So Why Don't We Go...

Howdy everybody! I saw Keane www.keanemusic.com tonight at Hammerstein Ballroom...
http://www.mcstudios.com/newsite/hammersteinBallroom.asp
which was an absolutely amazing venue. It was so clean. I actually felt bad for throwing my empty booze cup on the ground. Oh, and in case you couldn't tell, I have absolutely no idea how to use those oh, so convenient hyperlinks. Sorry.
First off, let me say that I was unbelievably surprised by New York concert goers in general. Even though I've lived here for awhile, I still have my preconceived notions about New Yorkers and personal space. While trying to get on the subway during rush hour, I've seen people shove their way into spaces that simply aren't there. But amazingly enough, they had more respect for personal space than any other group of people I've ever seen. In fact, halfway through the Zutons set, and in desperate need of another $9 drink (thanks Zutons), I left my friend Dave, fully expecting to have to wait for the band to finish before barging my way back to the middle of the floor. But, four or five "excuse me's" later, and I was back where I started. I couldn't believe it. Just in time for Keane...
Before I get to the show itself, here's something you should know about Keane. The album is amazing. From top to bottom, it was one of the strongest albums of 2004. The songs are consistently good and melodic and memorable. It's the perfect album for a car trip. There are some songs on this album that would inspire you to roll down all the windows and sing at the top of your lungs. Then there are songs that would make you want to slouch back in the passenger's seat with your foot on the dashboard, so you can daydream about what could have been with whatshername. Despite all this, their songs aren't really good live songs. They don't have that pop you expect from a live show, and all in all, they're pretty lowkey. Unaware of this fact, the guys in Keane tried to put on a kickass rock show. Which, God bless em for trying, just wasn't gonna happen.
The singer had a lot of energy. In fact, it looked as though Julian Casablancas from the Strokes had gained 30 pounds then snorted two feet of cocaine. The drummer was a bobblehead. The piano player was energetic too, but the music just didn't match their enthusiasm.
In his preview of what I should expect, my friend Cory understated that they "hid the bass player." I was expecting that he'd be back by the drum kit, standing out of the spotlight, robotically and dutifully plodding through the bass line. Cory, the man wasn't even on stage.
At the beginning of my sophomore year of college, John Paul and I saw Nazereth (yes, that Nazereth. "Love hurts" Nazereth) at a place once known as "The Library," now known as an abandoned warehouse. We somehow found ourselves on the backside of the wall of speakers, and stumbled upon Nazereth's secret weapon-a middle aged man with scraggly long hair, sitting on a stool in front of a microphone, banging on a cowbell. I felt so dirty catching him.
I'm losing my train of thought. My recommendation is that everyone buy their album. Keane's. Not Nazereth. It's great. Just don't expect too much when you see them live.