Today's Headphone Fodder:
Earlier tonight, I trekked up to the world's nosebleediest seats at Boston's House of Blues (seriously: back row, third floor of a very vertical venue) in order to see Evelyn Evelyn, the conjoined twin sister singer-songwriters who caused some internet brouhaha (sp?) with their potentially ableist backstory. After the main act (& a brief intermission), Jason Webley did a two-song "set," followed by Amanda Palmer, who performed some lengthy monologues on the State of Her Awesome Life / Being an Artist / Being Back in Boston, with the occasional musical interlude.
Though I was so not into the way Amanda handled a lot of the backlash against the Evelyns (regardless of the fact that some of the nay-saying could seem overreactive to those not feeling it for themselves), I actually did end up enjoying the twins' performance. The standout of the night was, of course, the song I'd seen live over two years ago, before this concept was actually a Thing, with conjoined dress et. al.: the song called You Only Want Me 'Cause You Want My Sister, which is infectious & clever & includes a Heathers reference. Also, they do a super-acoustic (that damn ukulele...) cover of Love Will Tear Us Apart—which, though one is like to cringe when looking through an ableist lens, is actually really great.
Still, I walked away from the night unsatisfied—more than just oxygen-deprived from the altitude: I wanted (want, will want; every tense) more Webley. That man is such a force of nature, brilliant songwriter, wildly talented performer—&, for the record, he was such a friggin' gentleman about the whole "Ableism Ableism" kerfuffle. I admire & adore him & his music to the utmost of utmosts, &, though I desperately wished for more, I was so very happy that he performed two of my favorites: There's Not a Step We Can Take That Does Not Bring Us Closer, with its customary violins vs. trombones audience standoff, & Last Song, which he dedicated to his recently deceased grandmother. (RIP, forever & on.)
There were, in fact, two more Webley songs performed later in the night: one, the fun-but-simple Drinking Song as a group encore; the other, a duet with Amanda of perhaps my very favorite (tied with those already mentioned—& Ways to Love. & Dance While the Sky Crashes Down. & Map. Eleven Saints. Days With You. This is a hopeless game.):
Yes, this is our big-text, official Song of the Day—mostly because I love it, a lot, but it's also catapulted above the rest because I'm a little peeved at how Amanda has so co-opted it. It's not that she ruins the song, per se; I suppose it does suit her theatricality & piano stylings. I just... It's Jason's song! & it's not like he's such a famous, established band as Radiohead; I really wish they could let the song get by on its own (read: his) merits. Now, it's nigh impossible to find a version of it that isn't somehow Palmerized.
