The next time I see Dan Bejar I'm gonna kick him in the shins

I was planning on writing about this weekend's New Pornographers show, but I'm not sure I can say much that Dan hasn't already said over on his blog (you might have to scroll down for his review). It was certainly neither the best nor the worst show I've seen this year. I did not dance SO HARD as I'd been promising to for months. The quick run down:
- Opening band number one, whose name escapes me for the moment, was cute and awkward. The girl on keys is Carl Newman's neice, I think, and she played with the NPs as well. The drummer had nipple rings and a big tattoo of an eagle across his chest.
- Opening band number two was Destroyer, so named, apparently, because they destroy every last bit of happiness in the listener's soul. The frontman, Dan Bejar (aka the weakest link of the NPs), looked like he was either bored, drunk, or had just received some very bad news. Or maybe all three. In any case, he did not look happy to be there, and his band did not look happy to be there with him. I've never seen such a mood killer. By the end of their set we were all ready to go home and slit our wrists.
- The New Pornographers succeeded in re-energizing everyone, which is pretty amazing considering the act they had to follow. They were fun. Not best-show-ever fun, but fun. That's all I can really say. I feel no need to see them again, but if the opportunity presented itself, I probably wouldn't say no. I think if I'd seen them after their second album it would have been more fun, as I only really like a few songs on the new one. I was happy to see a review I agreed with in the City Paper this week (scroll to the second half of the article)-- everyone's been raving about Twin Cinema, but I think it's their weakest record. Pretty good, but not great.

Current music: Mates of State - "Whiner's Bio"