| Albarn,
Coxon & Co. Reach New Heights at L.A.'s Mayan
by Richard Horrmann There was a great divide separating the old Blur from the new Blur at the Mayan Thursday night, and most of the fans had converged on the downtown L.A. nightspot to revel in the melodious Britpop for which the band is known were caught in the tumultuous gulf that lay in between.
That's not to say the quartet didn't deliver a fabulous show; it was virtual carbon copy of their groundbreaking new album, "13," right down to the order of play. But like most concerts, this one was attended by people wanting to hear the popular songs - and there are many - and not necessarily every new one, especially when the fresh material is so much more abstract than what fans are used to. With hits like "Song 2" (the Whoo~hooo!" number that can be heard in the Pentium computer chip TV commercial) and "There's No Other Way," off their 1991 album, "Leisure," Blur knows how to get the adrenaline pumping and the crowd moving; past concerts have been as much an aerobics workout as a music show. But the fevered pitch in the audience was kept to a minimum, surfacing only with their opening number, the gospel-inspired "Tender" (actually, the crowd was more in a groove), and their four-song encore which included, as luck would have it, "Song 2" and "There's No Other Way" |
| This is not the first time Blur has takenn a
divergent path. With an artistic chameleon like Damon Albarn as it slead singer and
driving force, Blur can be unpredictable and sassy - two attributes that, after 10 years
together, keeps them vibrant and intriguing. On "13," Blur launches listeners on a mini adventure in sound, employing lengthy improvisations that are clearly influenced by a number of eccentric British and American groups, from Pink Floyd to Beck. From the haunting melody of "Battle" to the hint of lounge in "Trailerpark," the album is one bold and invigorating example of modem music, not a tired extension of a formula that's worked in the past. For Blur as a group, it's a highly intelligent move. For Blur as a concert band, it's a step that will likely drag many of its followers along kicking and screaming, not unlike children who'd just as soon skip the meat and broccoli to get to the dessert.
Albarn was joined onstage by guitar player Graham Coxon, who rendered a fabulous performance as the voice for "Coffee & TV;" a number that more closely resembles Blur's old pop; bass player Alex James, probably the only person left in the public eye who actually makes it look cool to smoke; and consummate drummer Dave Rowntree. Albarn, who has branched out into motion pictures, co-composing the music for Antonia Bird's "Ravenous" with Michael Nyman, is keenly aware of the demand for and overplay of Blur's popular tunes. Before performing their final number, "Song 2," Albarn warned it would be the last time they sang it in the States. "We're sick of it," he said. |
Richard Horrmann is the Features and Entertainment Editor for the Press-Telegram newspaper in Long Beach, CA. This story originally appeared on Apr 3, 1999, in the Press-Telegram, and appears here with permission. Copyright 1999 Press-Telegram Publications, Inc.
