Morcheeba @ Irving Plaza Feb 11th

Couples were getting in the Valentine's Day mood early at Irving Plaza during the Morcheeba concert February 11th. The down tempo grind of the music matched the dimly lit stage and atmospheric lighting so the action in the crowd actually became part of the show. Plus the fragrant air in the venue corresponded with the band's name as "cheeba" is an informal name of cannabis.


Morcheeba opened strong with "The Sea" off of their 1998 release, Big Calm. After hearing about the return of singer Skye Edwards after many years of estrangement and replacements hired by brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey, everything seems to be happily resolved. With her commanding presense and smooth velvety vocals, it's hard to even imagine someone else leading the charge from center stage. With guitars, drums, keyboards and requisite turntables for the electronic bias of the band, there's a need for such focus. Edwards is a charming diva who fulfills the role effortlessly.



After the first song Edwards gave a big, cheery shout out to New York City and asked if the audience was ready to dance with her. Many were already wondering how she could even move in her impossibly high platform heels. At one point Edwards asked "By the way, do you like my dress?" Then she recounted how she made the red flowy halter dress with the layered billowing skirt herself. Over the crowd's approval by applause a bandmate joked that she was being a showoff, with a chuckling reaction by all on stage.



Then it was back to the business of their music, offering up songs from their new release last year including the title track and other tracks off Blood Like Lemonade. For "Beat of the Drum," Edwards orchestrated call back session by splitting out male and female parts for the chorus, encouraging the crowd even more every time around. Other highlights from other releases included "Wonders Never Cease," "Over and Over," "Otherwise" and "Trigger Happy." The band ended the evening with the uplifting sing-a-long chorus "Rome Wasn't Built in a Day."


You and me were meant to be


Walking free in harmony


One fine day, we'll fly away


Don't you know Rome wasn't built in a day






NMMatterscorp YouTube Video "Beat of the Drum"

Cake @ Irving Plaza Dec 8

The Southern California alt rock band Cake took to the Irving Plaza stage in New York City on a frigid December date to heat up the night with two solid sets of tunes old and new. It was all part of the WRXP Yule Rock Holiday Concert Series, complete with a traditional tree lighting and the requisite dj introductions. Cake blasted into the signature drumbeat of “Comfort Eagle” with the crowd joining as one for the line “he is calling you DUDE!”

Cake’s lack of a set list allows a free form approach to their concerts, so they pulled out a few new songs throughout the evening sprinkled with hits. The newer tunes stood up well with the trademark mix of genres, satirical commentary and vibraslap. This sixth release is expected January 11 (with a lion on the cover, said frontman John McCrea). He also proclaimed that “We are Cake and we are here to serve you” as an introduction. “Love You Madly,” “Wheels” and “Friend is A Four Letter Word” provided the highlights. Other singalongs were suggested as endorphins for the brain that were easier to acquire than a beer from the bar in the back of the room.

As with all Cake shows, a tree was given away to someone who knew what kind of evergreen the little specimen decorating the stage (she just happened to be a cake decorator!) The conditions for the giveaway were that the receiver had a place to plant it, would put it there and document its growth on Cake’s website. This is coming from a group that has a carpool page for fans attending shows plus links to many environment and public policies relating to the cause. Cake then presented a blistering cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” for the encore and ended with the emblematic rock of “The Distance.”

NMMatterscorp YouTube Video "War Pigs" Encore

2009 Concert Memory #1 - Moby @ Irving Plaza NYC September 21

Before we sign off from 2009, I want to revisit two concerts I went to during the year. I'm not much of a concert-goer these days and was never one for the big festivals, but if the right act at the right venue presents itself -- I'm in. That happened last fall when I heard Moby was at Irving Plaza, the smallish venue right around the corner from my husband's office in downtown NYC. On a Monday night of all things, I found myself leaving work early to happily hop a train into the city.

As I've mentioned in this blog, Moby is a product of my hometown of Darien, CT. When at a tour of the high school years back, the student guide asked if we had any questions. "What is Moby's real name?" I asked as a joke that of course fell flat in the group of overanxious parents. (It's Richard Melville Hall, but he's been called Moby since a baby.) I have heard him talk about growing up in town within a lecture format and even hung out at the dive bar in town afterwards, but over the years I hadn't made it to hear him play live at one of his concerts. Moby was his laidback, self espousing opionated musings and even at one point asked how many in the audience were born outside the U.S. -- more than half was the answer. I suppose he knew where his fan base is strongest these days and was just checking?

I remember exactly when I heard Moby's first hit "Go" in the mid-90s. I was riding in the back of a car getting a ride out of the city after a holiday party. As it played on the more than adequate sound system, I watched the night skyline speed by with lights flashing along to the electrofunkpop mashup whatever you want to call it, back then there wasn't quite so many names for such things . Time was suspended as I entered another world of dance music driven beats. I've followed him since, eagerly purchasing CDs as they appeared -- especially 18, which appeared just after 9/11 (his birthday even) to help me musically get through the senseless agony of the loss of life and distruction in NYC.

Moby's new CD Wait For Me has been called melancholy and introspective but there's a few tracks that offer up a good enough groove for dancing. (Three songs were featured on my LATE FALL 09 PLAYLIST.) He also pulled out the hits for those in the crowd who really wanted to move such as "Porcelain," "We're All Made of Stars" and of course, "Go." Moby launched into one of them after explaining how it's fun to stay up late by himself, alone in his studio making introspective tunes (which is how most of Wait for Me was written,) that he also enjoys making a real "Kick Ass Dance Song" now and then. Thank goodness! He has my vote as best dance music maker ever to tear up the floor but also as the creator of the most moving melodic melodies guaranteed to make me tear up.

So after complaining about the club kids with their cameras and cellphones out so much during the concert (asking why don't they just take in the experience?) I was thrilled to find this nugget of "Porcelain" online. We were just to the left of the pole on the floor stage right about 7 rows back -- I can even see my arms in the air waving all modern movement like during the slow part. Got to sleep around 2 and was kind of sore from standing around before the show and then dancing along during but glad I went!