I made it to the Clem Snide show last night just in time to catch the tail of the first song. Eff Barzelay, the principle songwriting force behind the band, and his bass player were dressed in suits with slim ties reminiscent of the Joe Jackson look of the early 80s. I’m never quite so good at the associations between style and music. I know the slim tie look has returned to some extent. Tommy Thompson, though operating in a largely different genre (in my view) has adopted the same look. Regardless, that is what they were wearing and regrettably for me that was one of the more interesting aspects of the show.
I am familiar with the legion of critical acclaim for Clem Snide and Eff Barzaley’s recent solo projects. To the extend that I am familiar with it, Clem Snide’s earlier work certainly is interesting, but as his music has gotten quieter (with the solo project and the new album) it also seems a a bit less inventive. Before I go on, let’s be clear here this is not exactly experimental music. Clem Snide will not be confused with Wolf Parade or Xavier Rudd. This is singer songwriter indie rock which lately has been delivered with an acoustic flair. Last night’s show, though driven by a left handed Gibson SG (is there really such a thing?), reflected the recent trend.
Though the band displayed a clear interest in the music and brought sincere energy to the show, they were bound by the limits of the songs they were playing which, while certainly not drone, almost carried on as such. After several tracks the backing band (drums & bass) left the stage and Eff went through three or four songs himself, none of which left much of an impact. By now the clock had passed the witching hour and the crowd had waned considerably. When the band returned to the stage, they didn’t seem able to recapture the energy of the earlier set and that’s when this crowd member made his obligatory run past the merch table but left empty handed and just a little bit disappointed.
