Bohemian Like You

The Dandy Warhols - Courtney
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

I first became aware of The Dandy Warhols in 1997 when their David LaChapelle-directed video for "Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth" got some minor rotation on MTV. I bought "Come Down," their major label debut, and have enjoyed their drug-addled tunes ever since.
The Portland-based Dandys played a tiny club in SLC last night, which might seem odd to them since, even though their success State-side has been moderate, at best, they've scored numerous top-ten hits across Europe and Australia. I was just happy to finally get to see them.

The Dandy Warhols - Zia
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

The opening band was "The Out Crowd" who sounded like they came in a time machine from 1968. They sounded pretty good, and if they came back through, I'd probably go see them again.
But back to the Dandys. Their first two albums were filled with 60s-tinged garage rock covering everything from drugs to God to vegan cooking to hedonism. When garage rock became en vogue, their third album infused a little new wave. When new wave became the trend, their fourth, and newest album was a throw back to "Exile on Main Streeet." The thing about any Dandys album is that there are bound to be some tracks that, well, stink. But the ones that don't totally make up for it, and the big picture is one I totally appreciate.
Luckily, last night, they stuck to their more upbeat, rock tracks. Courtney Taylor-Taylor had his unmistakable, cocky sneer as he crooned out "We Used To Be Friends" and "You Were The Last High." Zia McCabe was her usual bouyant self, providing keyboards, bass, and back-up vocals on "Boys Better" and "Smoke It." And during their show, they don't use big spotlights and effects. The only lighting, aside from a strobe here and there, consisted of projections of old movies and instructional videos from the mid-20th century. It made for a very interesting effect, and probably was a total trip for all the stoners in the crowd. And since we're coming up on Christmas, they closed with a tripped-out version of "The Little Drummer Boy." How adorably appropriate!

The Dandy Warhols
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

I still haven't had a bad time at a show since I've been in Utah, and this was no exception. Even though this idiot climbed over me right before the Dandys played and acted a fool the whole time and kept taking off his shirt and elbowing me in the face (that's his fist in front of the trumpet player in this picture - ugh!), I still managed to enjoy the show and even bought a t-shirt.
Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention: there's a documentary out there called DiG! (Winner of the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival) which chronicles the rise to fame of The Dandy Warhols and the fizzle of their contemporaries/rivals The Brian Jonestown Massacre, led by Anton Newcombe. The two bands start off as friends, but as the Dandys begin to taste some success and the BJM taste nothing, there begins to develop some animosity. A lot of people really hate the Dandys because, among other things, Anton and the BJM are, in many ways, a superior band, and the Dandys are thought of as kind of a sell-out. The documentary isn't really flattering for either band due to flashy egos and some serious drug use. Regardless, it's an interesting film and you might want to pick it up next time you see it at your local video rental store or on Currt-Dawg's shelf.