Yet another concert with plenty of homosexual overtones....I feel as if this is becoming a trend in my life, but I'm not surprised at all. Jake Shears, Ana Matronic, and the rest of the Scissor Sisters gang made their way to Houston this past Monday on their Night Work tour. The last time Scissor Sisters performed in Houston, they served as the opening act for Lady Gaga in 2010. As much as I love them, I had no intention of shelling out the bucks for that show. Surprisingly, the crowd was more mixed than I expected, and it appeared to be a somewhat older as compared to the Robyn concert in February. I was a bit disappointed with the attendance. The $35.00 price tag might have turned away some concertgoers, but let's be honest; how much does a typical gay spend during a night at the gay bars? Nonetheless, there was enough of an audience to allow for a colorful experience. With some of the outfits people were sporting, you could tell they were more than ready for a show. At the top of my list of fashions was a certain fellow in a skin-tight, latex police officer get up. I can only imagine how much he was probably sweating. I thought about wearing my new black pumps, but I would have been bitching the entire night. Girl, I've got to learn to walk in heels before I can dance in them. I have a new found respect for women. Heels might be cute and all, but damn...they are fucking painful.
With only a DJ as an opening act, there wasn't much of a delay after the scheduled 9:00 pm show time. As the vodka, club remixes, and stage fog circulated through my system, the only two thoughts in my head were 1) let's get this show on the road, and 2) how revealing will Jake Shears' outfit be? At about 9:30 pm, the lights dimmed as the backing band entered the stage. The tension was quickly building as we waited for Shears and Ana Matronic to make an appearance. Finally, the vocal duo made an in-your-face entrance on to the stage in coordinating outfits. I don't think I have to go into detail about Shears' magnificent body. All I can say is that he's even more beautiful in person, and I don't think one person in Warehouse Live, gay or straight, would disagree with that statement.
The nearly two hour set fired up with their title track, "Night Work", and the dance party was already at full speed. With the constant audience interaction and confetti, there was no time to be distracted by anything else. During one song, Ana Matronic requested that everyone put they're "fucking cameras and cell phones" away for it's duration. It's quite easy to become obsessive when taking pictures and videos during a concert, and I myself have been guilty of this concert OCD. That gave me three and a half minutes to not think about taking pictures, tweeting, or text messaging. It wasn't easy.
The setlist consisted of eighteen tracks with plenty of interspersed banter to keep me thoroughly entertained. She even mentioned The Menil (which is one of my favorite art museums in Houston). Naturally, they performed more tracks from their latest album, but there was still a good mix of earlier works. During the encore, Shears crooned a very intimate, stripped down version of "Sex and Violence". That was definitely a highlight for me. Both Shears and Ana Matronic showcased there true vocal talent with several solos throughout the night. Other favorites included "Filthy/Gorgeous", "Invisible Light", "Tits On The Radio", "Any Which Way", "Take Your Mama", and "Laura". As a result, sing-a-longs were inevitable and welcomed by the band. This explains why I was so soft spoken the next day. Check out the full setlist here. As much as I wish "Mary" would have been on the roster, the fact that it wasn't didn't tarnish the experience.
Being my first live Scissor Sisters concert, I had certain expectations of quality, energy, danceability, and personality. They certainly made the mark on all parameters. Each "sister" even had three or more costume changes. Luckily, Shears revealed an ample amount of skin each time. The magnetic chemistry between every member of the band was undeniable. Once the final note was sung, I was still on a music high until the next morning. I was also reeling from $1.00 post-concert wells at Cecil's Pub. Afterwards, I dreamt that I tattooed the Scissor Sisters symbol on my side. Is it bad that I don't think it's a terrible idea?
All-in-all, it was simply a fun, engaging, and occasionally raunchy show. It was impossible to leave Warehouse Live without a smile from ear to ear.
P.S. I tweeted Scissor Sisters enough for them to follow me. That's not creepy, right?
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