all photos: Jane Briggs
all words: Svetlana
I sort of wish it was still the day before this show ever happened.
You know exactly what I’m talking about.
Those blissful couple of days of anticipation and innocence when everyone was just talking how awesome/hilarious/weird this show was going to be (I mean, they named their band TINTED WINDOWS-they MUST be in on the joke).
What would James Iha’s hair look like?
Which gloves would Bun.E Carlos wear?
Has Taylor Hanson gone through puberty yet?
Will I recognize the Fountains of Wayne dude when I see him?
You remember it, right?
I mean, I was SO EXCITED we got to interview them, I felt like a teenage girl who just saw one of Jonas brothers in spandex or something. That’s pretty excited, fyi. (IN RETROSPECT-if this show included a Jonas Brother (or anyone for that matter) in spandex, it would have been completely salvaged and I would be writing a different review. Take this as a constructive note-Tinted Windows, more spandex WILL HELP-ed)
Now, back to business: once I got to The Cat, at 9pm on the dot, handed Jane her photo pass and purchased a copious amount of whiskey for almost everyone I knew there (and it was a fair amount of people, since you know, we were ALL curious) US Royalty was already playing. The crowd present was solid, they were feeling it, the boys sounded good and confident and relaxed and obviously ready to woo you whether you heard them play before or not. Good times. I will not talk about their set too much, because we talk about them a lot as is, but they played a couple of (good, Southern swampy) songs, they looked as sharp as ever, and the sound guy was 100% on their side that night making everything crisp and clean and as it should be. The Thornley parents were in the house too, which was wonderful.
THEN-A what seemed like a really long set up in between sets (probably not, but it sure seemed like it) and the crowd amount just stayed the same. I guess it being a 20 dollar show on a Wednesday mutually excluded people who could a. not afford it or b. could afford it but had important meetings/children/spouses to take care of Thursday bright and early in the AM. C’est la vie.
As for those of us who were still there…. we all drank some more, reminisced about James Iha being a hero of our (long lost but still clung onto) youth (Perfect Circle, we can ALMOST forgive you for that, James), someone sang “MMMBop” for a chorus or syllable or two, there were stories told of taking planes with the Hanson brothers AND their families (weird), I restrained myself from singing all the songs by Fountains of Wayne I know by heart (which is A LOT) and while we were getting a smidge impatient, it was a good time.
AND THEN THEY CAME ON.
Everyone bum rushed the stage, including Jane, whose only photo assignement for tonight was “LOTS OF CLOSE UPS” to see it all as up close and personal as you never could if they were in their alma mater bands and…. then…. it started. I have mostly supressed all memories of this but I do remember there was a tambourine. Taylor Hanson has a nice enough voice but he sings with a twang so earnest I wanted to pull his little choker off (he also wore a “Tinted Windows” t-shirt which is so uncool, its cool? right? maybe?) and make him wear a cowboy hat. Bun E. tried but he’s pretty old and you know, we understand. James Iha and Adam Schlesinger did a solid enough job but overall-it was all just kind of sad.
I left after 2 songs, sat downstairs for a bit, came back up, got another drink, lasted 2 more songs, gave my drink to Eddie and left/ran for my life.
Downstairs-half of DC bands are milling and asking the million dollar question: I just want to see James Iha. Is it worth 20 bucks?
And the simple answer is: NO.
Sure-you’re curious, but you’re not curious enough to make it through the whole thing, are you?And plus, do you really want to have all your youth hero dreams destroyed by seeing said youth hero play a full set of what can best be referred to as “ok filler songs”? Didn’t think so.
On the upside-there was a super secret afterparty (aren’t they all?), and James and Adam showed up and while I never went to the party (my soul was crushed too much by the show to sustain any more regaling) I woke up to an email to our info@brightestyoungthings.com address from one of the members of Tinted Windows asking for their cell phone back because an (unnamed) BYT staffer TOOK IT, at 5:30 am, from their room @ Helix Hotel.
So-that was almost worth it.
Was it really that bad?
August 7, 2009 at 10:30 amI debated going to this but I decided not to out of fear that it would be slightly disappointing… After reading this I don’t so feel bad for skipping it. And I’m now intrigued by the stolen cell phone mischief.
August 7, 2009 at 10:30 ampatrick-you know how overall positive i tend to be in everything i review. so-yeah, i guess (to me at least) it was not good at all
August 7, 2009 at 10:32 amPatrick -
It wasn’t that it was bad, it just wasn’t good. I left after song two. There just wasn’t anything there.
August 7, 2009 at 10:33 amTaylor Hanson. wore the t-shirt of the band he performs in, onstage, during the performance of said band. bandFAIL.
August 7, 2009 at 10:37 amI had to go back up and make sure it really was Svet writing it. Seriously I’ve never seen her write a negative thing about anything.
August 7, 2009 at 10:40 amIt is because I try to only go to shows I think I’d genuinely enjoy.
August 7, 2009 at 10:46 amWow Svetlana. Even after all those drinks you left? It must’ve been rough.
I wonder what Trip Bannister has to say about this show. And missing cell phone? Egad!
@ Everyone
PS – The only bands ever allowed to wear their own shirts on stage:
*PIL
*The Clash
judging by this review, it seems the least offensive thing they did was wear their own band t-shirt.
i’ve seen lots of band members do that over the years. generally i assume it’s because the band has been on tour for awhile and may currently be out of clean clothes. so they raid the merch.
if the show is good, i really don’t care. of course, if the show isn’t good, then just about anything a band does may irritate me.
August 7, 2009 at 10:50 amp.s. so, is there gonna be a post of the band member’s camera phone pics later today?
August 7, 2009 at 10:51 amThe Girls, Smith Westerns sets at 9:30 were wonderful… AAAND tickets were cheaper than this show. Too bad los Campesinos sucks.
August 7, 2009 at 10:54 amand we partied with Girls and SW all night…
August 7, 2009 at 10:56 amI dunno I downloaded the record for free and think its a pretty good pop record for the record , i would never have bought it, would never have gone to this show, but i will say that the music is pretty awesome as far as pop music goes.
August 7, 2009 at 10:57 amsvetlana, i could not agree more with this review. i tried really hard to stay until the end…but even my girlhood obsession with james could not keep me there.
August 7, 2009 at 11:21 amThis is interesting to me, because I’ve seen them live twice in NY, and I loved them both times, as did the crowds there…both shows sold out by the way. Maybe all the whiskey and giving up after two songs had something to do with it, or maybe Taylor Hanson hate got in your way. It’s supposed to be just fun, earnest power pop played well, and it is; they aren’t going for deep. But hey, thanks for the great pictures.
August 7, 2009 at 11:52 amI agree with everyone (except Lisa) I was so looking forward for this show and ended up being even more inlove with US Royalty’s performance and their ability to rock people out! I didn’t do the whiskey (in fact I didn’t drink that night) and I still didn’t feel the vibe… plus I didn’t hate Hanson in their early years… I just feel they took for granted being well-known by their old bands that they didn’t even make the effort of looking to each other during the show and actually pretending that they were a band performing together… If I’m ever in NY when they play and its for FREE I would love to see the other side of the story…
August 7, 2009 at 12:24 pmI imagine that wearing the shirt onstage is a good t-shirt marketing strategy the tweenage girl demo.
Who is the target market for this band anyway?
The songs are too saccharine for Pumpkins fans, the dudes in the band are too old for the Johnas groupies, I don’t see you average Cheap Trick fan showing up at the Black Cat, Hanson fans don’t really exist anymore, or else Hanson would be on tour. I’m not sure I really know who FoW is let alone FoW dude.
For something so seemingly fabricated there doesn’t seem to be much sound strategic thinking behind it. Still, you gotta blame those darn downloaders for the decline of mnstrm lables, amiright?
August 7, 2009 at 12:25 pm@ umm
You pretty much hit the nail on the head. Something tells me that because these guys have done nothing but full-time music for their entire lives, it’s a little hard to branch out. There’s obviously a lot of talent in this band, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to a) a good live show b) dope records c) erasing people’s previous memories of their former bands.
I’m sorry I missed the show (and the after party). But something tells me that there will be many dope after parties in the future.
August 7, 2009 at 1:08 pmI was at that show. It was great! I was there with five other people of various ages and both genders, two of whom were initially unfamiliar with the band and their music. We all witnessed a great show and had a marvelous time. Sorry you didn’t.
And for umm: there were many Cheap Trick fans, Hanson fans, and at least two Fountains of Wayne fans there, that I know of. And Hanson are already selling tickets for their fall tour, so your argument about their fans not existing anymore doesn’t really work.
August 7, 2009 at 1:18 pmWhose cell phone was taken?
I stayed for the whole show but US Royalty had me wow’ed more than Tinted Windows. The sound guy was not at all in favor of Tinted Windows considering Taylor Hanson’s mic went out not once, but twice and they had problems consistently throughout the night with sound.
Was anyone there for their soundcheck?
August 7, 2009 at 1:26 pmThis just further vindicates my choice in seeing LC! despite my curiosity.
@Ben – I don’t know what show you were at, but The Smiths Western were painful to watch and Girls are just too stoned to really enjoy. Los Campesinos put on a great set, had great stage presence, interacted with the crowd AND people were dancing. Maybe you don’t like brit-pop, fine, but they do not suck by any stretch of the imagination.
But ditto to the show being cheaper.
August 7, 2009 at 1:48 pmGreat photos, Jane! The review doesn’t really match the show as far as I can see. I was there and enjoyed it enormously. Again, thanks for the photos.
August 7, 2009 at 2:12 pmus royalty was awesome (as was the afterparty).
tinted windows was painful and boring. one might even say they completely sucked.
August 7, 2009 at 2:18 pmSvetlana – reveling?
John’s got neck vagina level of beardage!
August 7, 2009 at 2:27 pmKathryn – you really think a professional sound guy would deliberately sabotage a show because they don’t like the band?
P.S. usually bands bring their own sound people. Pretty sure that was the case here, too.
August 7, 2009 at 2:54 pmThanks for setting my dumb ass straight Jeana, although you missed my point just a bit. I didn’t mean that literally no one who liked their other bands would be into it, just that not a significant amount (hence being distributed by a major label and not being able to sell out Black Cat).
And good for the Hanson Bros for their upcoming tour, although playing at 9:30 club sized places (and not selling them out after a couple weeks on sale) might sting a little for a band that was shoved down people’s throats so hard in 199? Wonder if they h8/envy the Johnas Bros for their success, or are like, “make the most of it while it lasts, J-bros, umm bop, you guys!!!”
August 7, 2009 at 2:58 pm@Amanda: agreed. Los Campesinos! were by far better than Girls (woodstock rejects at best, atonal at worst) and better than Smith Westerns (although they weren’t that bad and I would pay to see them again)
August 7, 2009 at 3:31 pmMichael – you must have misread. I didn’t say the sound guys sabotaged anything. I was pointing out that the mics shorted out for the Tinted Windows performance. And yes as far as I’m aware they do bring their own sound guys but there are people from the Black Cat who also run it at sound check initially hence the sound check question.
Umm – that’s some good points you bring up. Has Hanson even sold out any of their shows in recent years? I hear a lot of their Africa stuff but less about the shows.
August 7, 2009 at 3:39 pmMicrophones short out/cut out, it’s not the end of the world. I’ve had guitars stop working mid song, on stage. It’s like getting caught w/your pants around your ankles. But if you think quick, no one will ever notice.
August 7, 2009 at 3:58 pmHanson sell out some shows; not all. Generally, when they are debuting new music, their shows sell out. As for the question of them hating on the Jonas Brothers: I tend to doubt that there is any animosity there. They’ve always been very gracious about them in interviews, and one of the Hansons brought his kids to a Jonas Brothers concert in Tulsa. Hanson have been playing 930 size clubs since 2003 or so; if it bothered them initially not to be playing arenas anymore, I’m sure they’ve gotten over that by now. They certainly don’t seem bitter to me.
August 7, 2009 at 4:09 pmumm: Is S-Curve really a major label? I don’t consider it to be one. And I really doubt that any of the other artists on S-Curve; Care Bears On Fire, We The Kings, Little Jackie, etc. are exactly burning up the industry, either.
Whether S-Curve can be considered a major label or not, I think you’ll agree with me that Tinted Windows have gotten virtually no radio play in this area. Not that many people are familiar with them. In fact, the FOW fan I was chatting with at the show seemed pleasantly surprised to see such a big turnout for an unknown band on a weekday night, and I think she had a point.
August 7, 2009 at 4:16 pmJeana – I don’t think I have ever heard them on the radio or even trying for mainstream.
August 7, 2009 at 5:00 pmSorry, but I had to stop reading this when I realized the reviewer was dismissing Bun E. Carlos for being *old*. The parts of the review that preceded that didn’t really engender much journalistic respect, either, to be honest.
August 7, 2009 at 5:49 pmI was at the TW show at the Double Door in Chicago and I loved it. It is one of those bands that you will either love or hate. As for all of the Hanson hate. Anyone who has listened to their recent music, knows how talented the guys are. And they put on the best live shows. And I don’t know what popularity has to do with being good. Hanson makes music for the love of making music. Yes, they became hugely popular but they were a band for five years before becoming popular, playing wherever anyone would listen. And I don’t doubt for a minute that if they never became popular, that they would still be making music. They will always be cursed with being young but you should see the line up of musicians that they have worked with. They have done so much outside of Hanson. And they are really nice guys.
August 7, 2009 at 11:06 pmi thought this was a review of the show? next time send someone who knows how to write about music. good or bad, i would have like to read a review not a fuckin’ 12 year old girls diary. grow up.
August 8, 2009 at 12:58 amI am personally of the opinion that bad music is really not worth wasting time/words on. And considering that I run this site-hate to say it, but no one outranks my opinion about that on this block.
August 8, 2009 at 7:52 amIs this a joke review? I mean… Spandex? The great Bun E. being called “old”? I hope this is meant to be an ironic parody of stupid drunk people at a show. If not… shame on you.
August 8, 2009 at 9:02 amWhile they may not be your thing, they are all excellent musicians and songwriters. It just isn’t “bad music”…and Bun E Carlos plays with more vigor and style than most drummers half his age, so why the age reference? The only two things about Tinted Windows that are tiring to me: the Pumpkins fans who are pissed off that James Iha wants to play pop music that isn’t brooding or dissonant, and the people who claim to be into the music scene who have no idea about Taylor Hanson’s musicianship and his career since MMMBop.
August 8, 2009 at 10:17 amI thought, overall, Tinted Windows did ok. I think this is a little harsh. U.S. Royalty played a very solid show, and were a tough act to follow. There’s a lot more that could be said about their show, but you kinda have to stick around for it…
August 8, 2009 at 11:25 amJane your photos are kick-ass. They would have been better if Taylor Hanson hadn’t gotten fat but that’s not your fault.
August 8, 2009 at 3:48 pmwhich memeber of byt had sex with which member of tw? is there cell phone video?
August 8, 2009 at 5:34 pmthanks photoz :)
August 8, 2009 at 9:56 pmI fucked the girl from Hanson
August 8, 2009 at 10:28 pmI have written 6495 posts for byt (this is not a joke number, btw) and a BUNCH of them were music show reviews, and 97% of which were positive in some spirit. If you are a young band that is not good but shows potential-I understand, you’re working on your voice. If you’re a venerable band that has seen better days-I understand, no everyone stays relevant/fresh forever. BUT if you just play sort of OK songs, and have this kind of pedigree and live performance experience-I am not going to feel sympathetic AND/OR empathic because, frankly, you should know better than to JUST MAKE OK MUSIC.
Being non-offensive and just ok when you’ve been in bands as good as Smashing Pumpkins or Cheap Trick is not ok.
Well, Svetlana, if this poor excuse for a review was seriously not meant to be a joke, then I’m out of here. If you were actually at the Black Cat and heard Bun E. drumming that night, and the only thing you can think of to say about it is “he’s old”, there is nothing about music that you could say that would interest me.
August 9, 2009 at 7:13 amSvetlana said:
“If you are a young band that is not good but shows potential-I understand, you’re working on your voice. ‘
BUT, Svetlana also said:
“Taylor Hanson has a nice enough voice but he sings with a twang so earnest I wanted to pull his little choker off (he also wore a “Tinted Windows” t-shirt which is so uncool, its cool? right? maybe?) and make him wear a cowboy hat.”
So… it’s ok for the band not to be good because she understands; he someday will be. HOWEVER, if the singer IS actually good, but seems too earnest and even wears the wrong shirt, then he earns Svetlana’s hatred and scorn.
I’m with Jim; Svetlana has lost my respect as a music critic.
August 9, 2009 at 8:40 amjim and dave are the new ernest.
August 9, 2009 at 9:33 amSince when has Svetlana ever been a music critic? Since when is anyone here a music critic? Who in the fuck would want to be one, anyway?
She went to a show. She wasn’t impressed. She told people so in a review of the show. The end.
August 9, 2009 at 11:46 amNot sure who Ernest is/was, but what Jim and Dave said makes a lot of sense to me.
August 9, 2009 at 1:17 pmI’d been looking forward to this review since I saw the tweet that said “Just left the Tinted Windows show: UH OH.”
August 9, 2009 at 3:34 pmHere’s the thing. I have, on occasion, been one of those people who thinks BYT is style over substance, but… not here. Tinted Windows suck. So bad. Hanson sucked, James Iha’s solo record sucked, Cheap Trick suck, Fountains of Wayne suck, big shock that when you combine all four of those things into a single band it still sucks. Christ, get over it.
August 10, 2009 at 12:29 amHere’s the thing, Nate; posting in a blog that something “sucks” doesn’t necessarily make it so. Plenty of people love Cheap Trick. They’re still rocking after 35 years. How many of the bands you come here to celebrate will still be putting out critically acclaimed albums 30 or 35 years from now? If you don’t like Cheap Trick, that’s fine, but declaring that “they suck”, as if yours was the only taste that mattered, seems both short-sighted and arrogant to me. Just saying.
August 10, 2009 at 12:18 pmposting under different names from the exact same IP address also doesn’t necessarily make you the voice of majority.
August 10, 2009 at 12:19 pmSeriously, HANSON.
Nerds.
August 10, 2009 at 12:21 pmI was at this show, and loved it. It was not their strongest show, from what I have heard of the NY shows, but it was solid. I think you may be blinded by Hanson hate.
FWIW, I’m 41 and a fan of all three bands. I went to the show with three friends in the same age group, all of whom had a great time.
Taylor wears a tour shirt when he’s been on the road and hasn’t done laundry.
August 10, 2009 at 12:46 pm“Sucks” was shorthand for “had a couple of decent pop singles in the 70s and 80s but was basically a corporate bubblegum band, and has made basically no meaningful contribution to popular music in 20-25 years.”
August 10, 2009 at 12:46 pmthen skip the shorthand. and the long form explanation is starving for facts.
August 10, 2009 at 1:27 pmcheap trick suck? With all due respect Nate; go fuck yourself in the ass with a rose-thorn adorned antique meat clever until you bleed out. god damn misanthropic blogger moron.
August 10, 2009 at 1:31 pmMan, that guy must really like Cheap Trick.
August 10, 2009 at 2:08 pmOh man. Some people are just too fun to provoke.
August 10, 2009 at 2:34 pmi don’t know if loyalty lines or sentimentality or wtf is making people say these guys were good, but every single person that i talked to said that they thought TW were hur-ting and i agree. they may have played their instruments exactly as the songs were written so you can’t necessarily say *they* sucked, but the music was really not good at all. it was awful, in fact.
us royalty made them look like amateurs. truth.com
thanks for the drink and the cooties, svet.
*disclaimer – i have thoroughly enjoyed every one of these guys’ efforts in the past with previous bands they were in (except hanson guy, but i never even listened to them on purpose).
p.s. cheap tricks 1988 comeback hit will break your brittle heart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muhFxXce6nA
August 10, 2009 at 2:58 pm@eddie
I remember liking the shit out of the flame when it came out. same summer as sweet child o mine video. appetite for destruction (and i against i, really) owned 87 thru 88. the olds know …
Eddie: Is it really this difficult to believe that some people have taste that is different from yours? I would think that the fact that the band was enthusiastically called back for an encore would, in itself, let you know that some people did indeed enjoy the show. There are also a couple of other reviews of this show on the Internet, none of which are negative. Trust me; not everybody agrees with you that it was awful.
August 10, 2009 at 6:26 pmwhose phone got stolen!??!
August 11, 2009 at 11:05 amjeana – remind me to never ask you to borrow your ipod
August 11, 2009 at 11:33 am
but james looks so goood
August 7, 2009 at 10:19 am