Extra Credit

Since no one is posting any reviews these days, I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents on 1 of the 3 (count 'em, 3) shows I've seen in the last week. One of those shows was a comedy show, so I won't review that one (yet).

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - 10/15/06 9:30 Club

This Las Vegas native knows how to put on a show. Accompaned by her two tall and sleeky, fair-skinned (twin) back-up singers, Jenny Lewis performed to a soldout audience at the 9:30 Club Sunday evening. After a solid - albeit drug hazed Dylan-esque long haired freaky people - opening act called "Vietnam," Jenny Lewis commanded the stage for 4 songs before exiting for a waredrobe change. Lewis and the Watson twins left the stage in long black sexy cocktail dresses only to return 45 seconds later enveloped in shiny gold speckled dresses that barely covered their assests. This is a good way to keep me interested and entertained. While I'm disgusted by how shallow the music industry has become (would Janis Joplin make it in today's business?), I have to admit it works.

Anyhow, back to the show. While I didn't know this prior to buying my ticket, Lewis isn't new to the scene by any means as she is a major stake holder in Rilo Kiley, and has performed with other notable acts in the indie pop world. No, I'm not going to note them here. You can read about it elsewhere. And since I know Jumbo Slice will throw his Encyclopedic knowledge in here somewhere (although he should be working on his own damn review), I'll stop with the back ground info now. So how was the show? It was just loud enough, and just alt country enough to avoid being overly wuss-inspired. Jenny Lewis has a tremendous voice, and it was on full display Sunday evening. Unlike GLP (that's Grant Lee Phillips people, have you done all the reading?), Lewis's whisper is powerful and resonating. And when she's not knocking you over with her whisper, she slapping you around with her soulful singing. She also manages to play a mean organ (okay, keyboard that sounds like an organ), and handles the acoustic guitar like a real musician, cuz she is one.

This is an act that will satisfy you and your wife/girlfriend/mistress. She rocks out in a way that makes the ladies want to be like her and the guys want to sleep with her (and/or the twins). Want to really know what the show was like? Listen to it here. Her album, Rabbit Fur Coat is pretty good, but I enjoyed the power of her live performance much more. And the twins helped too, did I mention them yet?