So I went to Las Vegas for a conference two days this week (my first time there) and while standing around the bar at the end of the day yesterday one of the guys I had met says, "New Order is playing tonight at the Cosmopolitan Casino pool; I'm talking to this guy who says he can get me tickets."
And BAM! Two hours later six of us are at the Cosmopolitan pool; Johnny Marr is the opening act. Best goddam dance party I have been to in DECADES!
The pix from my phone are kinda crappy; when my buddy emails me his pix I'll post some here, to make you all insanely jealous.
Sue U wrote:So I went to Las Vegas for a conference two days this week (my first time there) and while standing around the bar at the end of the day yesterday one of the guys I had met says, "New Order is playing tonight at the Cosmopolitan Casino pool; I'm talking to this guy who says he can get me tickets."
And BAM! Two hours later six of us are at the Cosmopolitan pool; Johnny Marr is the opening act. Best goddam dance party I have been to in DECADES!
The pix from my phone are kinda crappy; when my buddy emails me his pix I'll post some here, to make you all insanely jealous.
I love NO and JD and The Smiths, I'm seriously envious.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Lord Jim wrote:I never heard of Johnny Marr either, but I didn't want to be accused of being a Philistine....
You love him Jim!! I thought this was your fave song? (he's on guitar)
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Nochella, April 11: Dance party on Strip, downtown with New Order and Purity Ring
Bernard Sumner, left, and Tom Chapman of New Order at The Cosmopolitan (COURTESY PHOTO: ERIK KABIK)
Purity Ring at Beauty Bar (PHOTO: MAX PLENKE)
by MIKE PREVATT and MAX PLENKE
The Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan became The Hacienda last night during New Order and Johnny Marr's capacity show.
Well, almost. No one will ever properly recreate the energy and mojo of that famous Manchester, England club -- probably because of the fervor its resident bands caused back then, and probably because Ecstasy was better back then (or so I hear). And the very Gen X crowd at the Cosmo showed their age moreso than the members of New Order themselves, who pounded out one classic post-punk dance anthem after another, singer/guitarist Bernard Sumner even dancing around (if awkwardly) while singing (maybe mumbling) 1993 single "World" (The Price of Love)" and 1986's synth-pop chestnut "Bizarre Love Triangle."
And yet, the outdoor vibe of the Boulevard Pool and the surrounding Strip icons rarely disappoints, and when you mixed that with the band's able instrumentation and the infectious joy of its songs, it made for a pretty special evening -- though, frankly, the songs tipped it. The nostalgia-stoking "Regret" inspired a singalong; the extra loop and hammering kickdrum ramped up the boogie factor during "True Faith"; and I don't think I've ever felt the euphoria of set-closer "Temptation" like I did last night. And what a capper: A three-song, exclusively Joy Division encore, including an epic "Transmission."
New Order's decades-spanning catalog meant no classic was missed. In fact, the only thing missing was bassist Peter Hook -- and, frankly speaking, his replacement Tom Chapman ain't bad. He occasionally underplayed the elasticity of those bottom-end melodies, or seemed off on the bass tone -- or, conversely, nailed his lines as such that if you had closed your eyes, you might have thought Hooky was up there. He'll do until Sumner and Hook sort their drama out.
Fellow Mancunian Johnny Marr, looking as dapper as ever, opened with an hourlong set that focused on his worthwhile new solo album, but the cheers mostly came during his Smiths covers ("There is a Light That Never Goes Out," "How Soon is Now," the latter being less epic but better technically executed than the version his former bandmate Morrissey has been playing), a random go at "I Fought the Law" (Marr and his bandmates may be the best-dressed group to ever play that song), and a version of "Getting Away With It," which he crafted with Sumner as Electronic -- and that was a wasted chance at a mini-reunion moment. Maybe they'll save that for Coachella, or maybe those halcyon Manchester days are long over.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Nochella, April 11: Dance party on Strip, downtown with New Order and Purity Ring
Bernard Sumner, left, and Tom Chapman of New Order at The Cosmopolitan (COURTESY PHOTO: ERIK KABIK)
Purity Ring at Beauty Bar (PHOTO: MAX PLENKE)
by MIKE PREVATT and MAX PLENKE
The Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan became The Hacienda last night during New Order and Johnny Marr's capacity show.
Well, almost. No one will ever properly recreate the energy and mojo of that famous Manchester, England club -- probably because of the fervor its resident bands caused back then, and probably because Ecstasy was better back then (or so I hear). And the very Gen X crowd at the Cosmo showed their age moreso than the members of New Order themselves, who pounded out one classic post-punk dance anthem after another, singer/guitarist Bernard Sumner even dancing around (if awkwardly) while singing (maybe mumbling) 1993 single "World" (The Price of Love)" and 1986's synth-pop chestnut "Bizarre Love Triangle."
And yet, the outdoor vibe of the Boulevard Pool and the surrounding Strip icons rarely disappoints, and when you mixed that with the band's able instrumentation and the infectious joy of its songs, it made for a pretty special evening -- though, frankly, the songs tipped it. The nostalgia-stoking "Regret" inspired a singalong; the extra loop and hammering kickdrum ramped up the boogie factor during "True Faith"; and I don't think I've ever felt the euphoria of set-closer "Temptation" like I did last night. And what a capper: A three-song, exclusively Joy Division encore, including an epic "Transmission."
New Order's decades-spanning catalog meant no classic was missed. In fact, the only thing missing was bassist Peter Hook -- and, frankly speaking, his replacement Tom Chapman ain't bad. He occasionally underplayed the elasticity of those bottom-end melodies, or seemed off on the bass tone -- or, conversely, nailed his lines as such that if you had closed your eyes, you might have thought Hooky was up there. He'll do until Sumner and Hook sort their drama out.
Fellow Mancunian Johnny Marr, looking as dapper as ever, opened with an hourlong set that focused on his worthwhile new solo album, but the cheers mostly came during his Smiths covers ("There is a Light That Never Goes Out," "How Soon is Now," the latter being less epic but better technically executed than the version his former bandmate Morrissey has been playing), a random go at "I Fought the Law" (Marr and his bandmates may be the best-dressed group to ever play that song), and a version of "Getting Away With It," which he crafted with Sumner as Electronic -- and that was a wasted chance at a mini-reunion moment. Maybe they'll save that for Coachella, or maybe those halcyon Manchester days are long over.
I have to say, Marr's "I Fought The Law" was about the smoothest silkiest shiniest version of that song I ever heard.
Sounds like a ton of fun (although the GenX comment is making me laugh)!!
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké
