The DJ is asleep

Last night, Jess and I returned to the Orpheum to see Regina Spektor, who we both love, but who seemed to suffer from performing only a week after Brandi (and A Fine Frenzy, with whom Jess is now completely obsessed--almost as bad as I am with Brandi). I mean, Regina was fantastic, but I was still kinda like, well... Brandi was better. Plus, our seats weren't as good, and my pictures didn't come out as well. And also, not Brandi.

The Orpheum is a bizarro place for a show, I have decided. It made Regina crazy nervous, too. She forgot the words to "On the Radio" and messed up the piano intro for "Flowers," but then she got it under control. And was awesome. But the Orpheum is weird, because no matter where you are, you can hear everything, and it was super quiet in between her songs, too. We were further back from the stage, beneath the mezzanine seats, and I just felt kind of awkward. Fortunately, it was not as crazy hot as it was last Friday, but it still got kind of uncomfortably warm in there.

Okay, so despite the fact that she is not Brandi Carlile, Regina Spektor is a lot of fun to see live. She did a bunch of my fave songs of hers, beginning with "On the Radio." And she did an awesome version of "Poor Little Rich Boy," during which she played piano and percussion on a wooden chair--at the same time. It was just her and her piano, too, and I was trying to remember if she'd had a band when she'd played at the Avalon, and I think she did. Have a band. Also, she didn't talk in between songs at all, unless she wanted to share the name of a song. She talked during the songs, when she'd mess up, which was fun, and then I got to thinking about other people I've seen live, and I think Brandi is pretty much the most talkative performer I have ever seen. Which I love. It was weird, I remember now, because when she opened for the Indigo Girls, she babbled as usual, but then the Indigo Girls didn't talk at all. Except to bring her back onstage with them. And to say thanks for comin' out and stuff. But Brandi always has a story, and I can't get enough of them.

See? I can't stop comparing every live show I've ever seen to Brandi. Which means Kelly Clarkson is going to crash and burn next Tuesday. And she's even up there in the category of awesome live performers. But Brandi wins, y'all, Brandi wins.

Anyway, back to Regina. She killed, and the audience lost their effing minds, and the audience sounded so much louder than they had at Brandi's show, and I think Regina sold the place out, but Brandi didn't. It also could have been our seats made me more susceptible to crowd noise, I don't know. Also, the show seemed to go by really fast. Like, when she left the stage before the encore, I was like, "Really? Didn't she only play, like, eight songs?" But she played more than eight songs, I promise. She did a bangarang version of "Hotel Song," which is my favorite song from Begin to Hope, with Only Son, the fool who opened for her. He did some hipster version of beat-boxing, and she was clearly having a blast, and I totally dug it. This also marks the fourth show in a row I've been to where the opener came out and sang with the headliner. I don't think I'd ever even seen that before Brandi did it with the Indigo Girls. I think I love it. As long as the opener's good. And Only Son was okay, but he did a good job for Regina, and that is what matters.

"Fidelity" sounds much better live, and I will never get tired of hearing "Samson." But when it was over, I was just kind of like, "Yeah, that was cool." Not like, "I must now drive three hours to see her again." But... No, it was fun. I just wish I'd seen her before Brandi--or, like, a month later. Then I think I would have been more into it.

Also, I think I like watching bands live better than just, you know, the one performer, because bands will play off of each other and have fun, and if the band is having fun, the audience has fun, and if you're just up there by yourself, kinda nervous, it's kinda weird for the audience. Maybe that's what it was? But it has to be a band band, not just, you know, a solo artist who has a touring band. Or maybe it's just that I cannot let go of Brandi Carlile and her band. Maybe I need help. The exception to this rule, I've just realized, is Ben Folds, but he's never nervous, and he talks to the audience and gets them to sing his back-up harmonies, too. He's fun. But not nearly as pretty as Brandi.Pictures are here. There aren't that many, not only because Regina is also not as pretty as Brandi, but because I couldn't get very many good ones. Or maybe any good ones. Oh well.