The Scissor Sisters may not be the best live band out there, but they are irrefutably one of the most entertaining. For more than 90 minutes Tuesday night, the disco/glam/rock/gay-cabaret ensemble from New York City stirred up a dancing frenzy among a crowd of 1,000 or so in the Uptown Theater.
The band's sound bears a wealth of influences and resmblances: Elton John (a friend and collaborator), Duran Duran, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, George Michael, Prince, the B52s.
The Sisters' fortes: songwriting and personality. Jake Shears and Ana Matronic are the vocalists and ringleaders and both are funny, campy, vampy and overtly libidinous. "You are a very vocal crowd," Matronic said early on. "I hope you're oral, too."
The 15-song set list drew heavily from the Sisters' latest album, "Ta-Dah," which was released in September. By far, the best performance off that album was "Paul McCartney," a big-and-fruity disco/funk anthem with more melody in its veins than anything Macca has written since he and the Beatles split. That one came halfway through the show, but it felt like a grand finale.
Other highlights: the opener, "She's My Man"; "T**s on the Radio," the anti-radio disco-funk anthem off the debut "Scissor Sisters" album; and "Everybody Wants the Same Thing."
The mood slowed a bit during "Land of 1,000 Words," the closest this band has to a ballad, but that didn't last long. Next came the subversive goth/dance-rock cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb."
They closed with "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'," which was co-written by John, Shears and bassist Babydaddy. The crowd danced and bobbed and waved arms throughout the song; and even when the lights were up, people couldn't give up the groove or let go of this band's infectious vibe. Best show of the year (so far).
| Timothy Finn, The Star
Setlist: She's My Man, Laura, I Can't Decide, T**s on the Radio, The Skins, Lights, Paul McCartney, Kiss You Off, Filthy/Gorgeous, Everybody Wants the Same Thing, Land of 1,000 Words, Transistor, Comfortably Numb. Encores: Take Your Mama, I Don't Feel Like Dancin'.
i agree - the show was awesome
Posted by: st | March 21, 2007 at 08:17 PM