Polyphonic Spree - House of Blues - April 5, 2008

As part of the Closing Night festivities for AFI Dallas, the 'closing gala' was held at the House of Blues featuring a concert by the Polyphonic Spree. Somehow or another my group ambled into the HOB around 11:30 and joined PS about halfway through their show. Click below for lots of pictures of the show, one of which features Robert Wilonsky's head.

The crowd at this 'concert' was among the weirdest I'd ever been to. Probably 99% Anglo, with ages from 18 to 85. I did a double take on the way to the (open) bar (for a water, of course) at the 80+ lady in the cleavage baring silver dress being helped by a 60+ woman. Both of them were wearing expressions somewhere between dismay and confusion. Also present were various film festival characters, from the guy with the long scarf and the white linen suit to the guy with a Budweiser and a shark skin jacket. Wilonsky's unmistakable dome (and a similarly coiffed and sized buddy) entered our frame as he chatted it up with Tim Rogers. I also spotted Gary Cogill, Michael Cain, and Delaughter's wife, Julie Doyle.

In my prime concert going days, I saw Tripping Daisy about a half dozen times all over the city, but I have yet to go to a Polyphonic Spree show, despite the urgings of Appraiser. Led by Tripping Daisy frontman Tim Delaughter, the Polyphonic Spree is a 20+ member 'band' that uses just about every known instrument. The group is best known for "Light and Day" and "Running Away". The music is a little on the hippy side for me, but the energy of the live show more than makes up for my preference issues. Delaughter spends most of the time gesticulating wildly atop a pseudo monitor as he sings the songs and directs the band. The band uses confetti and allows the audience up on stage (if you have a camera) for one of the songs. The encore included a cosmic reprise of Nirvana's Lithium, my favorite song of the night. Worth seeing live, but I was still wishing for less 'good vibes' and more Tripping Daisy.