Based on this audience video from last weekend's shows at Joe's Pub, the reunion show by powerpop deities The Left Banke I declined to attend didn't suck.
In fact, based on the above "Pretty Ballerina," nobody dishonored the group's memory at all. Although I still think it's kinda bogus that the two most crucial members of the Banke -- singer Steve Martin and genius songwriter Michael Brown -- were not on board.
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An idiosyncratic blog dedicated to the precursors, the practioners, and the descendants of power pop. All suggestions for postings and sidebar links welcome, contact any of us.
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12 comments:
Love the guy on the far right doing the Mitch Miller impersonation.
One of my crew made the trek and attended, so I'll get a full report, but yeah, it doesn't really work for me w/o the singer. - bill buckner
I will just have to be satisfied in the fact that Sundazed is reissuing both Left Banke discs on vinyl in glorious mono in May. Cannot wait to get 'em!
@KID CHARLEMAGNE,
I heard the Sundazed reissues were in stereo. I sure hope you're right.
Who's the cowboy? Dress your age, pops!
I stand corrected Sal. They are using the original mixes of the three and four track masters.
Kind of like the Stones touring without Mick & Keith.
Sounds good but who cares.
It's not the Left Banke.
ROTP(lumber)
It's basically a very good Left Banke tribute band that happens to have two original guys who didn't even play on the hits.
That drummer, however, is channeling the great Buddy Saltzman (that's him on the original "Pretty Ballerina" and countless other great records cut in NYC in the 60s) quite commendably.
Dress your age, pops!
Ha!
The whereabouts, mental state, and current song-writing capabilities of Michael Brown are the last great mystery in pop. Everything else has been revealed. You can bang your head against the internet all you want and learn nothing.
From what I've read, this crew plays considerably better than the they did back in their day. The Joe's Pub performance of Renee, also on ewe-toob, is pretty convincing. Besides, having Michael Brown be present would have been less authentic than his absence, no?
AP
Both of the shows last weekend were f***ing brilliant! Per Tom Feher, who wrote many of the band's lyrics in the 60s, and was there Saturday night, this is the best the Left Banke has ever sounded live. Per Tom, Mickey Finn on keyboards "does an outstanding job of duplicating Brown's established piano/clavinet parts", and Mike Fornatale's vocals "frankly put the formidable Martin-Caro in the shade." This isn't easy music to play - these ten guys and girls clearly rehearsed their asses off and put on 2 great shows for what? (200 people in the club x $20/ticket - you do the math....) Clearly a labor of love - well-played classic rock & roll, and frankly, it would have been just as great had they called themselves Finn/Cameron & Friends, instead of The Left Banke! - JO
"That drummer, however, is channeling the great Buddy Saltzman (that's him on the original "Pretty Ballerina" and countless other great records cut in NYC in the 60s) quite commendably."
I think the drummer is Kurt Reil of the Grip Weeds.
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