Wednesday, September 23, 2009

A Feathered Delight, Juliette Lewis Wowed NY

Juliette Lewis: September 19 @ The Fillmore at Irving Plaza, New York, NY

If you know me or have been reading my little sliver of space here in the blog world, then you know that I'm a fan of Juliette Lewis. So, it was the fan in me that trotted my happy self down to Irving Plaza and caught Lewis’ headlining set. What a treat!

Her support artists got me good and warmed up for her set. The air was electric and the audience seemed to swell in between the time American Bang left the stage and Lewis hit the stage.

Lewis has an enthusiastic fan base. So, to the loud cheers of the crowd, she took the stage with her top notch band Shirley To (bass), Yves Lelevier (guitar), Chris Watson (guitar) and Troy Zeigler (drums). And, they were joined for a song by Finnie on congas. While I am/was a great fan of The Licks, I find this band to be a much tighter unit and they seemed more apt at showcasing Lewis' vocals in the best frame.

I mentioned to a couple of people that I had gone to see Juliette Lewis and their response was "the actress?" My response was, "the singer." From the moment Lewis hits the stage, there is no mistaking that she is a rocker. She isn't acting like a rocker, she is one and she puts her all into her performance. Saturday night she strutted out in black and red feathers looking every bit the dramatic rock chick ripping into a set that covered not only tracks from her new album Terra Incognita but also her work with The Licks. Lewis seems to have better control of her voice. She sounds more precise but, without losing the edginess that has endeared us to her vocals.

Lewis worked the stage reminiscent of Iggy Pop with the attitude of Patti Smith. She's a bundle of wild energy and busted her ass for us. We appreciated it. My fellow audience members seemed to enjoy the new songs as much as the older songs. Of the new songs played, it was "Hard Lovin' Woman" that stood out. While I love the album version, this song gets my must hear live stamp. Lewis belted out the blues like nobody's business ... gritty, passionate and straight from the gut. Lewis has nothing to prove, but for any doubters who may have been lurking in the audience, that song alone should have put them in their places.

She left the stage after "Suicide Dive Bombers" before coming back and donning her feathered head gear. The crowd went wild the moment she slipped it on. She then ripped through her final song of the night, a cheeky version of "Hot Kiss." It was a great show full of fun and energy. We all would have loved more. But, all good things must come to an end. I highly recommend going to see Lewis. And, if you can catch her while she has The Ettes and American Bang out on the road with her, you'll witness possibly the best touring package on the road right now.

Set List
  • Badass Baby
  • Purgetory Blues
  • Ghosts
  • Fantasy Bar
  • Pray For The Band Latoya
  • Hard Lovin' Woman
  • Terra Incognita
  • Uh Huh
  • Sticky Honey
  • Junkyard Heart
  • You're Speaking My Language
  • Suicide Dive Bombers
  • Hot Kiss
www.myspace.com/juliettelewis
www.facebook.com/pages/Juliette-Lewis/126010241551