pics and post by eliza czander
I walked into the Highline Ballroom last night hearing and seeing what I was sure had to be a joke. A band I hadn’t heard of was opening for Jamie Lidell, so I decided to check out the tail end of their act. Their name was The World Provider and that’s about all the love I can give. Really, really strange. And not in a good way. Stripping down to silver onesies and dancing robotically with one another, while bouncing around like ADHD toddlers doesn’t necessarily make you a band. A bar mitzvah act, maybe. But not a band. I was on the side taking pictures and the guitarist from Jamie Lidell’s band came out cheering for the dildos attempting to make music on stage. I asked if they were friends of theirs and, of course, they were. That’s how they got the gig. I went to the bar to get a beer and the bartender and I had a little chat about what was going on up there. “Jamie Lidell should be embarrassed having these guys as openers.” And that was that. Thankfully, The World Provider’s set was nearly over, and so the waiting game began for Jamie and his band.
Anyway, after a good deal of anticipation, Jamie Lidell finally took the stage. I had seen him perform briefly at ACL, but what I did see looked like a hell of a good time, and I remember wishing I could have stayed longer. If you’re not familiar with his music, just imagine a Little Richard-Prince-Stevie-Jamiroquai-Sly Stoneish musical style fashioned by a good-looking white guy from Belfast. As a performer, he’s been known to keep things interesting with avant-garde outfits, glitzy light shows, and high energy antics that keep the crowd tickled. Another thing that’s noteworthy about Lidell is this: he’s not a one-man band type of guy. Not a glory hog. With the aforementioned guitarist donning a white Elvis suit and cape, the sax player in a head to toe kimono, a piano player seriously pushing 80, and Jamie in a three-piece throwback suit, the drum player looked terribly out of place in jeans and a t. I mention the outfits only because it became immediately apparent that even though the band is named after the front man, it’s a collaborative effort, and Jamie shares the stage with all of ‘em.
Playing songs mostly from his latest album Jim the guys also turned out old favorites like “A Little Bit More” from critically acclaimed Multiply. The band most definitely jammed out more than I ever would have expected. Jamie was on the turntables a hell of a lot, and his sax player showed little restraint when his turn came to wail. I dug it; the crowd seemed to dig it too. Motown soul Brit pop scratching? Yes please. For the most part, though, I do believe that jam outs should be limited to 5 or so minutes, don’t you think? I mean, if I want to see Phish I’ll drive out to Virginia next year. It got a little nutty at certain points. No joke, I think the band only got through 10 or so songs, and it was an hour and a half set. They kept it live though, jumping into the crowd, getting everyone involved as you can see from the video and pics below (and yes, that’s the kid from Little Miss Sunshine there). It was a full on fucking party in the ballroom, and even though it was only half full, it felt like a packed house with a raucous group. For their encore, Jamie and the guys came back strong, playing fan favorite “Another Day.” They obviously jammed out for 10 minutes or so before segueing into their next song, which to be completely honest, I’m not sure was another song, or just an extension of the first, but either way, I wasn’t ready for them to leave the stage. Alas, the night had to end, so Jamie and Co held hands and took a bow, school play style.
JAMIE LIDELL @ HIGHLINE BALLROOM from Quiet Color on Vimeo.
As everyone shuffled out of the ballroom, I gave the bouncer my best “trust me, I belong here” look and wandered up to the band’s dressing room. A bit out of place considering the only people in there was the band and their girlfriends, the guys were super nice and started chatting me up about who I was shooting for, how the show went, and what their tour’s been like. They all agreed that this show was low energy and that the crowd was kinda wack, L. That’s me making a sad face. It’s not so much surprising, but I guess just depressing to hear people say New York isn’t the liveliest bunch to play to. As my new friend, put it. “New Yorkers just kind of, expect you to be good. They’re not rooting for you as much.” Predictably, Jamie told me his favorite city to play in is Portland, where the energy just moves you. But, all the guys said they’re psyched to play Brooklyn tonight at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, so please people, go buy tickets to the show. And for god sakes, let’s show them that New Yorkers still know how to fucking party.
2 Comments
I saw Lidell two years ago for my birthday at Webster, and it was just him and pre-recorded music. It was cool, as he did a lot of live sampling and manipulation, but it sounds like it was great with a full band too. Would have loved to see it.
You should be embarrassed to slag The World Provider after only catching the end of their show. Do the fans a favor and refrain from reviewing shows you didn’t see. Don’t like the costumes? Great, that’s your prerogative. Don’t get the humor? Guess so. Sure he’s “friends” of the band. Here’s some other acts he’s “friends” with: Feist (who appears on two of his albums), Peaches (who played bass in his former band The Permanent Stains), Mocky, Broken Social Scene, The Dears, and The Wooden Stars. Those are all supremely talented acts with the good taste, and class, to acknowledge great pop music in the form of The World Provider. Too bad you were too busy thinking up childish names to call the band to pay any attention.