To most New Yorkers, Fashion Week is just something that
happens to other people, like natural disasters (seriously - when was the last
time a natural disaster happened in NYC?Or an alien abduction?...).There are some signs up, some sales, and maybe you walk by some event
with a line.And in the
indie-hipster world, it can be even more remote, because fashion is one of
those superficial things you're not supposed to care about.Kind of like celebrity gossip.Well fashion and celebrity
gossip came to New York's hipsters in the form of the ‘Perez Hilton Presents'
Tour, headlined by Ladyhawke on Wednesday, September 16th at
Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, with Semi-Precious Weapons, Kat DeLuna,
Little Boots, and FrankMusik.
In case you somehow didn't know, Perez Hilton (born Mario
Armando Lavandeira, Jr.) is the famed celebrity gossip-blogger whose site has
broken numerous tabloid stories, earning millions of hits - and almost as many
detractors.So his tour, showcasing
some of his favorite new bands, would seem tailor-made to be fodder for all the
hipster-haters out there - especially falling during Fashion Week, another easy
target.But the show he put
together was impressive, and a damn fun time, thanks to the music.
However, it was still not without controversy.Originally, the tour had been
co-headlined between Ladyhawke & Scotland's Ida Maria (QRO photos), but only a few nights before in Boston, Ms. Maria
left the stage during the second song, eventually came back, did one more,
half-hearted song, apologized for not being in the best place & unable to
do a full set, and then left.Rumors were flying about what happened, many connected to her allegedly
drunk performance earlier in Washington, D.C.But she was still listed on the bill - right up until the
night of the show, creating not only disappointment (though would you want to
have seen that Boston show, except to rubber-neck?), but also questions about
who was playing & when for the entire line-up, which had been changing even
before Maria dropped out.
One act that you did know that was going to play was first
act FrankMusik, who was not only performing in New York City for the first
time, but it was also his actual first visit to New York!The British singer had a decidedly U.K.
dance sound, with U.K. dance-boy emotion.He was introduced by Hilton, and Hilton spent FrankMusik's set in the
photo pit, two things he would do for every band that night.
In line for the show, one guy said he was just showing up to
Irving for FrankMusik, and then was going to head downtown to Bowery Ballroom (QRO
venue review) for Little Boots - and thus
didn't believe it when he was told that Little Boots would actually be
performing after FrankMusik at Irving!But there she was, up on stage - albeit for only three
songs, and performing solo, so she could make her Bowery headlining gig.That did mean the photographers in the
photo pit got to shoot from there for her whole set, which was kind of odd,
because how many photos can you take of one woman playing piano, no matter how
pretty & well-dressed (and well-lit)?But Boots (real name Victoria Hesketh) charmed the crowd, armed only
with a keyboard & some Tetris-looking screen-thing.
While on line, many were wondering whether there would be a
replacement in Ida Maria's slot, or whether Ladyhawke would just go on
earlier.Turned out neither, sort
of, as Semi-Precious Weapons were bumped back to Maria's slot, and on after
Little Boots was Kat DeLuna.She
played another three-song, photo pit-full-the-whole-time set, but everything
else was different, as she danced her heart out to well-choreographed moves -
with two back-up dancers!And this was dancing, not "grinding", like DeLuna differentiated,
though it was certainly sexy (with DeLuna wearing an evil Wonder Woman-like one
piece).
While all three previous solo acts were good, Semi-Precious
Weapons blew them all away.Hilton
introduced them by saying they were "bringing glam back", and they certainly
were, with lead singer Justin Tranter looking like a modern Ziggy Stardust (in
his own one-piece - and leggings...), but rocking all out with supreme
confidence, such as joking (?), "We are now the official co-headliner on this
tour!"He started out with scissor kicks, but soon built up to his request, "I need some inspiration - for
my operation.Show your
tits!"Unfortunately, few, if any
ladies did, but one did manage to make her way into the side of the photo pit
& yell, "I think you're hot!" - with which Tranter gave her the mike to
repeat the statement.One actually
could feel bad for bassist Cole Whittle & guitarist Stevy Pyne, who were
very active themselves, but still overshadowed by Tranter, whether Cole's
blacklight poncho, or Pyne actually following Tranter in climbing onto the high
landing to stage-right (while still playing, no mean feat), even hanging off
the VIP balcony (okay, not playing then, but still...).
But maybe what Tranter overshadowed most was the band's
actual music, which wasn't nearly as memorable.In fact, the whole night threatened to be more about looks
than sound, until Ladyhawke took the stage.The New Zealand-born Phillipa ‘Pip' Brown, a.k.a. Ladyhawke,
made an impressive debut in the States with the deluxe release of her
self-titled record (QRO review), nicely
mixing rock, dance & electro, and her live show lived up to it.Not only did she perform excellent
songs off of the regular copy like single "Paris Is Burning" (naturally, of
course - where do you think Perez got the ‘Hilton'?... ) and the darker "Another
Runaway", but also "Paris" b-side "Danny and Jenny", which is on the deluxe
copy (and should have been on the original).
Ladyhawke playing "Paris Is Burning" live at Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza on September 16th, 2009:
If only more of the crowd had been there to watch her.A number of people left Irving after
Semi-Precious Weapons' set, probably because they were too-cool-for-school
folks on the guest list - and there were a lot of people on the guest
list.The line of people outside
referenced above was for people on the guest list, and wrapped around the
corner (though some of that probably was because Irving's box office was slow
from so many different guest lists, not to mention just being a poorly-run box
office...).The whole upstairs
balcony of Irving Plaza (QRO venue review) was roped off for guests, both sides, with extra hired security (including one
guy who'd been fired the night before from Lady Gaga's detail...).When introducing Kat DeLuna (with Gabe
Saporta of Cobra Starship), Hilton chastised absent actress Leighton Meester
(Blair Waldorf of Gossip Girl) for skipping the event - unfortunately,
too many ‘guests of Perez' were similarly too important to stay for the whole
show.
And anyone who left even a little early missed the night's
great crescendo, when Semi-Precious Weapons came on stage to dance & join
Ladyhawke for final number "My Delirium" - as did two women who climbed onto
the stage-right landing, and dropped their dresses (though security made them
put their clothes back on...):
Ladyhawke (with Semi-Precious Weapons & more) playing "My Delirium" live at Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza on September 16th, 2009:
Gossip & fashion do cross the hipster world, and not
just in hating or irony, but through danceable, electric sounds.And while you may hate Perez Hilton,
and you may hate fashion, at Irving he was wearing the t-shirt that comes with
the excellent new Paint Your Face record
(QRO review) by French import Sliimy - like his tour, you can't
deny good music.
To most New Yorkers, Fashion Week is just something that
happens to other people, like natural disasters (seriously - when was the last
time a natural disaster happened in NYC?
Or an alien abduction?...).
maybe you walk by some event
with a line.
In case you somehow didn't know, Perez Hilton (born Mario
Armando Lavandeira, Jr.) is the famed celebrity gossip-blogger whose site has
broken numerous tabloid stories, earning millions of hits - and almost as many
detractors.
Ziggy Stardust (in
his own one-piece - and leggings...), but rocking all out with supreme
confidence, such as joking (?), "We are now the official co-headliner on this
tour!"
But maybe what Tranter overshadowed most was the band's
actual music, which wasn't nearly as memorable.
If only more of the crowd had been there to watch her.
Gossip & fashion do cross the hipster world, and not
just in hating or irony, but through danceable, electric sounds.
DFA1979's ashes scatter even further than MSTRKRFT with Sebastien Grainger's solo disc. 
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