Art Brut - Tribeca Grand Hotel (New York) - Saturday, November 12, 2005

by Rachel Pesin
1 December 2005

I went to see ART BRUT at their last gig in the New York area (they did a whirlwind tour: Maxwell’s in NJ, Mercury Lounge in NYC, NorthSix in Brooklyn, and the gig I went to, also in NYC). I chose this one because it was free, and going into it, I wasn’t a big fan of the band but I wanted to see what their live show is all about.

I’ve been to the Tribeca Grand a handful of times, and this was the least packed I have ever seen it. However, this was the first time I was there where I knew people were there specifically for the show (the space doubles as a club for dancing right before and after the band): kids were sitting down by the front of the stage, waiting for the band to come on.

Their live show, then, is full of energy and laughs. Lead singer EDDIE ARGOS talks more than he sings, but his writing is more poetic than lyrical, so it almost makes sense that he talks through the majority of the songs.

Eddie riled up the audience, who ate him up. For one song, he jumped right into the audience and danced around with the kids who were going nuts, and made those who weren’t dancing do so immediately.

At one point he had us chanting, “Art! Brut! Top of the Pops!” which all the Anglophiles (and true Brits) in the audience thoroughly enjoyed.

The songs themselves aren’t that great, and you get the feeling that Argos is overly-comical to make up for this. But I must give credit where credit is due: the band have a great time performing for the audience and they certainly aim to please. I’m just not sure I’d ever pay to see this performance.

Links:
ART BRUT

Filed under concerts indie-rock