Star-Telegram Live Reviews

Mix 102.9 FM "Eye Candy Christmas": A party platter of pop

by Preston Jones
pjones@star-telegram.com

GRAND PRAIRIE -- Radio station showcases are bite-size introductions to or reunions with a variety of talent. It's a bit like visiting Grandma's and snacking your way through the afternoon, spoiling your dinner -- you're not terribly full, but you've had just enough to sate yourself.

The cold wind blew and intermittent drizzle fell Wednesday night, but the Nokia Theatre crowd that braved the crummy weather enjoyed four distinctly different pop acts, each at fascinating moments in their careers, under the banner of Mix 102.9 FM's "Eye Candy Christmas."

There was Sara Bareilles, a singer/songwriter on her way up the industry ladder, armed with the fantastic single Love Song; the forgettable Connecticut pop-rock band The Last Goodnight, a poor man's Maroon 5; James Blunt, the You're Beautiful maestro struggling to get past that smash's long, long shadow and, finally, Duran Duran, those louche '80s aesthetes who have most recently reinvented themselves with a little help from Justin Timberlake and Timbaland.

Bareilles, who began the evening performing to a room that probably held more people during soundcheck, nevertheless delivered an assured 30-minute set that allowed for a re-examination of the songs from her debut, Little Voice, which hit shelves earlier this year. By turns bluesy and jazzy, Bareilles' smoky voice is well-suited to introspective ballads about love and self-discovery. It was a mature showing, one which augurs well for her nascent career.

The less said about The Last Goodnight, the better -- from the moment they hit the stage, frontman Kurtis John was plugging the band's 2007 debut Poison Kiss and constantly reminding everyone who they were watching. Unfortunately, the sextet's impact was on the order of negligible; aside from current single Pictures of You, none of the tracks they banged out had anything resembling a catchy melody or clever lyrics.

Blunt, who seemed a bit manic during his 40-minute set, plowed through 10 songs, barely stopping to say hello, instead seeming intently focused on playing up material from his latest disc, All the Lost Souls, and paying cursory attention to tracks from freshman effort Back to Bedlam (although he did open and close his set with songs from his debut). New cuts like 1973 and I'll Take Everything fit comfortably with the heart-on-sleeve pathos of Wisemen and, yes, You're Beautiful, suggesting that Blunt's dour sophomore record is a more thought-out artistic gambit than it first seemed.

Headliners Duran Duran, who got a bit of a late start (but then, hey, they've earned it), were unquestionably the main attraction -- the room fairly exploded when the quintet strode onstage. Simon LeBon, ever the charmer, wasted little time working the crowd into a frenzy, diving right into tunes from Duran Duran's latest, Red Carpet Massacre. From the title track to current hit Falling Down, LeBon and crew sounded as though it was 1983 all over again; the years melted away and for most in attendance, it was one of the best Christmas gifts they could've asked for.

Preston Jones is the Star-Telegram pop music critic, 817-390-7713

Cafe Tacuba Throw Musical Feast at House of Blues

By CARY DARLING

cdarling@star-telegram.com

Emerging from the underground music scene of Mexico City in the early 90s, Cafe Tacuba have always been about smashing cultural boundaries. Blending a sense of Mexican musical history with an alt-rock attitude, they created a kind of punk-folklorico and were one of the brightest stars to come out of the rock en espanol scene.

But who could have known back then that Cafe Tacuba would grow into not only one of the most intriguing Spanish-language bands of the last decade but be one of the most imaginative groups of any stripe in this one. Their most recent album, Sino, is one of the year's best and their jubilant two-hour, 20-plus song show at the House of Blues in Dallas Monday night confirmed their newfound stature.

On disc, singer Ixaya (this year's pseudonym for leader Ruber Albarran) has a voice that sometimes grates while the band's musical fusions don't always work. That's less of a problem live where the sheer energy of the performance -- which flashes from punk and ska to sweet pop and hip-hop to edgy experimentalism in an instant -- makes up for it.

If there was a flaw with the concert it was that not enough was played from the subtle Sino while the more one-dimensional older songs -- like the rowdy La Chica Banda -- got the crowd worked up into a moshing frenzy. Fortunately, they did make room for Sino's best track, the exquisite Volver a Comenzar, a near-10-minute pop opus that starts off with a blissful '80s bounce that A Flock of Seagulls would have shaved their haircuts for before seguing into Brian Wilson-meets-XTC brilliance.

It's too bad that the language barrier keeps so many potential fans away from a band as enjoyably adventurous as Cafe Tacuba, even if many English-language critics have started singing their praises. Because the band proved Monday night that, when it comes to music, language doesn't really matter.

Cary Darling is the Star-Telegram's pop culture critic. 817-390-7571.

Chamber Program Excels with Guest Soloists

By MATTHEW ERIKSON  merikson@star-telegram.com

FORT WORTH -- There was a bittersweet quality to Saturday afternoon's Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth concert.

Before the music-making, the group's founder and president Leon Harold Brachman thanked the listeners for their support since the death of his wife Fay Rosenthal Brachman last month.  Both Brachmans were among the founders of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and the Van Cliburn International Competition.  Saturday's performance at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth was in Fay Brachman's memory.

It was a lovely tribute. Beethoven's "Archduke" Trio, the Franck Violin Sonata in A and Brahms' Quintet in B minor for Clarinet and Strings made up Saturday's abundant program.  Any one of those spacious chamber works would have sufficed. But the time past quickly.  On the whole, the playing was superb, buoyed by the star power of guest pianist Jon Nakamatsu and Dallas Symphony Orchestra principal clarinetist Gregory Raden.

People may not know that Nakamatsu -- in addition to his formidable skills as a soloist and Cliburn laureate -- is a keen chamber musician and collaborator.  (His recent Harmonia Mundi recording of Gershwin's Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue with the Rochester Philharmonic should be required listening for all piano fans.)  Throughout the epic "Archduke" Trio, Nakamatsu displayed pearly tone and finesse.  With violinist Robert Davidovici and cellist Karen Basrak, the group formed a taut ensemble, particularly in the wonderful third movement variations. 

Nakamatsu and Davidovici were paired afterward in the Franck.  At times, Davidovici's tone could sound a little thin, particularly for such a luxurious piece as the Franck. The sonata's evocative opening measures, for instance, can suggest the fragrant whiff of Parisian perfume; the final movement, a verdant spring day.  But both men worked well together as a team. Nakamatsu's playing was unfailingly tasteful.

In Brahms' Quintet in B minor, Raden was the indisputable star of this show. And what a show it is: richly woven phrases in the clarinet that ebb and flow over a sea of silken strings. (All of Brahms' late works for clarinet are gorgeous gems.) With flawless intonation and liquescent tone, Raden's playing was enormously artful, adding subtle hints of color and dynamic shading to the music-making.   I am still haunted by some of the more yearning measures in the slow movement.

The Brahms proved the high point of the afternoon, and possibly this season.  The strings -- Davidovici, violinist Michael Shih, violist Susan Dubois and Basrak -- were as cohesive and expressive as the most veteran string quartet.

Matthew Erikson is the Star-Telegram Classical Music Critic.  817-390-7173.