Little Joy, Jarvis Cocker Played Music Hall Of Williamsburg - Review, Setlist

Last Thursday night we managed to get out for a night in Brooklyn to catch up with Jarvis Cocker. The last time we caught JC's show it was at the Fillmore, and it certainly did not disappoint. Fresh off of a new record (and newly divorced) we had a guess that Cocker's performance might be even more saucy this time around, and boy were we right.

Little Joy opened the night with their full lineup; This included the on-hiatus Fabrizio Moretti who apparently managed to pencil in the time for this hometown gig. The band played a set that more or less drew upon their debut record, and (at least to our ears) seemed relatively par-for-the-course. Maybe it's because they were in an opening slot, or maybe it was just the vibe of the night, but it seemed that the band never quite hit their stride.

The main act was another story entirely: Cocker took to the stage and never let up for the duration of the set. On stage his band almost seemed frozen when compared to JC's frenetic movement from song to song. He is, most certainly, a showman at heart. Equal parts Bowie and vaudeville dancer, Cocker simply manages to have the crowd wrapped around his finger while he delivers his performance.

The set focused heavily on the new record, Further Complications, and it should be said that the songs hold up even better live than they do on the record. Some of the tunes that seem a bit simplistic or trite on the record really benefit from the energy and vigor infused by the live environment. In fact, the only weak point we could find in the set was the choice to close with the mellowed out "Discosong". After such an intense show, we would have rather seen Jarvis go out with a bang.

That being said, our conclusion is the same: If you ever have the opportunity you really must catch Jarvis Cocker in concert. His dynamic energy and showmanship is simply unparalleled in the world of music, and is a sight to be seen (and heard). While we weren't on camera duty on Thursday, we have to say that we think our lone cameraphone shot (above) illustrates the gig pretty well. Which is to say: a really, really, good time.

Jarvis Cocker Setlist
--
Angela
Further Complications
Leftovers
Slush
Big Julie
I Never Said I Was Deep
Homewrecker
Fat Children
Black Magic
--
Pilchard
Hold Still
Don't Let Him Waste Your Time
You're In My Eyes (Discosong)

Head to Brooklyn Vegan for some nice pics.

Little Joy Played The Independent - Pictures, Review

Short but sweet seem just the words to describe Little Joy's performance at the Independent on Wednesday night.  Although the sunny band was without Fabrizio Moretti (as he was off recording in New York), Rodrigo Amarante and Binki Shapiro, along with a few others, certainly delivered.  

Summery and bright are how this band is often described, and the description is certainly apt.   Amarante, also singer of band Los Hermanos, seemed to genuinely enjoy the SF crowd - his cheek -to- cheek grin was contagious to the crowd at the front - and his performance drew cheers and shouts from the very beginning.  

Amarante brought a bit of South American  charm into the set, when for the single song encore he delivered a song in Porteguese (We believe by Os Mutantes). Along with Shapiro, he effortlessly glided from one instrument to the other, all the while swigging a beer and looking like they were having a ball. 

With her sweetly disheveled hair and 60's california surfer girl look, Shapiro's smokey-tinged voice was both playful and delicate, and one can easily conjure up an image of her singing old standards and making them her own.  The ballad "Don't Watch Me Dancing" was easily a crowd favorite, with Amarante and the others joining in on backup.  

The set was short, as the band mostly played from their debut album; they did however perform a new song, completed only the previously day.  Still, without a doubt they proved that even Fab-less, Little Joy can deliver a night of killer, enjoyable music.

More photos at the HAD Archive

Contest: Tickets For Little Joy At The Independent

Well, we certainly hope you weren't on board just for some sort of Strokes fetish. Yes, despite the fact that Fab was called back to New York, Little Joy will continue on without him. As mentioned previously, the band will be delivering the awesomeness of their debut record at The Independent on June 3rd. Frankly, while we're sad to see Fab go, we have to admit we're pretty glad it will thin the crowd of all the fankids who weren't in it for the music. This is an awesome band, with some awesome tunes to deliver, celeb status be damned.

If you're of a similar mind, then we have quite a treat for you: in conjunction with The Independent and Another Planet Entertainment, we're giving away two pairs of tickets for the show. All you have to do to get entered in the drawing is answer one question for us, and send the answer to contests@hippiesaredead.com That question is: Rodrigo Amarante is in another band besides Little Joy - what is that band, and where are they from?

The contest will close at midnight on Sunday the 31st, so that we have time to get you all set for the show. Ready, set, go!

Little Joy Coming To Independent In June

By all accounts Little Joy's show at Great American last December was an awesome fun filled evening, and ever since we've been bummed that we missed it. Given that, we were psyched to see that the band has lined up a show at The Independent on June 3rd.

Apparently the band's live show is even looser and more mellow than the record's already super-chill sound. From most recollections, they're just a band that very clearly loves playing music, and has a blast the entire time they're on stage. You can't really argue with that, now can you?

While it seems likely that this show would be associated with a summer tour, there's no mention of one on the band's myspace page. Pay no mind - we'll take what we can get.

Tickets are on sale now.

mp3: Little Joy - How To Hang A Warhol

Reminder: Little Joy Is At Slim's Tonight

If you find yourself looking for a dose of Tuesday evening rock and roll (and you can deal with an all ages, probably crowd), well, look no further! Little Joy will be at Slim's this evening for the super price of $13! The band has been getting a lot of positive hype lately, and we here at HAD have been digging on their debut record quite a bit. Should be a great show, but if you need a taste before you buy, check out their latest video above. "No One's Better Sake" is definitely one of the record's more upbeat tracks, and the video is a dose of 60's throwback music video, complete with low res video and cheesy screen graphics. Remind you of anything? Just sayin'.

Little Joy Made Their Live Debut In New York, The New Record Is Choice

This week Little Joy has been steadily increasing their presence on the HAD radar screen: They made their live debut in New York to positive reviews, and we've started to really hunker down and listen to their record. Let us start by saying this: it gets better with each listen. The tunes at first seem pretty simple, but their melodies are effortlessly timeless and really stick with you.

Despite this, the songs' accessibilty does nothing to impede the solidity of the writing. There is a more chilled out undertone that suggests a jazz or lounge vibe, and the whole feel in general is one of restraint and good vibes. The more gentle approach is actually quite refreshing in the face of the fuzzed out sonics that are becoming more de rigeur with each passing day.

One thing that surprised us as we perused the liner notes was that it seems like Fabrizio Moretti seems to be really driving the project: he's playing all sorts of instruments, and also manages to snag the bulk of the songwriting credits. Maybe it's a no-brainer to think that a band as solid as The Strokes would be overflowing with talent to this degree, but we're still super impressed that Fab's drumming is just the tip of the iceberg.

In terms of the live show, like we said, it's getting positive reviews. The Modern Age was at the debut show, and shot the video you see above. Sounds like the band is benefiting from a slightly more fleshed out live lineup, and it looks like they're having a damn good time to boot!

As we mentioned previously, Little Joy is currently on tour and will be at Slim's December 9th for the final show of the tour.

Want To See The Strokes Live? Well, How About One Stroke? Little Joy's Coming To Slim's!

In our continued rumblings about the status of The Strokes, you may recall that one of the many side projects is drummer Fabrizio Moretti's band Little Joy. The band's new record came out Tuesday, and they are heading out on a nationwide tour starting tomorrow.

To our ears, the record sounds a bit like Walkmen-infused Strokes, with a touch of reggae and folkiness put in for good measure. Sure, that sounds insane, but listen and see if you don't agree. What's more, we'd be lying if we said that Rodrigo Amarante didn't remind us a bit of one Julian Casablancas on his more croony days.

The band will be returning to their California home base at the beginning of December, and we have the honor of hosting the last show of the tour right here in San Francisco at Slim's! Tickets go on-sale Sunday at 10 AM - get em while they're hot. Thanks to Music Induced Euphoria for the tip.

Little Joy Tour Dates:
Nov 7 2008 Station 4 St. Paul, Minnesota
Nov 8 2008 Subterranean Chicago, Illinois
Nov 9 2008 Magic Stick Detroit, Michigan
Nov 11 2008 Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Nov 12 2008 The Khyber Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nov 13 2008 Mercury Lounge New York, New York
Nov 14 2008 Maxwell’s Hoboken, New Jersey
Nov 15 2008 Wonder Bar Asbury Park, New Jersey
Nov 16 2008 TT the Bears Cambridge, Massachusetts
Nov 17 2008 Virgin Megastore (Union Square) In-Store Performance New York, New York
Nov 18 2008 Black Cat Backstage Washington D.C., Washington DC
Nov 20 2008 Atlanta Room at Smith’s Olde Bar Atlanta, Georgia
Nov 21 2008 Exit/In Nashville, Tennessee
Nov 22 2008 Duck Room at Blueberry Hill St. Louis, Missouri
Nov 24 2008 Jackpot Music Hall Lawrence, Kansas
Nov 25 2008 The Conservatory Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Nov 26 2008 The Lounge on Elm Street Dallas, Texas
Nov 28 2008 Warehouse Live Studio Houston, Texas
Nov 29 2008 The Parish Austin, Texas
Nov 30 2008 Cain’s Ballroom 2nd Stage Tulsa, Oklahoma
Dec 2 2008 Larimer Lounge Denver, Colorado
Dec 4 2008 Martini Ranch Scottsdale, Arizona
Dec 5 2008 House of Blues - 5th Street Side Stage San Diego, California
Dec 6 2008 Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, California
Dec 7 2008 Troubadour Los Angeles, California
Dec 9 2008 Slim’s San Francisco, California