondie, which played last night at the Crossroads KC at Grinders, turned 64 this past July 1. Damnit, Wikipedia, where are your manners? If this is correct, and I have a feeling it is -- the great and powerful AllMusic.com backs it up -- then Harry was 30, or close to it, when she and guitarist Chris Stein founded their band in 1975.
Can you imagine a 30-year-old female American musician doing this today and having anywhere near the kind of success Harry did? I needn't go on about contemporary society's obsession with splaying out and dissecting youth and beauty, paparrazi-blog commenters taking apart female celebrities on computer screens like fetal pigs. And when Harry began, first as a Playboy Club cocktailing "Bunny" who played in bands, she came on fully sexual -- even more so with Blondie. Just watch the video for "Denis." Gee willakers!
Times have changed, and last night at the Crossroads, fans came more for nostalgia than for lust. And they were greeted by a classy, bouncy dame and her backing band, who, if not as nimble as they were 30 years ago, were still rarin' to have a good time.
Unfortunately, things got off to a mighty shaky start with "Call Me," the band's biggest-selling single, which was featured on the American Gigolo soundtrack and -- get this -- and is a favorite pep tune among American high school marching bands. You'd think, given these stakes, the soundman would've made sure Harry's microphone were turned up loud enough before she began singing the verse. Instead, it wasn't until the chorus -- or until the second or third song of the night, depending on whom you ask -- that her vocals could compete with the crashing of her six-piece band and the noise of a thousand or so moderately wylin' out fans.
After a decent "Hanging on the Telephone" and pretty limp "Two Times Blue" (the latter from Harry's aptly titled 2007 solo album Necessary Evil), Blondie really got going on "The Hardest Part." Fans from multiple generations, 20s and 40s and even older, with many representatives from the gay and lesbian camps, were tearing up the mulch underfoot like it was 1979. Harry quickly shed her artfully torn , '80s mom blouse/jacket thing she came out wearing and rocked the rest of the show in a fetching slip-like dress with separate nylon sleeves. She was Faye Dunaway-in-Chinatown hot.
With the exception of a few wobbly and unnecessary stretch-out jams, such as the crusty blues jam that marred an otherwise killer "Rapture," Blondie kept it hot and heavy, shifting between lithe reggae, hard rock, slinky disco and soul. Guitarist Chris Stein and bassist Gary Valentine Leigh Foxx seemed more comfortable soloing than keeping their parts anchored in the mix. If anyone on stage was feeling their age, it was them two cats.
The hired-gun help was mixed, consisting of a younger keyboardist who screwed up a lot and a strong-armed ace axman who clearly could play circles around a Jimmy Page songbook. MVP instrumentalist was clearly drummer Clem Burke. Twirling and tossing sticks -- and during "Heart of Glass" sticking one in his back collar and retrieving it like Conan the Barbarian -- and holding down the beat with expert precision, he seemed like one of those super-fit people you see at the gym who strap weights around themselves to make their workouts harder.
The show was a workout for all involved. And though it ended just 70 minutes after the opening beat and the temperature was in the 70s, anyone who didn't get a little sweaty up in that joint was doing something wrong.
Sweating with Deborah Harry -- that'll getcha hot just thinking about it. NSFW!
Set List
Call Me
Hanging on the Telephone
Two Times Blue
The Hardest Part
Fade Away and Radiate
Screaming Skin
Maria
Atomic
The Tide Is High / I'll Take You There
Don't Touch Me (You're Too Hot)
Rapture
One Way or Another
Encore
My Heart Will Go On (punk Celine Dion cover)
Heart of Glass
Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (Michael Jackson cover)
List of "Moods" on Deborah Harry's AllMusic.com page:
* Confident
* Stylish
* Slick
* Reflective
* Quirky
* Sensual
* Provocative
* Bravado
* Searching
* Messy
* Exciting
* Playful
* Amiable/ Good-Natured
* Fun
* Carefree
* Party/ Celebratory
* Melancholy
* Bright
* Energetic
* Sexy
Showing 1-6 of 6
Here's one sentence I thought I'd never say: I melt when you call me darlin', Russell.
I realized at home over the weekend that I forgot to list "Atomic." Feel free to correct me on the misidentified song.
I am too old for these mid-week concert reviews.
@ Jason Harper: I'm not cranky. If I were I would have pointed out that you had one of the titles on the set list incorrect, too.=-) Not really old either, darlin'!
I am not sure what show this review-er was at, but Gary Valentine hasn't played with Blondie since the release of Plastic Letters in 1977. I suggest sending someone to watch a concert that has enough brains to see who is still with the band and who isn't. That totally makes this reviewer look stupid with a capital S. Did you have your fingers in your ears when Debbie Harry introduced everyone? Are you too young to remember Blondie, or just too lazy to check your facts before you post your reviews?
Man, I thought "Two Times Blue" sounded really good and fit in well, but you call it "limp." Oh well. I'm glad they tossed in a couple of Debbie's recent solo songs (though "Don't Touch Me" is a trifle) and the shoulda-been-a-hit "Maria" to show that they hadn't gotten stuck in 1981--but they also played every old hit I wanted, except for "Dreaming." (OK, "Rip Her to Shreds" would have been on my wish list, too.) And Clem Burke is definitely THE man.
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