It's For You

The Wedding Present
North Star Bar, Philadelphia, PA
Friday, October 10, 2008

In the indie music world, most bands tend to be fairly fan friendly, keeping their ticket prices reasonable and their merchandise priced to move. And it's generally not hard to track down a band member after the show to congratulate them on a job well done. But when it comes to accessibility to fans, The Wedding Present's David Gedge takes the cake. How many bands can you name that have been around for over twenty years where the lead singer can be found hanging out by the merch table literally from the time the doors open until the band takes the stage?

Local Philadelphia band Brown Recluse Sings opened last Friday's show. Their singer had the mannerisms and the boots of a young John Lennon, but their music was obviously filtered through a lifetime membership in the Stuart Murdoch fan club. They got off to a somewhat slow start, but their bookish anglo pop seemed to pick up energy as their set went on. (Sidenote - why is it that having a trumpet player in your band automatically makes you sound British?) Brooklyn's The Jealous Girlfriends were up next. With raspy vocals riding waves of buzzing guitars over a bed of fat synth sounds, they provided a modern take on the early 90s shoegazer sound. They were one of the best opening acts I've seen in quite some time.

The Weddoes 75 minute set ran the gamut of their career, kicking off with their 1989 single "Kennedy" and closing with "Boo Boo," the penultimate track from their latest album. It seemed like there wasn't as much of Gedge's witty banter between songs this time out, perhaps due to the fact that the packed club was hot as hell, and didn't lend itself well to idle chit chat. Although there was a healthy dose of song from El Rey, it never felt like they were out promoting their newest record. The setlist was packed with fan favorites, although that didn't stop one bozo from calling for "Blue Eyes" six songs after they had already played it. After I saw them play "Suck" in Atlanta two years ago I felt like I could die and go to heaven. When they got to the end their set last week with the one-two punch of Seamonsters' "Dalliance" and "Dare," they ensured that I'd be spending eternity with a giant smile plastered across my face.

The Wedding Present - "Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft (Live)" (mp3) from Singles 1989-1991

photo by Tim Griffin