Also: A Rock Critic’s Perspective

Say what you will about the Irving Plaza rock venue (and I’ve heard you talking, you snooty New York City music fans, oh yes I have, with your whining about exorbitant fees and lack of intimacy, complaints usually reserved for hookers), that place has excellent free ticket karma. The last three times I’ve gone there, I’ve gotten or given free tickets to that night’s show. I give. I take. It’s a beautiful thing. Last Monday — the first night of the Sleater-Kinney rock and roll extravaganza — was no exception. And when a show starts with good karma, you know it’s going to be a good night.
     I was supposed to see the show with my friends Anne and Mara, and possibly Mike Bruno, the music editor for this fair site. On my way home from work on Tuesday, I ran into Mara wandering the streets, sick and feverish. My little lamb was going home and was trying to find me to hand off the tickets. I was sad she wouldn’t make it, but I was intrigued to see the Irving Plaza ticket karma in full effect yet again. I met up with Anne later, and we headed to the show.
     Perfect, I thought. I can give the extra ticket to Mike, who was going to try to get one from a scalper. I wasn’t able to find him before the show, though, so I gave it to the guy sitting two over from me in the bar next to Irving Plaza. You see, even though I told him about it, Mike didn’t believe in the Irving Plaza ticket karma, and he went and played with the scalpers. But that’s his freaking fault. He is forgiven: He’s new in town. However, next time, he must trust.
     We all must trust.
     Anyway, on to the show. Yes, the show! I loved the opening act. I wanted to love them, though. Traditionally, the opening act gets little attention, while the second opener gets to be the young upstarts. I’m always for the underdog — I’m easy like that. So the first opener was a band from Olympia, Wash., called The Gossip. The lead singer, Beth Ditto, was a big, sexy chick who shook her leopard-skin spandex-clad moneymakers for all they were worth.
     I love cool rock chicks with big tits. I aspire to that. I want to have a business card that reads, “Cool Rock Chick With Big Tits,” only I think that might occasionally give out the wrong impression. Anyway, she was fun to look at and had fabulous energy and a divine Southern accent to boot. I can’t imagine the music of The Gossip translating so well to, say, a recording, but the performance worked for me.
                                                  c o n t i n u e . . .