My own lil' revolution: Jenny and Johnny/Pavement 09-19-10

Oh Williamsburg! Yet again you show me a wonderful time in your cool lil neighborhood. I went there with a purpose to be rocked and left with more then one new memory. Armed with some of my favorite people, we ventured Williamsburg with a few goals. Thanks to Free Williamsburg , I spent hours on their website finding some great spots to eat, drink, and just be cool. Walking around Williamsburg, a few things stick out here. First, the fashion. Oversized Cosby sweaters paired with high waisted cutoff jeans were all around. It was still a pretty warm day out, but the ladies of Williamsburg still worked it. 80's rompers and high hemlines are still present. With the boys relying on super snug jeans and mustaches, ya know..same old, same old. So with the fashion right in my face, I had to go to the source. This brings me to Beacon's Closet. My lovely cousin Jasper first took me here a few years back and I was not mentally prepared for such a place. At first glance, you could assume this place is full of clothes junk. Not too hard to find Target shirts, dresses, and shoes. BUT, I did find a vintage Diane Von Furstenberg silk wrap dress for under $50 bucks! Chances are, this dress is a counterfeit, my research would suggest it a good possibility. It's still a fun dress that fits nice and close with a great print. I'm happy with the purchase but a bit bummed that my diamond in the rough was really a cubic zirconia..sigh. It makes for a good story though. Right across the street is the Brooklyn Brewery. We had finished our shopping at Beacon's just in time to catch a free tour of the brewery. Beer there will cost you $4.00, but its a great accompaniment with the 30 minute history of this local brew. I had the pumpkin ale that did last me through the whole tour, which really only took us to one room. Sounds like the company is branching out and had bought more room, so in the future it might actually be more like a walking tour! Below is a picture of my friend Jen and I enjoying our pumpkin ale!

After the tour, it was off to the latest restaurant on Bedford called "The Bedford." What attracted me to this place was the free range, pasture fed local ingredients used in this yummy menu. We got there at an awkward time, after brunch/before dinner time so our choices were limited. Fortunately, it was all good! I had the mussels paired with a sparkling brut from California. The broth was quiet tasty, with a bit of heat balanced with a latin bacon. We didn't have a menu to select from, so the ingredients are still a mystery but tomato, fresh garlic and parsley, and pepper were definately present. Bread for sopping up the flavorful broth was a must and we were pretty jazzed when the waiter brought us out more to gather up every last drop..Thanks Ron! Here's a photo of my mussels.

With a belly full of good eats, we were finally ready to make our way to the show. We missed most of the opener's opener Endless Boogie. They were a local band that seemed to play a little bit of everything. They described themselves as a band that goes well with beer..So there you go. Didn't have to wait long for Jenny and Johnny. Jenny Lewis is a bit of a hero of mine. After fronting the every awesome Rilo Kiley and a couple of solo albums, she joins forces with her real life beau Jonathan Rice and make a charming musically baby titled "I'm having Fun Now." This album is like a sunny 1970's day at the beach in California. I enjoyed this pop-tastic album and was looking forward to finally see my musical hero in person. One thing working against Jenny and Johnny in Brooklyn was their audience. You may remember in a past blog I posted that New Yorkers do not get into opening acts. No one shows up for them. Everyone is eating or drinking during the opening acts. Jenny and Johnny opened strong with "Scissor Runner" but no one seemed to care. I'd have to say, after a few songs, I became one of them. It wasn't really until they played Jenny's "The Next Messiah," that I got back into the show. Sadly though, that was the last song of their brief set. Sorry Jenny and Johnny, but New Yorkers just aren't as sunny as Californians. This act was too light and happy to keep these New Yorkers entertained. Jenny did wear black though..Kudos for that.

Brought to my attention was a possible Gyllenhaal sibling sighting. If it was, Jake has himself quiet a beard going on and from a recent shot I found online, it looks like he is growing one for a movie part. Others in attendance, kids! I saw a lot of children under the age of 10 pretty stoked to be there. A quick set change and Pavement took the stage. For those who don't know this band, let me give you a quick rundown on what to expect at one of their shows. Pavement has been around and making influencal music since the early 90's. Those who know them love em, but unless you were listening to a college radio station around that time you may have missed them completely. The term "Indie Darlings" might have started off with Pavement. Not scared to poke fun of huge bands of the time, Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Temple Pilots, Pavement defined music to their exact specifications whether people enjoyed it or not. It's be considered by critics as a bit sloppy, but talented musicians. Got it?!

So back to the show...Right off the bat, "Cut Your Hair!" A great song to define Pavement in a nutshell, if you had to. A song about anti-conformity in the music world and 5,000 people know the words to this one. We are all singing it back to Pavement. Date with Ikea and By the Rush follow. Even from far away, I can tell that the band is having a good time. I have seen Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks (Stephen's other project after Pavement broke up) perform and he kinda always seems like his mind is somewhere else. Friends of mine who have seen his shows in the past have even thought he might of had a few too many before the show or just flat out didn't look like he wanted to be there. But not tonight, seen in this picture off the web, he's all smiles!

Fans were given 26 songs in this crazy fun set...Lucky us! Shady Lane and Range Life are my top two favs and made the cut from a very extensive catalog. Pavement would make the soundtrack to a time in my life when I first met some of my forever friends and for that a band that will be with me forever. A lot of sentimental feelings arose at that show and I missed a lot of you Sunday night! Anyway, here's the exact set list from the band, shortened versions of some songs.