Felix Da Housecat
Back when Avalon was still called the Limelight, it ruled the hedonistic NYC nightlife of the 90's. Frank Owen documented the rise and fall of that scene in the fascinating book Clubland. The anything-goes pharmacy on 21st + 6th is now home to $350 bottles of Ketel One, though I've never experienced either. By the time I started noticing NYC clubs, Limelight was mostly quiet and Twilo was king. These days, I avoid velvet ropes and bottle service like the plague - and Avalon falls squarely into that category. Yet I must admit to being tempted by Felix Da Housecat's appearance there this Saturday.
Felix's Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever was an underrated record last year - an excellent (though not entirely cohesive) collection of songs that I listened to with surprising frequency. If you tallied things up, I'm sure I averaged close to one listen a day with "Ready 2 Wear." I've heard he's a lot of fun live, unafraid to drop the big hits but sensible enough to keep them spaced out for maximum effect. The question is if Felix is fun enough to warrant diving into Avalon. We shall see.
I really hate to be a downer
But I was almost completely underwhelmed by the bands at the Moveable Hype 2.0 show last night. While the music disappointed, I must give respect to the Gothamist team for putting together a fun party. I'm sure a lot of work goes into it that is not appreciated or understood. I hope there will be at least a Moveable Hype three point oh, if not more. Anyhow, on to the music.
In case you're not already aware, Moveable Hype 2.0 was the confab organized by the indispensable New York Blog Gothamist to celebrate its second birthday. Four bands were on hand to rock the Knit: The Cloud Room, Other Passengers, The Information and headliners Elkland.
While I arrived too late for The Cloud Room, Elkland were easily my least favorite of the four. There wasn't a whiff of sincerity in the singer Jon Pierce's jerky, robotic dancing. He looked like a combination of Bez and Ian Curtis, who aren't exactly the right role models for rhythmic body movement. The others in the band were statue-stiff and bore that painful "take us seriously because we write serious music" look on their faces. The music wasn't half-bad, but their artifice just really turned me off. Maybe I was just too tired at that point?
The Information, on the other hand, looked like they were actually happy to be there and were having fun. However, their set was hit and miss. Some songs had their moments, while others bordered on or were outright generic. Rajeev and I agreed that a six-piece, as The Information are, should be able to do more with their parts. You could easily achieve the same sound with three or four members.
Unfortunately I missed most of Other Passengers, but the little I heard intrigued me enough to want to know more about them. Aeki Tuesday was there for the whole set and has posted some photos.
For more on the night, read Gothamist's summary, along with photographs.