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indie-snob>+!#
trachtenburg family slideshow players @ old town (10-31-03)
with kimya dawson, st. reverend jen |
 I seem to have a new Halloween tradition: going to shows by myself! I'm totally rocking that. This year, my show of choice was the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, NYC's favorite family band, with father Jason on guitar and keyboard, daughter Rachel on drums, and mother Tina doing what else besides operating the garage sale slideshow! See? Now these are the sorts of shows I live for. But, to be honest, I was way more excited to hear Kimya Dawson, of the seemingly now defunct NYC legends, the Moldy Peaches. I mean, I've seen Adam Green (the other half of the Peaches) three times now (all with Ben Kweller), but have never gotten the chance to see Kimya. So I get to Old Town (which is a local music school) and who do I see immediately as I walk in? Well none other than the beautiful Kimya herself. So I buy myself a t-shirt and the two albums I had been neglecting to buy when she tells me that they cut her set and that I was welcome to stay for the late show. So, stay I did, thanks to Miss Kimya. So, you'll see two reviews here for her. What I love about Kimya is that she is both brutal and innocent. She may draw puppies and kittens on baby blue and pink t-shirts, but she sings about rather saddening if not frightening subjects. And, as much as I'm sure it's hate-able, Kimya is honest. Her guitar playing is by no means legendary and the song structure is nothing to marvel at, but Kimya is as serious an artist as any one else out there. I think some may confuse that they same way they did Regina Spektor at the Strokes show [[click]], and it just bothers me. A lot. But, with that, Kimya was wonderful. I didn't recognize any of the songs, so that means new or old or I'm oblivious. The only one I did notice was "Chemistry" from the marvelous My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess. Okay, so another thing I love about Kimya is that she doesn't alienate you by any means. She is an equal on stage. I feel as if I could learn to play songs just as she has. I think I really just love Kimya Dawson. Grade: A  Oh, but it's Halloween! Or… was it? With St. Reverend Jen, I'm not really sure. At this point, I'm uncertain if the elf ears and electric outfit were any sort of costume, and I'm inclined to think that it wasn't. And, what could be funnier than bringing your pet Chihuahua, St. Reverend Jen Jr. on stage with you? St. Reverend Jen wasn't so much of a musical act, but at the same time she was. St. Rev. Jen was a variety act, in every sense of the phrase. She told jokes (kind of?) but mainly told humorous stories. She sang portions of her musical, "Rats", based loosely off that of "Cats" (although with far more hilarious outcomes). She also read portions of her dog's book. If you live in New York, I hear she runs a variety show, so I think you need to check it out. All I know is that I couldn’t have laughed much harder during her set, so, if that deserves any sort of a musical rating… Grade: A-  The funniest part about this evening happened during the brief intermission between the opening acts and the Slideshow Players. I went out to get my badge to let me into the 10 PM show, when a girl asked if I was Chris Aque. More or less directly, she knew me via this website (and a mutual friend). But still, very humorous. So I sat in the empty seat next to them and got a better view of the show. To be honest, I find nothing spectacular musically about the Slideshow Players, not that that's necessarily surprising. There are only two members of the band (minus a brief appearance by Tina), one of which is not even an adolescent. To get the true effect of the band, you really need to see them live. I own the album, and I can't say that I listen to it too often. A few songs on the album are covered with a slideshow via a Quicktime movie, but honestly, it just gets to be too much of a hassle. So, seeing them live is a whole lot of fun. Everything is perfectly synchronized, and you get to see how fun and silly a lot of the lyrics really are. The show is definitely a memorable experience. In the middle of the show, a guy in the audience offered Jason is dog-shaped guitar. Hah, I love the strange 30-somes that appear at Old Town shows. Okay, so the majority of the show was a good time, but to be honest, I got a little bored sitting there. Maybe I'm just insane, but maybe not. Part of the reason I think I did get a little bored, though, was that it's hard to classify the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players as any specific things, not only because they're so unique, but partially because they mix a lot of things. As far as I know, they're an accepted member of the anti-folk scene. I've talked to some people who saw them open for They Might Be Giants. They're pop… they're folk… they… just are…. But at the same time, they're just so unique. I don't know, I just have a hard time putting making sense of them. That doesn't contribute to the reason why I find them boring directly. It's just beyond the slideshow, the music isn't directly humorous or directly accessible. Anyways, the highlights of the show were "Mountain Trip to Japan" (which has become a single for the band) and the many parts of "What Will the Corporation Do," which I found absolutely hysterical. A worthy band to see live, I'd say. Grade: B+ Okay, so I wait about half an hour, get my album signed by the band (Rachel couldn't have been cuter), and go right back in to see Kimya perform (again). She came out, still in her hooded cloak, and played far more recognizable songs for me, including one of my favorites, "The Beer". Everything about this set just seemed perfect. It was wonderfully emotional and strong. It made me realize that while Kimya may not be the best at anything technical in music, she is the best at writing catchy songs in her amazing style. Sure, the Moldy Peaches aren't around anymore, but why even care when you have Kimya doing amazing solo work (not to mention Adam Green's, different, but no less great, work). See her anywhere you can. And get her to make an adorable t-shirt for you. Grade: A+  Pictures of Kimya from her website, Picture of Rev. St. Jen from hers, and picutre of TFSSP from theirs. Related Reviews: |