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JANUARY 23, 2011
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH
LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS
Michael Giltz
Freelance writer and raconteur
Posted: January 21, 2011 04:20 PM
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0Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyMusic: Mavis Staples Shines, Fitz &
Tantrums Party
Read More: Daryl Hall , Fitz & The Tantrums , Fitz And The Tantrums , Gospel , James Hunter , Jeff Tweedy ,
Joe Jackson , Mavis Staples , Music , Paul Weller , Soul , Wilco , Entertainment News
Two soul-inflected concerts this week to catch you up
on.
MAVIS STAPLES *** out of ****
Bell House in Brooklyn
Mavis Staples has been testifying to the power of music
(and the Lord) for about six decades now. Like many
legends, seeing her in concert is as much a ritual as a
performance. She opens with a gospel number, tosses inone or two new tunes, chats amiably with the audience
by telling the same jokes but making them sound fresh,
brings in The Band's classic "The Weight" to turn thingsup and does an extended version of "I'll Take You
There." She even tells the classic anecdote about the very first song that Pop Staples taught to his
children after being disgusted with the no-shows at rehearsal for his gospel group. That first song? "Will
The Circle Be Unbroken." Will she sing it? Yes, of course she will.
The crowd at the sold-out show in Brooklyn ate it up, perhaps since many of them were seeing Staples in
concert for the first time. Her every reference to Jeff Tweedy (who oversaw her latest album, one of themost acclaimed of the year and gave Staples a lovely new standard wit the title track "You Are Not
Alone") was greeted with applause. Calling him a funny little thing pleased them even more.
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It was an enthusiastic crowd but they didn't quite feel the gospel numbers in their bones; yes, they hooted
and made some embarrassing (if sincere) stabs at some "amens" and "uh-huhs." So the show never
transcended, the way Staples can. But she certainly is a pro and her band was so tight that when they
gave her a rest by performing not one but two instrumental numbers (including "Sometimes I Feel LikeA Motherless Child") it wasn't just filler and the crowd would have happily listened to more. It helpedthat Staples was sitting in a chair onstage next to her sister, smiling and raising her hands when the
spirit moved her. Even on a routine night in the middle of the week, Staples might not have won any
souls over (this was a tough, secular New York crowd after all) but she certainly won a few new fans whohaven't even seen her at her best yet.
FITZ & THE TANTRUMS *** out of ****
Bowery BallroomIt's the early 60s in the music scene and I don't just mean the classic soul leaning and natty clothes of
Fitz & The Tantrums . I mean that album sales are sliding but bands are bursting with talent and live
music matters as much as it has in years. Look at the steadily growing success of this group, which in
about a year has gone from a showcase at Joe's Pub to a sold out show at Mercury Lounge to a sold out
show at Bowery Ballroom, with fans growing increasingly fanatic at every turn. They shimmied, theyshaked, they got down on the floor when commanded to (and heck, I'd do just about anything backup
singer Noelle Scaggs told me to do). Their handclapping could use a little improvement but that'll come
with practice. What's next for the band? A sold out show at Irving Plaza and then the Beacon, I assume.
They definitely put on a tight, satisfying show that outshines their fine full-length debut, which boasts
tunes like the title track "Pickin' Up The Pieces" and "Breakin' The Chains Of Love." It's not quite a retrosound -- the conspicuous lack of guitar (which bores frontman Fitz) is one sign, as is their repeated nodsto Eighties pop like Hall & Oates and Eurythmics.
So while the band is much stronger in person, the same can't be said of Fitz and his songs. His voice isok, but not a patch on, say, Daryl Hall (which he can vaguely resemble at times) or Sharon Jones. And
the tunes show their lack of versatility heard back to back. One song is called "6 A.M." and the next tune
they performed began "Woke up at 6 am". And another song is called "Wake Up." You get the idea. The
1 of 5
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Nicki Minaj's
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Hair (PHOTOS)
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vaguely socially conscious numbers were especially thin. The highlight? Their workout on "Sweet Dreams
(Are Made Of This)."
So a few conflicting emotions here. The band was a lot of fun and Fitz is definitely a showman. (He even
gave a shout out to his dad and mom sitting in the balcony, who spent much of the concert using theircell phone to take pictures, just like the other fans.) Definitely check them out in concert for a good time.
And while new numbers sounded very much in the same vein, it will be interesting to see where Fitz goes
from here in an album or two. I have the vague impression he could go in a number of different musical
directions and isn't wedded to a classic soul vibe. Joe Jackson, Paul Weller, even Kevin Rowland of Dexys
Midnight Runners could be a better hint of where he's at musically than say, James Hunter who is blue
eyed soul through and through. Fitz might go in a pop or rock or some other thoroughly unexpected
direction; I just get the impression his musical tastes will wander far. With great musicians by his sideand a growing fanbase, people are gonna talk no matter where he heads.
*****
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox, a weekly pop culture podcast that
reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinionmakers as guests. It's available free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog.
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also
available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and
reviews .
NOTE : Michael Giltz was provided with free tickets to the concerts with the understanding that he
would write a review.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
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FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH
LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS
Michael Giltz
Freelance writer and raconteur
Posted: January 21, 2011 04:20 PM
BIO
Become a Fan
Get Email Alerts
Bloggers' Index
1
5
0
0Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyMusic: Mavis Staples Shines, Fitz &
Tantrums Party
Read More: Daryl Hall , Fitz & The Tantrums , Fitz And The Tantrums , Gospel , James Hunter , Jeff Tweedy ,
Joe Jackson , Mavis Staples , Music , Paul Weller , Soul , Wilco , Entertainment News
Two soul-inflected concerts this week to catch you up
on.
MAVIS STAPLES *** out of ****
Bell House in Brooklyn
Mavis Staples has been testifying to the power of music
(and the Lord) for about six decades now. Like many
legends, seeing her in concert is as much a ritual as a
performance. She opens with a gospel number, tosses inone or two new tunes, chats amiably with the audience
by telling the same jokes but making them sound fresh,
brings in The Band's classic "The Weight" to turn thingsup and does an extended version of "I'll Take You
There." She even tells the classic anecdote about the very first song that Pop Staples taught to his
children after being disgusted with the no-shows at rehearsal for his gospel group. That first song? "Will
The Circle Be Unbroken." Will she sing it? Yes, of course she will.
The crowd at the sold-out show in Brooklyn ate it up, perhaps since many of them were seeing Staples in
concert for the first time. Her every reference to Jeff Tweedy (who oversaw her latest album, one of themost acclaimed of the year and gave Staples a lovely new standard wit the title track "You Are Not
Alone") was greeted with applause. Calling him a funny little thing pleased them even more.
MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST
1 of 2FOLLOW HUFFINGTON POST
BIG NEWS: James Franco | Movies | Rihanna | George Clooney | Energy Debates | More...
FINAL COUNTDOWN
Maddow, Bill Maher React
To Olbermann's MSNBC
Exit
Oprah To Reveal Huge
Family Secret Monday
Raoul Felder On Celebrity
Splits, Divorce News Of
The Day
Howard Fineman: 'Loss Of
Steam' In GOP Health Care
Repeal Efforts
Signs That Your 'Loving
Relationship' May Be An
Addiction
Professor Targeted By
Beck Gets Death Threats
Michelle Bombshell To KatLOG IN | SIGN UP
SHARE THIS STORY
Submit this story
Get Entertainment Alerts
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Like 18K
Like 912
Like 892
Like 72
Like 145
Like 527
Recommend 3K
It was an enthusiastic crowd but they didn't quite feel the gospel numbers in their bones; yes, they hooted
and made some embarrassing (if sincere) stabs at some "amens" and "uh-huhs." So the show never
transcended, the way Staples can. But she certainly is a pro and her band was so tight that when they
gave her a rest by performing not one but two instrumental numbers (including "Sometimes I Feel LikeA Motherless Child") it wasn't just filler and the crowd would have happily listened to more. It helpedthat Staples was sitting in a chair onstage next to her sister, smiling and raising her hands when the
spirit moved her. Even on a routine night in the middle of the week, Staples might not have won any
souls over (this was a tough, secular New York crowd after all) but she certainly won a few new fans whohaven't even seen her at her best yet.
FITZ & THE TANTRUMS *** out of ****
Bowery BallroomIt's the early 60s in the music scene and I don't just mean the classic soul leaning and natty clothes of
Fitz & The Tantrums . I mean that album sales are sliding but bands are bursting with talent and live
music matters as much as it has in years. Look at the steadily growing success of this group, which in
about a year has gone from a showcase at Joe's Pub to a sold out show at Mercury Lounge to a sold out
show at Bowery Ballroom, with fans growing increasingly fanatic at every turn. They shimmied, theyshaked, they got down on the floor when commanded to (and heck, I'd do just about anything backup
singer Noelle Scaggs told me to do). Their handclapping could use a little improvement but that'll come
with practice. What's next for the band? A sold out show at Irving Plaza and then the Beacon, I assume.
They definitely put on a tight, satisfying show that outshines their fine full-length debut, which boasts
tunes like the title track "Pickin' Up The Pieces" and "Breakin' The Chains Of Love." It's not quite a retrosound -- the conspicuous lack of guitar (which bores frontman Fitz) is one sign, as is their repeated nodsto Eighties pop like Hall & Oates and Eurythmics.
So while the band is much stronger in person, the same can't be said of Fitz and his songs. His voice isok, but not a patch on, say, Daryl Hall (which he can vaguely resemble at times) or Sharon Jones. And
the tunes show their lack of versatility heard back to back. One song is called "6 A.M." and the next tune
they performed began "Woke up at 6 am". And another song is called "Wake Up." You get the idea. The
1 of 5
Harry Shearer
The President’s Panacea for
Business Regs: The Cost-Benefit
Ratio
Sec. Kathleen Sebelius
Health Care Repeal Will Raise
Costs for FamiliesDON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS
HOT TRENDS
ashton kutcher jennifer
aniston rehab kourtney
kardashian natalie
portman pregnant nicki
minaj Von D: He WILL Cheat On
You
New Scam Spreads Like
Wildfire On Facebook
More Celebrity News at People.com
More Celebrity News at Popeater.com
Like 114
Like 32K
Suspect in 1987 Infant
Kidnapping Surrenders
READ MORE
John Travolta's BabyBenjamin: Youngest Copilot
Ever?
READ MORE
Heidi Klum's Latest Project:
Her Own Fragrance!
READ MORE
What Is Oprah Winfrey'sBig Secret?
Why Do 'The Bachelor'
Ladies Already Love Brad?
Major Designer Disses First
Lady's Fashion
Matthew Perry &
Matt LeBlanc's
Onscreen Love...
MTV's 'Skins' Airs
Teen Lesbian Love
Scene...
Elton John, 'Glee'
Star Matthew
Morrison Duet
Nicki Minaj's
CAMOUFLAGE
Hair (PHOTOS)
Comments 0 Pending Comments 0View FAQ
vaguely socially conscious numbers were especially thin. The highlight? Their workout on "Sweet Dreams
(Are Made Of This)."
So a few conflicting emotions here. The band was a lot of fun and Fitz is definitely a showman. (He even
gave a shout out to his dad and mom sitting in the balcony, who spent much of the concert using theircell phone to take pictures, just like the other fans.) Definitely check them out in concert for a good time.
And while new numbers sounded very much in the same vein, it will be interesting to see where Fitz goes
from here in an album or two. I have the vague impression he could go in a number of different musical
directions and isn't wedded to a classic soul vibe. Joe Jackson, Paul Weller, even Kevin Rowland of Dexys
Midnight Runners could be a better hint of where he's at musically than say, James Hunter who is blue
eyed soul through and through. Fitz might go in a pop or rock or some other thoroughly unexpected
direction; I just get the impression his musical tastes will wander far. With great musicians by his sideand a growing fanbase, people are gonna talk no matter where he heads.
*****
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox, a weekly pop culture podcast that
reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinionmakers as guests. It's available free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog.
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also
available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and
reviews .
NOTE : Michael Giltz was provided with free tickets to the concerts with the understanding that he
would write a review.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
More in Entertainment...TOP VIDEO PICKS
1 of 8
Oprah's Big Secret
Sacha Baron Cohen Takes
on Saddam Hussein
Megan Fox Strips Downfor Armani
MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW
HOT ON FACEBOOK
HOT ON TWITTER
NFL
Kindle
HIV/AIDS
The West
Homelessness
Education
Israel
NBA
Predict the
NewsHUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
Recency | PopularityLogin or connect with:
More Login Options
Post to Facebook.
Post to Blogger.
Post to Twitter.
Post to WordPress.
Post to TypePad.
Post to Tumblr.To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the
comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly
underneath the comment you replied to.
Share your Comment:
Post Comment
Preview Comment
View All
WATCH: MTV's 'Skins'
Airs Teen Lesbian Love
Scene
831 Comments
Olbermann Headed To
Hollywood?
463 Comments
Jason Mraz Wants Gay
Marriage
201 Comments
Michelle Bombshell To
Kat Von D: He WILL Cheat
On You
710 Comments
Matthew Perry & Matt
LeBlanc's Onscreen Love
Triangle
77 Comments
Ashton Kutcher: Training,
Paranoid About Real Life
'End Of Days'
913 Comments
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES »
FOLLOW HUFFINGTON POST
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH
LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS
Advertise | Log In | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ | Contact Us
User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | Powered by Movable Type
Copyright © 2011 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved.