BY GORDON GUILD
If you arrived at the Record Bar on the evening of New Year's Day not knowing what to expect, you were hit with Leslie & the LY's signature glitter and glam by just walking though the parking lot. Their tour van said it all: "SHAZAAM!" Decked out with a mish-mash of kittens, photos of her band, and brightly colored words proclaiming "jams, gems, and beautiful gifts," it was clear that Kansas City was in for a spectacle.
Leslie Hall and her LY's (comprising Hall, Mona Bonez, Scrappy and Greecee) have created a surreal fantasy world -- not dissimilar to Comedy Central's Strangers with Candy. It celebrates the over-indulgent aspects of Midwest stereotypes like gem sweaters, crafting, Jo-Ann fabrics, and rolls of body fat.
With a sound that varies from early hip-hop (think RUN DMC made up of Midwestern white women) to mainstream pop (if a group of Catholic cafeteria ladies were Beyonce and her backup dancers), Leslie Hall has earned a considerable fan-base on YouTube that has blossomed into a cult following.
A crowd of nearly 200 loyal Leslie Hall lovers were crammed into the Record Bar on Friday, most of them BeDazzled as the Midwest Diva herself (not bad for a frigid January night).
As the show began, Hall appeared in her trademark glimmering spandex outfit pretending to be lifted up on stage (a la Britney Spears) while warbling into the microphone about thanking "mama for making me gold pants." Sporting a lunch-lady bouffant, large 80's glasses and heavy eye makeup, Hall rapped about topics such as killing zombies and "dancing for change to pay Iowa rent." A constant stream of infomercials, vintage workout routines, and homemade videos of the band's own songs rolled in the background, providing a campy parody of power-pop stage sets.
Hall didn't skimp on the showmanship either, infusing her dance routines with touches like physically speaking every dance move into her microphone: "leg kick, leg kick, and spin."
Later in the show, Hall evoked illusory special effects by circling around the stage saying, "glitter raining, glitter raining...balloons falling, balloons falling...fog machine on, fog machine on." With tongue secured firmly in cheek, Hall took full advantage of the so-bad-it's-good aesthetic of her performance, even warning audience members in the front row to "forgive the smell -- it's probably my B.O. or urine. It keeps leaking out every time I jump."
During the climax of Leslie and the LY's set, "Gem Sweaters," Hall invited her avid fans on stage to show off their BeDazzled sweatshirts. She judged the best sweater of the evening and gave it a ceremonial naming, complete with a certificate of authenticity.
After the ceremony, the celebratory dance continued with Hall kicking and panting in top form.
Despite the campy irony that infuses Leslie and the LY's hokey performance art, Hall's interaction with the crowd was continuous and sincere; and it's this connection that makes her a true "cewebrity."
SET LIST:
Gold Pants
Blame the Body
Gypsy Dancing
Cewebrity
Lady Tiger/Body Roll
Gem Sweaters
Let's Craft Talk
Zombie Killer
Willow Don't Cry
Midwest Diva
How We Go Out
Shazam - I'm Glamorous
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