BrightestYoungThings: Live DC: Bianco, Waggoner and Fisher @ DC9

photos: Martin Locraft (Waggoner and Fisher) & Ryan Wakeman (Jim Bianco)

It’s probably safe to say that most of us who skip a show’s first act in lieu of a beer at the bar or whatnot usually don't miss out on much. Yet DC9’s earlybirds were in for a treat this Tuesday night.

LA-based singer Jim Bianco was the first and tastiest act of the night’s three-course show. With a jagged-Jack Kerouac face and rugged voice reminiscent of a tamed-Tom Waits, Bianco seduced and serenaded a small, but attentive crowd. Unconventional love songs like “Painkiller”—a tune about his four-year relationship with a woman that coincided with his six-month relationship with Vikodin—were formed by spontaneous and catchy run-on melodies and poetics. Bianco is endearing, but he’s no sap. He was at his best after moving from his “love material” to “sex material,” as illustrated by his arousing performance of strip-tease song, “Goodness Gracious.” Bianco’s multi-talented sidekick, Brad Gordon, meanwhile demonstrated impressive skills on accordion, clarinet, and keyboards. During “Good Gracious” his muted meow-meow pocket trumpet calls taunted Bianco and perfectly embodied the sultry moans of a living and lustful woman.

Follow-up act, Brooke Waggoner is a budding but not yet blossomed indie-femme fatale. As entertaining as it is to watch the fingers of a classically trained pianist effortlessly manhandle the keyboard, Waggoner’s sing-song vocals got muddled by her own dense and overly-orchestrated melodies. Her best piece,“So So,” was better than mediocre. It came last and by request as Waggoner admitted that, for whatever reason, she never plays the song live. Its melody was refreshingly simple; the lyrics bouncy, innocent and honest as Waggoner referenced her decision to move to Nashville. She unexpectedly knitted her short and clever story out of rhyming “so-sos” with warm “profundos,” and “accelerandos,” that were all rounded out by: “I want to go home.” Bravo.

Even with Ms. Waggoner sandwiched inbetween, it was nearly impossible for Canadian singer Jeremy Fisher to follow an act like Bianco’s and not seem like any other fro-haired skinny kid with a cool scarf and guitar. Eventually Fisher lost the scarf, yet still played it safe by bringing glossy, but upbeat and carefree songs to a dark DC9 stage. Drummer Isaac Carpenter even broke a couple maracas. Predictability isn’t always a bad thing, as the conventionally talented Fisher was consistently uplifting, fun, and easy on the ears.

Yet, sometimes (including this time), the best comes first, not last.