ReSpekt

Yesterday, after two hours of discussing information behavior models which grow ever-more confusing, and doing some homework, I eventually made my way downtown to the Paramount Theatre to see Regina Spektor. Also, when you're riding the bus and it makes its way downtown, it goes into tunnels underneath the city and the bus stops feel like real train stations. O London Underground, how I miss thee! I got dropped right outside the Paramount's iconic neon sign, but since I arrived far too early, I made my way to the nearest Barnes & Noble--locating bookstores is a sixth sense of mine. I bought a copy of GQ because my magazines haven't caught up with my new address yet, and my mom probably threw away the November issue since January Jones's boobs are falling out on the cover. I also got How to Read and Why by Harold Bloom since that's a Bloom title I don't own, and Lillian mentioned that she loved it. I then flipped through Shelf Discovery which is about the teenage books that girls never stopped reading. I didn't buy it, but I did read an essay about Bridge to Terabithia--a dumb, little two-page essay--and it made me cry. Well, almost. So then I headed over to the children's section to buy my favorite children's/YA novel since I lost my other copy some time ago. And then I made my way back to the Paramount for Regina.

The Paramount Theatre is gorgeous. Anyway, once they opened the doors, we all settled in, and the opening band was Jupiter One. They're an indie rock band from New York, and they're all right. After another half hour of setting-up for Regina, she finally came on stage--so exciting! And if somehow you didn't know, Regina Spektor is an adorable porcelain doll. How is someone allowed to be that cute? Zooey Dechanel--indie goddess that she is--is the only girl who has her beat. Regina is out promoting her latest album Far which is hands down my favorite album so far, and she waited all the way until the encore to play "Samson" which is hands down my favorite song of hers.

I've heard so much made of Seattle music fans, but for my money the audience for Tori Amos in Salt Lake was so much more passionate. Of course Tori fans are crazy and obsessive, but even Tori said that she will always play Salt Lake because we're so passionate. And I believe that SLC audiences in general are always very excited. Anyway, there was a lot of Regina love last night, but the energy didn't even compare to the Tori concert. There was one guy who shouted "I want to have your babies, Regina!" And then a girl chimed in, "Me too!" Regina laughed, and said there's one in every city, and then thanks . . . I think. There was another obnoxious girl who shouted "Ghost of Corporate Future" after four different songs. It was like, honey, it's either on the setlist or it's not, and shouting it out isn't going to change that, you're only giving Seattle a bad rep. Speaking of the setlist, here it is:

The Calculation
Eet
Folding Chair
Ode to Divorce
Riot Gear
Machine
Laughing With
One More Time With Feeling
Two Birds
Blue Lips
On the Radio
Dance Anthem of the 80s
Silly Eye-Color Generalizations
Bobbin' for Apples
That Time
Apres Moi
Poor Little Rich Boy
Human of the Year
Man of a Thousand Faces

At this point she left, and after what I felt like was an unnecessarily long period of ovating, she returned for the encore:

Samson
Us
Fidelity
Hotel Song
Love, You're a Whore

Technically, this is the Portland setlist, but I'm pretty sure it's identical. On the first twelve songs she was accompanied by a violin, cello, and Matt Chamberlain on the drums, even though I thought he was still touring with Tori. Maybe he was just on the North American leg. On "Dance Anthem," she moved to the keyboard, she went a capella on "Eye-Color," played the guitar for "Apples" and "That Time." "That Time," by the way, was the first song I heard by Spektor that wasn't "Fidelity," and was introduced to me by Rae. It's still one of my favorites. She returned to the piano alone until the encore, banging a chair with a drum stick on "Poor Little Rich Boy." Awesome. "Samson" was also solo, the violin and cello were back for "Us" and Chamberlain was on the drums for the last two songs which she sang standing up. Versatile performer.

I think what's impressive about Regina live is that even when she's just on the piano by herself it still sounds as good as the album. She has a set of pipes and can scat or amp up a section if she wants to. The Russian bridge of "Apres Moi" was amazing, and I don't even like that song very much; in fact that whole song was so much better live. Also, you never realize just how funny some of her songs are until you're in a full theatre and she's singing and winking and the whole audience is tittering.

So then I took a bus back to campus, and which point I walked home, and thankfully didn't get mugged, the U District is all sorts of scary after dark, so that was good. It was in all, a lovely night, and if you can see her concert, it's definitely worth it. You missed out, Alex.