First off, I must say hello to one and all. I know that the big C does most of the blogging on this little forum, but I felt it was time that one of us other "contributors" do just that. Since there's been no word what our gracious host was up to last night I thought I might chime in. Now everyone knows to do New Year's right you need to stay the hell away from bars and such unless you are dying to see one of the Hilton sisters, but that didn't stop Spaceland from booking the mighty Chavez and special guest Baby Dee. To say the club was empty early on would be an understatement. By the time Baby Dee, who should be your new favorite transvestite singer, took the stage it seemed that no one was going to enjoy the night festivities, but as Baby Dee charmed us all with her excellent accordion and harp skills the club filled nicely. Baby Dee was excellent in an almost indescribable way. Picture Antony with a vicious sense of humor and a really bad whig. As she finished her set with an encore including her fascination with mormon underwear most of the crowd was singing along.
After Baby Dee Solid Todd of Sea Level Records, which is where you should by your long playing albums if you are at all near the Echo Park area, spun a few records that primed the audience for what was too come. Many were delighted that Todd clearly was enjoying the new Jarvis Cocker singer "Running the World", which with full discretion I pointed out to him was on a bonus seven inch that he didn't know was in the record jacket's other sleeve.
Near 11:45 Chavez took the stage. Many were concerned that they may forget about the countdown, but since this was Chavez's first LA performance in about 10 years that fact was pushed to the side. As a rule reunion shows are terrible. The thing that made the group so special has usually been extinguished by years of side projects, appalling drug use, or the dreaded beer belly. Luckily for all, in the world of asterisks on batting championships and track meet records Chavez never officially brook up. They just took a break. Now they might not have been recording their Chinese Democracy this whole time, but I hate reunion shows and you should too. Yes, I went to Kiss at the forum for the first re-make up shows. And it was funny for the first ten minutes, but you know after that it sucked. The Slint reunion was pretty dynamic, but it still felt off. This night was entirely different. They ripped through almost all of the hits. Hits being the songs you have no idea what they're called, but by the time your automatic air drumming or guitar skills kicked in you were transported back to the days when you were in your mom's mini van perfecting your appreciation of boon's wine or how to clear the bong. With all that being said, they did the count down, most drank champagne, they continued on and gave one of the best performances I have ever seen in my life. And I am not over stating. If Chavez never took a knee to pursue other projects they would be headlining your local enor-mo-dome by now.