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Setlist
Tour Dates
01/23/15 Vancouver, BC Rickshaw Theatre
01/24/15 Seattle, WA Neumos 01/25/15 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge 01/27/15 San Francisco, CA The Independent 01/28/15 West Hollywood, CA Roxy Theatre Read More
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American music fans will recognize Scotland’s the Vaselines as a band that got Kurt Cobain’s stamp of approval. In fact, Cobain once said that Frances McKee and Eugene Kelly were his favorite songwriters. By the time Nirvana covered three of their songs (“Son of a Gun,” “Molly’s Lips,” and, from Unplugged, “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam”) the Vaselines had long broken up and started other projects. For only releasing two EPs and one album, their influence is vast; you can trace so many indie rock bands back to the Vaselines’ lo-fi production and smart, simple melodies.
The band thankfully reformed in 2008 and fans the world over were finally able to enjoy those saucy folk songs live in concert as the band not only released new full length albums (2009’s Sex with an X and last year’s V for Vaselines) but decided to go out on tour. A stop at West Bank gem the Cedar Cultural Center proved that the Vaselines are still a musical force and a delight to watch - they’re also one of the funniest bands I’ve ever seen.
I found myself laughing at McKee and Kelly’s playful discourse as much as I was singing along.
That sly, tart wordplay of the Vaselines’ songs is all over the live show in the form of humorous observations and retorts from the bandmates to the crowd. For example, the band felt a little sheepish about the amount of swearing in their tunes (this was an all-age event and there were kids there - to which I say, right on parents!). When asked by her son why it felt good to curse and McKee responded, “Sometimes swears sound so good!” There was also an ongoing joke about McKee’s veganism that began when she mentioned receiving delicious vegan cheese from a fan earlier in the day. Kelly poked playfully at her, quipping, “Vegans are boring!”
As far as the music goes, the Vaselines sounded great. Filling out their loose-limbed, jangling sound was bassist Graeme Smillie, drummer Michael McGaughrin and guitarist Scott Paterson all of which looked like they were having the time of their lives. This was especially the case when McKee suggested they go “ZZ Top style” - meaning guitarists back-to-back during the solos. And so during “Bitch,” Kelly and Paterson leaned on each other whilst cranking out sweet solos. Not to be one-upped, McKee and Smillie pressed their backs together as they wailed through one of my favorite Vaselines tunes “Sex Sux (Amen).”
It was a solid collection of older tracks like “Oliver Twisted” and “Monsterp**sy” flawlessly wedged against wicked new ones like “The X in Sex,” “One Lost Year,” “High Tide Low Tide” and a shiveringly great performance of “The Devil’s Inside Me.” And, of course, there were the fantastic classics like “Son of a Gun,” the haunting “Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam” and the timeless romp “Molly’s Lips” that saw promising opener Amanda X (from Philadelphia) join the Vaselines onstage to sing and honk the bicycle horns.
Following the soaring pop mushroom cloud of “Son of a Gun,” the band exited the stage and no one was sure if the band would do an encore. But the Vaselines jumped back on stage and shot through a three song encore that included the swirling rocker “Dum-Dum.” As the band left for the final time, all members expressed their gratitude to the fans. Kelly emphatically blew oodles of kisses to the crowd before disappearing off stage.
Early in the set, McKee was lamenting the youthfulness and freshness of their tourmates Amanda X, calling the Vaselines “old and cynical” in comparison. I have no choice but to politely point out that while the Vaselines have nearly 30 years on their young cohorts and while they may have a salty attitude about the music industry in general (who doesn’t?), they are still wildly important and their music is very much needed. I think that the band sounds as vibrant as, I imagine, when they first started. McKee and Kelly’s chemistry is insane, both biting and loving, not unlike other musical pairings like John Doe and Exene Cervenka from X.
The Cedar gentleman who introduced the show, promised that this would be a gig to remember. I heartily agree; like their songs, the Vaselines are charming and sexy and have left me wanting more.
The band thankfully reformed in 2008 and fans the world over were finally able to enjoy those saucy folk songs live in concert as the band not only released new full length albums (2009’s Sex with an X and last year’s V for Vaselines) but decided to go out on tour. A stop at West Bank gem the Cedar Cultural Center proved that the Vaselines are still a musical force and a delight to watch - they’re also one of the funniest bands I’ve ever seen.
I found myself laughing at McKee and Kelly’s playful discourse as much as I was singing along.
That sly, tart wordplay of the Vaselines’ songs is all over the live show in the form of humorous observations and retorts from the bandmates to the crowd. For example, the band felt a little sheepish about the amount of swearing in their tunes (this was an all-age event and there were kids there - to which I say, right on parents!). When asked by her son why it felt good to curse and McKee responded, “Sometimes swears sound so good!” There was also an ongoing joke about McKee’s veganism that began when she mentioned receiving delicious vegan cheese from a fan earlier in the day. Kelly poked playfully at her, quipping, “Vegans are boring!”
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ZZ Top style
photo by Amy
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It was a solid collection of older tracks like “Oliver Twisted” and “Monsterp**sy” flawlessly wedged against wicked new ones like “The X in Sex,” “One Lost Year,” “High Tide Low Tide” and a shiveringly great performance of “The Devil’s Inside Me.” And, of course, there were the fantastic classics like “Son of a Gun,” the haunting “Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam” and the timeless romp “Molly’s Lips” that saw promising opener Amanda X (from Philadelphia) join the Vaselines onstage to sing and honk the bicycle horns.
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Setlist
photo by Amy
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Amanda X
photo by Amy
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The Cedar gentleman who introduced the show, promised that this would be a gig to remember. I heartily agree; like their songs, the Vaselines are charming and sexy and have left me wanting more.
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The Vaselines at Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (22 Jan 2015) photo by Amy
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