|
|
Shoreline Amphitheatre, San Francisco, California, United States of America (2001)
POP MUSIC REVIEW
Electronica Plugs In at Area: One
Pioneers New Order (with Billy Corgan) and Moby stand out in an eclectic lineup.
By STEVE BALTIN, Special to The Times
Being a relatively young genre without a strong sense of history, electronic music is often about the new kid on the block. But at Sunday's Area: One concert at Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion, two of the genre's pioneers dominated the day.
Accompanied by Smashing Pumpkins founder Billy Corgan on guitar, '80s synth stars New Order made a rousing comeback that showcased all eras of the band's 25-year history (dating to its days as Joy Division).
Corgan played the reluctant superstar for the group, at one point acknowledging the devotion of the fans in the front pit by touching the brim of his hat, then putting his hand to his heart.
But immediately afterward, he pulled his floppy hat down over his eyes. New Order frontman Bernard Sumner, who danced around the stage like a teenager, made light of the situation, turning to Corgan halfway through the set and asking him, "Billy, what's up with these girls in the front?"
In drawing on such favorites as "Bizarre Love Triangle," the Joy Division classic "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Blue Monday," the English group made sure the music was not overshadowed. While the musicianship was surprisingly tight, there were a couple of misfires, particularly during the drawn-out closing of "Crystal," the first single from the band's forthcoming disc, "Get Ready."
But it was another new track, "Turn My Way," that provided the set's highlight. A duet between Corgan and Sumner, the compelling look at a man trying to get back to his more daring youth is one of the year's finest tracks. And the way the vocals between the two nearly blended into one voice live only added to the song's beauty.
The other benchmark set Sunday was a bit of a surprise, despite the fact that it came from dance world superstar and tour organizer Moby.
When he played the Greek Theatre last year, his show lacked the acknowledgment of his techno roots that characterized his pre-pop star days.
With the songs from "Play" saturating the market and Moby himself making as many magazine appearances as a Calvin Klein ad, one had to wonder if maybe he had lost his edge.
If so, he regained it on this tour.
In front of about 10,000 fans, Moby came onstage in an Area: One shirt to the gorgeous strains of "Hymn," the instrumental that kicks off his landmark 1995 album, "Everything Is Wrong." He reached out to his longtime fans early in the set, launching into his early '90s club anthem "Go" just two songs in.
He had no problem keeping up with the frenetic tempo of the song either: Amid a manic light show, he ran and jumped around the stage like David Lee Roth or Mick Jagger.
His set list was equally impressive, including all of the hits from "Play," such as the sexy "Honey" and "South Side," as well as a mini-rave built around the techno songs he wrote when he first started making records.
As outstanding as his performance was, it was clear that Moby's proudest role at Blockbuster was as tour organizer. Late in the show, before being joined onstage by New Order for a superb rendition of Joy Division's "New Dawn Fades," Moby spoke about how the tour had proved a lot of music industry people wrong by showing you could provide a bill that didn't just have one style of music.
On this day he was right. Outkast used tight choreography and even tighter beats, at a variety of tempos, to duplicate the success of its acclaimed "Stankonia" album. French quintet Rinocerose filled the spacious venue with its guitar-heavy blend of electro-rock.
The hip-hop group the Roots delighted the crowd with an array of styles, from jazz to ska to even a little dos-i-do, and really got things going with DJ Scratch, a human beat-box whose vocal simulations of scratching were an awesome exhibition of turntablism.
Meanwhile, in the dance tent, DJs Paul Oakenfold and Timo Maas had ravers dancing to the point of exhaustion with explosive trance builds and house-meets-trance grooves, respectively.
One of show's most effective traits, though, was that it didn't try to be a rave. The dance tent had all the stimulants of a club, with laser lights, video screens and raised platforms for dancers, but vendors and carnival rides didn't dominate the surrounding area; it was simply about the music.
The challenge for Moby will be to keep that integrity and eclecticism next summer and beyond. For this summer, though, he had reason to be proud.
Copyright 2001 Los Angeles Times
Source: Los Angeles Times |
|