A Les Savy Fav aftershow isn’t as cool as a Les Savy Fav show. Guitarist Seth Jabour carried his equipment back to what presumably was their van. Bassist Syd Butler and drummer Harrison Haynes talked to many of their friends who stayed behind. Even singer Tim Harrington, known for his high-wire stage antics, was subdued, decked in a Gilligan inspired Pabst Blue Ribbon hat, he jokingly apologized to the venue’s security guard whose sole purpose of the night was to keep an eye out on him.
So what about that show? For one thing, it was the annual Les Savy Fav Christmas Show. Secondly, and most importantly, Les Savy Fav did their thang like it was any other day on the job for the NYC crew. Harrington entertained/enlightened/mucked around all the while his fellow band mates stayed the course, diverging around the walking one-man performance piece, the celebrated angular guitar lines, precise rat-a-tat drums and the made-for-dance consumption bass lines completed the all-out festive party jam.
Let’s look at the highlights of the Les Savy Fav Christmas spectacular shall we:
1. Decked out in a yuletide superhero meets Freddy Kruger inspired outfit, Harrington, off the bat, engaged in a tender hug-filled moment with a fan he plucked off the stage. Said fan commemorated this once in a lifetime moment by taking a picture with his disposal camera.
2. During a spirited rendition of the number four song of my 2007 Mix Tape, a.k.a. “Patty Lee,” off the group’s latest release Let’s Stay Friends, Harrington displayed a unique talent: hypnotic stomach rolling exercises. The crowd stood amazed and yes… band mates continued to press on.
3. Harrington’s first excursion out into the audience occurred over the oddly romantic “What Would Wolves Do.” Traversing over the guardrails, he proved to be nimble and be quick but once he grabbed a nearby garbage can lid and put it over his head well…that was downright sick.
4. Simply put: “The Sweat Descends” rocked.
5. Just three words needed: Harrington finger phallus
6. In what really proved out to be the most potentially dangerous antic of the night, Butler hopped on top of a rotating chair. Circling in motion, the bass lines were played with the utmost of ease. Much kudos.
7. Instead of climbing the stage’s rigging which he’s notorious for doing, Harrington went the easy route…he went to first base with it.
8. Taking a well-deserved bathroom break, the band returned with a few holiday gifts, most notably three large teddy bears. Playing Santa for the night, Harrington had the hat and jacket but must’ve had a wardrobe malfunction because he forgot to bring his pants. But, lucky enough, he replaced them with some bright red skivvies. Nevertheless, an eager audience member sat on his lap and when asked what he wanted for Christmas, the fan asked for a guitar. Personally, I would’ve asked for a Nintendo Wii.
9. Over an extended, somewhat noisier, version of “Who Rocks The Party,” it was raining cotton. Why you ask? Remember those large teddy bears? It was only matter of time until they were dug in to. Stabbing it with his microphone and removing any white remnants that he could find, Harrington showered it onto the crowd. As the show progressed he would later wear pieces of teddy on his head and on his leg.
10. Making his last trip into the crowd, true communal participation between audience and enigmatic front man shined, he and everyone else shouting together “It’s Always Better When We Sweat Together.” Oh yeah… the rest of the band played ever so diligently.
Les Savy Fav, let’s stay friends…okay?
More Les Savy Fav here: www.myspace.com/lessavyfav
