The Hotel Utah is a very strange place. I went there on Saturday night to see the cd release show put on by Francesca Lee and the New Believers. It is definitely an anomaly in the San Francisco rock scene. The club has more of the feel of a coffee house then a rock club. When I arrived early for the show, it seemed like the musical performers outnumbered the patrons by a significant number, and the place was literally littered with instruments. At one point, I'm pretty sure I counted at least eight different guitar cases spread around the stage and venue. I felt like I was trapped in a vortex of organized chaos.
When the music finally started, it was almost done half-heartedly. The opening band consisted of the bartender who served me my first drink, as well as a guy who was way too old to be wearing black leather pants. They played through a full set with the house lights on, and a slowly building audience that was completely oblivious to their presence. I'm not sure whether to feel sorry for them for playing though such ignoble conditions, or whether this is just part of the coffee house vibe. Presumably after this set was over, the bartender went back to serving drinks.
When Francesca Lee and the New Believers finally came on, it was a welcome relief. The club had filled up by then, and it was definitely a friendly audience. Francesca wasted no time in setting the audience alight, after some minor technical difficulties (see description of coffee house vibe above). Backed by a guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer, while she played keyboards and sang, Francesca Lee and the New Believers were anything but a typical band. Francesca relied primarily on either keyboards or an acoustic guitar to set the atmosphere of the songs and provide a foundation for her vocals, while the songs were gently framed by the backing band. Her vocals were achingly heartfelt, and sung with an emotional resonance. She has quite an interesting voice, although it isn't the most powerful I've ever heard, reminding me more a jazz chanteuse than a typical pop singer. She is at her best when making quick, gentle turns of inflection, such as on the number, Maybe Today, as her voice is more interesting for its nuances.
Francesca told the crowd that she had been working on this cd for three and a half years, and it appears to have been a labor of love. She played through a full set without a disappointing number in the bunch, and with a great deal of enthusiasm for finally sharing the music with the world. I don't know what the future holds for her, but I could easily see her music sliding into the adult contemporary music scene. Her songs wouldn't be out of place next to the likes of Norah Jones or Dido.
After Francesca Lee and the New Believers had finished, Lindy Lafontaine played a closing set. Lindy told the crowd that she was new in town and unfamiliar with the scene, but her performance presages more to come from the artist. She used pre-recorded electronic backing tracks played off her iPod, as well as a live keyboard, to fill out her songs. Personally, I would like to hear her go over more into the electronic music scene and delve deeper into her inspiration for the backing tracks. It could be very interesting. All things considered, this wasn't a bad night for music.
Random ephemera noticed while at this show:
Francesca's bass player in the New Believers is Michael Winger. Michael also works for the San Francisco chapter of the Recording Academy, and I watched him emcee the Flux Summit just a couple of days ago. It is nice to know that those representing the artists in the music industry and agitating against the oppression of the California Alcohol Beverage Control department are performing musicians themselves.
The one downside of having a showcasing artist invite all of his/her friends to a show is that they spend the whole time hanging out with each other and talking amongst themselves, even while the band is performing. It is just slightly distracting for those who came to hear the show.
If you come to a music gig as a photographer, and it takes you 500 frames over the course of a performance to get the shot, then it's probably time to hang up the camera and admit that you need to find something new in life. Especially when you're using a blindingly bright flash and bouncing all over the club to shoot from every conceivable angle. Seriously dude.
Comments
Ha! Love the insight about the photographer... so true.
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