Kip and I saw the Residents
last night at the Crystal Ballroom with Charles, Sarah and Brad—the tickets actually came from Brad as part of my payment for some design work I ’m doing for him.

Personally, I couldn’t think of a better group to see on All Souls’ Day, especially since this was the Residents’ Demons Dance Alone tour.

Thanks to Brad and Charles, we ended up right in front of the stage, which was draped in camouflage netting and accented with sand bags and rough hewn posts. Right on schedule the band—also draped in camouflage netting— shuffled, minced and limped on stage carrying lanterns that they hung about the set.

After the overture, the two singers, one female, one male, appeared. Both had large rubberband “hair” pieces, expressive rubber masks and were dressed in generic camo patterned outfits—his a tux, hers a short skirt dress with falsies sewn in that resembled two extra large paper cones, giving her a body built for spasmatic fits. They were soon joined by the demon from the cover of the album that this tour is named for. He wielded hand held spotlights with great effect and continuously insisted on doing obscene things with a trumpet.

I thought the music and performance was wonderful. I had a much lower opinion of the space and general crowd. Most people there didn’t seem to get that it was a theatre piece and that shouting requests would do no good. Not to mention the appreciative catcalling and raucous applause between movements. But I do think that the space gave the wrong cue as to what this show was. As much as I adore the Crystal Ballroom, Demons Dance Alone belonged in a more cabaret atmosphere, like Dante’s or at least in a proper theater like the Aladdin.

Still, great show and one definitely worth catching if you can. The masks alone are worth it.