Across the Narrows and $65 Later...

So Sunday the second of the month, I spent the evening in Coney Island at a concert. I couldn't afford to go to more than one day, so I decided to go to the Beck/Belle & Sebastian/et al show. As cameras were discouraged at the event, and as I didn't have the balls to pretend to be Media, I don't have any shots of the show, though I would have really liked to add them to the collection.

Originally I thought I'd like to see the whole day's worth, maybe sit back and relax on a blanket or in the stands on the nice plastic seats during the first few bands. But an unfortunate hangover and some necessary sleeping in were in order instead. A good friend from way back was in town for both Brooklyn shows, and I decided to hit Smith Street in Cobble Hill with him and his girlfriend (along with my roommate, her date and my ladyfriend) pretty hard, stopping at the Gowanus Yacht Club before it closed for the season.

So I was hoping to see from the Ravonettes to Beck, getting a beer during the Polyphonic Spree, and then being pumped up for the real reason I attended the show: Belle & Sebastian. It seems like they're so rarely in the States that I had to take advantage of the occasion, despite my lack of enthusiasm for concerts and my lukewarm feelings towards the rest of the bill.

Things didn't work as planned, and it was not until the middle (I think - it's hard to tell with the length of the songs) of the Poly. Spree set that I arrived (I watched the Yankees game while waiting for the hour and a half trip my friend took from Bushwick to Park Slope to meet me). But I was pleasantly surprised by their showmanship and stage presence, as well as the energy with which a billion people on a stage can emit. Plus they had bubble machines set up (heads up: do not eat the bubbles; soap tastes like shit and is hell on the lungs). So despite singing about the sun repeatedly, plugging the fact that they did the music to "Thumbsucker" (it was pointed out to me that it was likely they could really use the money) and generally being fairly hippie-esq, I enjoyed their set.

Positioning myself for B&S, I was excited to be maybe ten kids deep into the crowd. They came on late, their set was plagued with difficulties (mics not working, apparently forgetting words, etc.), and there were long stretches of time between songs - but I enjoyed every second of it. And they're not what I pictured, despite seeing selected pictures of the band.

By the time Beck came to the Stage, my legs were killing me and the crowd had bunched together so that making one's way through in any direction was nearly impossible. I wasn't too familiar with much of Beck's music, but the show was fun and the set nice and tight. The whole band had a lot of movement and pretty good showmanship to boot. I was much more impressed then I thought I'd be.

It was fun. And I didn't get home as late as I thought I would. Concerts can be pretty fun.