Blue's Reviews: Kate Nash @ Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood (5/14/2008)

God, I feel old.

A lot of stuff happened yesterday and today that I feel the need to post about but I'm still tired from last night. What I expected to be a late night turned out with me going to sleep around 3 AM after watching the DVRd Laker game. But hey, at least I didn't have to go to work this morning, eh? EH?!

Anyways... I'll slowly get to all the topics, I think, but I wanted to start with this one while it's still fresh in my mind.

Blue's Reviews: Kate Nash @ Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood (5/14/2008)

Too many bands that go out on the road these days have forgotten their early days - those days where they had just gotten a little bit of the spotlight shined on them and they were loving every minute of it. You know the kind of show I'm talking about. The shows where everything seems pre-determined and well-plotted... like a paint by numbers kit come to life. Kate Nash is enjoying that glimmer of spotlight that is just starting to bounce off her colorful personality and it shows.

The lovely Ms. Nash and her backing band hit the stage at Hollywood's Henry Fonda Theater around 10:15 PM and never looked back, blistering through a very full set to the enjoyment of the crowded house out on a school night to watch the final show of her U.S. tour. When the curtain raised at the self-titled "Music Box," the screams filled the air. A simple stage was on display - the only sign of set decoration a velvety curtain hanging behind the band with a neon sign proclaiming "Kate Nash." It seemed fitting for a show that used very little in the way of frills to entertain the crowd. They knew the fans were there to hear Nash and her vocal gymnastics and they did nothing to disappoint.

From Moment One, Nash sat down in the middle of the stage behind a keyboard and proceeded to rock that keyboard so hard that there were times I was certain a key or two was going to get shattered. I don't think I've seen a keyboard rocked that hard in person since seeing Moby a few years ago. Unfortunately, my immediate fears about this show were realized during the opening couple of numbers. In the days leading up to the show, I had seen a few reviews complaining about the vocal mix at points in the show. Personally, I'm of the opinion that the vocal mix was fine but the backing band was way too loud for the type of music they were backing. And I think Nash felt that at times because there were portions of the show that devolved into her screaming to be heard over her own band.

When they ventured away from the keyboards to Kate on the guitar, the show was worlds better as the vocals were clear and crisp. It was at this point of the show that Kate Nash's vocal stylings really shine. Oddly, at times, she reminded me of Bjork - not in song structure or style but rather in the unexpected qualities she brings to the table. Nash does not take the safe path on any songs and seems to be experimenting with the way she likes to sing them best. Her ability to shove about 180 words into one lyric is quite impressive as well.

The audience seemed to made up primarily of young girls, who were quite willing and able to dance and sing along to every song she sang. For a fairly new artist, she has quickly gained a very devoted following who were already waiting for the doors to open two hours before the show. Nash was obviously grateful for these fans as she took a very public route into the venue, stopping to sign autographs and take photos with screaming fans along the way.

It is that type of gesture that really shows Kate Nash is still getting settled into her fame. When you go to a concert, more times than not, it is the little things that you remember - those fleeting moments that will stick in your head years later. For some of the fans in the crowd last night, it'll be her singing Happy Birthday to a young lady in the crowd who shouted out that it was her birthday. Or perhaps it'll be the moment she dedicated her anti-man anthem "Dickhead" to a couple specific dickheads referenced by the girls in the crowd.

For me, it comes towards the end of the night. Her opening act, the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, are a family act with a father, mother, and 14-year old daughter. At one point during her set, Kate invited the daughter, the drummer for her family band, on stage to help out with percussion during a couple songs. However, towards the end of the night, the young girl wandered out from backstage to watch the end of the show from behind the security barricade during Kate's big hit "Foundations." During the song, security decided to make the girl leave which brought the show to a screeching halt as Kate stopped the song, berated the security to leave the girl alone as she's "part of the band" and then re-start the song from the beginning to wild cheers from the crowd.

It's that kind of spontaneity that makes a show memorable. Any band can go through their setlist, ignoring the crowd except for a few well-planned "How y'all doin' tonight?" during instrument changeovers. But very few still have the level of interaction to make their fans feel like they're important to the person on stage.

Oh, and a little secret? I think Kate Nash has a punk rock side dying to crawl out from behind her multi-colored dress into the spotlight. At two points during the night, she seemed to relish in the opportunity to turn her songs up a notch into very close to a full-fledged punk song. In fact, during the encore number "Model Behaviour" in which she encouraged fans to sing along to the chorus ("You don't have to suck dick to succeed") this old-timer who has been to his fair share of punk rock shows could have easily seen an old fashioned stage dive to end the set.

Alas, it was not to be.

All in all, it was a really fun night at the Henry Fonda Theater with just a few sound problems preventing me from giving the show an overwhelming thumbs up. But Kate Nash and the band are definitely an act to keep an eye on - let's just hope they keep their enthusiasm and charm intact as they grow together.