Keane @ Bimbo's 365 Club

Saturday, Sept. 11, 2004 - 10:10 a.m.

When the Keane concert was first announced about six weeks ago, I dragged John out of bed one fine early weekend morning and made him log in and buy four tickets to their show, which was at Bimbo's. At the time, I had planned to have had my inheritance by the time the show came to pass, and fly two friends out here to enjoy the show with us.

This turned out not to happen, and we had two extra tickets for the concert.

John managed to give one away to his friend at work, and came home and said that if I wanted to get rid of the remaining ticket, I should try craigslist.

I went there late Thursday night, and I found a post asking for one ticket. I wrote to the poster, and sure enough, hooray, she wanted the ticket. She'd purchased her own ticket when they first went on sale, but she wanted one for a friend and didn't want to risk missing the limited release willcall at the door tickets.

She came and picked it up at 5:30 Friday afternoon, and even though my asking price was fifteen dollars (the cover price), she refused to let me give her change for a twenty. Way cool!

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John and I finally headed over to the venue at about twenty minutes after seven. We were unsure as to what would be done with our cell phones, because the tickets said no cameras would be allowed. We decided to bring them with us and wait to be told what to do.

As it turned out, the cell phones were not a problem at all.

We got in line, and the security people walked up and down the sidewalk telling us that if we used our cameras that was okay, but to please not use flash photography.

As you can see, the outdoor image here of the marquee turned out just fine -- but the indoor results of the camera phone are an unmitigated disaster.

I'm posting them anyway, because they're the best of a bad lot.:-)

Bimbo's was gorgeous. Definitely a throwback to the speakeasies of the 20s and 30s, the decor was lush and funky; the staff was attentive and dressed to the nines. There were even attendants in the bathrooms.

John and I weren't in the mood to mosh, so we found seats, and probably the best seats in the house: behind the sound booth. I was able to watch the sound staff at work, and I was amazed.

I looked around at the crowd, and happened to be looking at the front entrance when John's co-worker, Bruce Meservey walked in. I went and grabbed him and planted him at our table. I haven't seen him at length in about three years, so it was good to have him there with us.

At last -- and exactly at nine -- the show began.

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The opening band, French Kicks, was from New York.

There are definitely elements of the New York sound present in their work; imagine if the Smiths and the Ramones had a child that was midwifed by Brian Wilson.

There's your sound.

But like I said, my indoor images from my camera phone are shitful, due to the dim lighting.

So instead, here's where you can see more and much better pictures of French Kicks.

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The changeover from the opening act to the main act took about forty minutes, which again, like when they were here in June, I have failed to understand. Keane is a two instrument band.

Obviously I just haven't been to enough shows. :-)

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I kept looking at one of the people who was occasionally stepping over to the sound booth, and although it took me a while to place the face, I think I finally did.

Unless he has a doppelganger, I do believe I saw Matt Pond there. Maybe he has a twin. But I just looked at the band's website and there are no tour dates for them at this time. So hmmm.

Hmmm...anyway...

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Finally it was time for Keane.

The stage was set, the lights went to blue, and then fog enshrouded the stage. It wafted out into the crowd and cooled the house down by about ten degrees, which was welcomed, even by those of us who were sitting way in the back.

Suddenly, Keane was on stage -- and their set began.

I will not provide a precise list of what was performed. It's too early in their tour at the time of this writing, and I don't want to be a spoiler -- except to say that they replaced their performance of 'Allemonde' with the 'Untitled' song that does not appear on the US version of Hopes and Fears.

Tom very graciously said that if we wanted it, to just go ahead and copy it from the internet; they didn't mind.

A couple of times, I tried to get close enough to the stage to take the quality of pictures I was able to take back in June, but what you see is the best I was able to do. I didn't want to leave John for too long, and no amount of convincing would dislodge him from his chair. :-)

Keane is still consistent and wonderful; Tom looks like he's lost a little weight, but he and the others still project a huge and wonderful amount of energy. Richard Hughes is in fine form on the drums, and there's absolutely no adjectives in the english language that adequately convey the passion with which Tim Rice-Oxley plays his keyboards.

I am always happy to see a piano-based band making a success in the United States, and Keane gives GREAT show.

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The crowd at this show was really friendly; and I saw people across all age ranges. I'd say as a thirty-nine year old, I am probably in the top third of the fanbase, agewise, but there were more than a few other fans there with snow on the mountain.

Finally it was over, and we walked out through the lobby and into the street. We'd parked a block away at the Hilton, and parted company with Bruce at the top of the street when had to turn left and we had to turn right.

It was a great show, and if at all possible, I will go see Keane again when they come through town.

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