Beck Takes the Stage
with Le Tigre and TV Sheriff
July18, 2005
Bill Graham Civic Center, San Francisco
By Margaret Pitcher
Photo by David Vann

The show had sold out only hours before the doors opened – either the venue was considerably larger than those Beck has played in the Bay Area (it sure seemed as if 10,000 people were there) or folks went directly to the box office on the day of show to avoid outrageous service charges on top of a spendy ticket (as my friend had done that afternoon). Lucky for her she wasn't one of the forlorn souls looking for an extra, as by 8 o'clock that was one tough ticket.

Inside Le Tigre was performing abbreviated pop-punk songs while bright, simple images and words flashed on a large screen above the stage. Never having seen them, I was a bit surprised to learn that they don't really play instruments. A guitar now and then, but mainly synchronized stage dancing and girlish vocals shouted out to the audience. Made me feel good to be a girl. We missed TV Sheriff, a "video band" that remixes TV shows with DJs, MCs and their own original material. A common thread amongst Beck openers: their focus on presentation and their flair for the dramatic and the downright silly.

Beck's set was long on stage antics, with one of his half-dozen stage buddies careening around in various crazy get-ups, looking like a lanky dude cheerleader and jumping around at the front of the stage to rouse the already rowdy audience. This left Beck more room to actually play some instruments: acoustic and electric guitar, banjo, the harmonium, even a bit of drums at the end. A refreshing change of pace from previous Beck shows, especially since the guy is a bona-fide multi-instrumentalist. Though in a moment of irony Beck lifted his hands from his banjo during the speedy riff in "Sexx Laws," letting the sampling do its thing.

The antics and the screen projections didn't detract from the music, and in fact at one time it took me a moment to realize that the table setting jam projected in a bird's-eye view on screen – with guys tapping their forks and what-not against plates, bowls and glassware – was in fact taking place on stage. Nicely done.

The show was also wide in scope with Beck drawing, as he always does, from a range of his albums. He alternated tracks from Sea Change, Midnite Vultures, Mutations, Odelay and Mellow Gold while exhibiting his newest release Guero (which in itself is somewhat of a hybrid of Midnite Vultures and Odelay). The medley which is par for the course of a Beck show came on early and was thankfully pretty brief – they're great songs, why doesn't he just play them all the way through! Radio-friendly tunes from the new album - including "Summer Girl," "Black Tambourine" and "E-Pro" – were lively and very enjoyable, as were the uber-crowd pleasers such as "Loser" and "Where It's At." Beck brought out a few tracks - "Lost Cause" and "The Golden Age" among them - from Sea Change, his introspective paean to break-ups and life changes. Played live the songs were powerful more than mellow, quieting down the audience and drawing them into the emotion behind the words. Which was no small feat given the number of youngsters on the dance floor flailing and "whoooo"-ing, as if they themselves were the attraction, during the more high-energy numbers.

The set flowed well, with the band alternately tearing it up and then bringing it down with a plaintive "Nobody's Fault But My Own" from Beck's much-beloved (by me that is) release Mutations, then lightening the mood with a very funny "Debra" featuring a solo Beck on acoustic guitar. Although he can look and act the part of the rock-pop star, his more vulnerable side showed through and at moments that were perhaps not intentional. At the close of the show, while Beck took a turn on drums, he clapped the sticks in the air and did a kinda Motown-like "Yeaaaahhhh" at the kit, then sauntered to the front of the stage for a few more "Yeaaaahhhh"s where it sounded like his voice was gonna crack. Most of the time I'm in awe and appreciation of his talent and originality. And every once in a while, as my friend likes to say, you want to pull the guy aside and fix him a bowl of soup.

No final encore, but the show seemed to run a little longer than the usual Beck set. Overall a very solid, very fun show that left my tired self much energized as we headed out of the Bill Graham Civic Center and across the street for a nightcap. Good times, good times.