[discussion]This was easily one of Nessa's best shows. I am bummed more people from here didn't make it.
I got to The Chance around 6PM. Apparently, the local Top 40 station, K104, did a good job of promoting the show, as it sold out! By 6:15 there were a ton of people lined up. The station's street team was great at keeping us all into the show by doing live remotes and making us yell like we had gotten an icepick to the forehead. I'm afraid, though, that they had a big sound system on which they played their "music" :roll:
(joke)
The opening act, Cary Brothers, was ok(I assumed there were two guys with the last name of Cary, know whut I mean? But he is one guy). Adequate. I preferred Ari Hest or Low Millions.
Then Nessa came on. At first, her voice had a bit of that signature "rasp". That soon cleared up, and she did the same set she has been doing on this tour, except Private Radio, which was omitted. (On a personal note, I played this place a few times back in the 90's when I had a band. Seeing Vanessa sit at the piano at nearly the exact spot where my drums were was a rush.)
During the show, the crowd was rowdy but respectful, even to the opening act. How I wish I had a time machine and could have swapped out the Irving Plaza crowd for this one! Don't get me wrong, they yelled like banshees, but a) not the WHOLE TIME; and b) they were pretty quiet during the silent parts. Again, Vanessa had friends and family in the audience. Apparently, VC's mom had brought her piano class there! I thought that was cool.
Vanessa said many interesting things. Referring to the notorious MTV "White Houses" debacle, she mentioned that she didn't understand why they bothered with her lyrics "when they show, like, ASS!" and went on to be amazed that we all knew the words to WH. It was obvious to me that she was having a ball, and it showed in her performance. She was positively gushing over the audience, calling it a "lovefest"(woo-hoo!)
The most interesting thing she mentioned is that during the making of Harmonium she showed Rivers Cuomo of Weezer some songs(I think she was referring to The Wreckage or some other incomplete idea) and that he went off and expanded on and took her idea in a completely different direction. She had no idea if the song made the upcoming CD. VC and Weezer....what would THAT sound like?
Afterward, I stuck around with a few other die-hard local fans. The ever-present tour bus was there. Venue security kept us away, except for VIP's and the like. Right before we other folk got to see her briefly, Mark asked us to keep the hugs to a minimum and NO handshakes(I'm assuming this is due to her recent illness). She did come out, and again was very nice to all of us. I said the Nessaholics said "Hi", in all my cheesiness, and I finally got a pic with her, though someone else took it and I dunno whether it came out or not.
Drat!
Right as she was getting back in the bus, I asked her what her next single was going to be. She seemed to have no idea, and said "I dunno...Private Radio?" Interesting!
Still, seeing all these people knocked out by Vanessa and NOT being able to capitalize on that by having that album in stock in local stores(I found this out)is yet another injustice by asleep-at-the-wheel A&M/UMG.
Ultimately, I am blown away that Vanessa, without a hit album in the charts or even a single, can sell out a place like The Chance and play like she were playing at Giants Stadium. Even if, heaven forbid, she doesn't sell another copy of Harmonium, she has the beginning of quite a live following.
She just keeps getting better and better!
Dan/NS
