"I Think This is a Massive Ball of Undergarments" (MGMT/BMSR/TT, McCarren Park Pool, 7/27/08)

For three summers, now, the JellyNYC folks have hosted solid line-ups and provided a casual atmosphere for a series of free Sunday shows at McCarren Park Pool.  They're all worth attending, they're free, duh (upcoming shows include The Felice Brothers/Eli "Paperboy" Reed, Black Lips/King Khan & His Shrines).  But I miss more than I hit.  Because I'm loathe to rely on the G, because I'm a giant weather pussy, because I fear long lines.

So of course the first Pool Party I drag my ass to this year turns out to be the weatheriest, longliniest show ever.

The line to get in stretched all the way around the park.  According to Gothamist, they stopped letting people in on order of The Parks Department.  I don't think there were as many there as the Beirut show, but considering that before the bands went on there'd been downpours and lightning and other unhappy sky stuff, that's a mess of determined folk.  Good on you guys.  Though the humidity rising out of the crowd was a bit much to take.  During Black Moth Super Rainbow's set, the pot haze mixed with body odor and created something exceptionally foul.

Okay, quickly, music:

The Ting Tings (myspace)

What fun!  Plenty of energy, a perfect crowd-rousing opener.  It's a two-person band, spare pop punched up with basement punk bark.  The bad news would be that these sorts of bands come along fairly often.  The Ting Tings have an iPod jingle ("Shut Up and Let Me Go," which they might have introduced as their iPod song); another song, "That's Not My Name," sounds a lot like The Prototypes' iPod jingle.  The good news would be that these sorts of bands are always pretty welcome.  A Brooklyn jump rope squad joined the Tings before they skipped off.

Black Moth Super Rainbow (myspace)

What you should know is:  Live, they're neither better nor worse than you'd expect.  Their hippified take on Air has really won me over; Dandelion Gum was one of my favorite records from last year.  There's five of them on stage, drums, bass, a pair of synthesizers, and a lead who's got a pile of gadgets and a microphone.

Their weirdness is unapologetic but not obnoxious.  Not uniform, either.  Bassist looks like he was ordered from Hipster Central, drummer looks like she/he is about to rob a train, the lead wore a disturbing clear plastic protective mask.  It's not showmanship, it's just weird people being weird.  Good on them.  But a little showmanship would be nice, some swell, some oomph, something to rub this wonderful stuff in the faces of those who hadn't already snorted the Kool-Aid.

It's such happy music, but a lot of it is sun-oriented.  And there was no sunshine during their set.

MGMT (myspace)

What dull, un-special stuff this is!  Conventional wisdom has it that these guys are great on record, disastrous live.  I beg to differ:  They're nothing much, either way.  People were waiting hours in the rain for this?  Sure, hometown crowd and all, but...  NGLGBL.  Certainly nothing to get your panties in a bunch over.

I left in the middle of their set, between (nondescript song) and (nondescript song).

(Did want to mention that, compared to last year, the sponsorship product-placement at the pool seems less obnoxious now.  Thanks, guys.  I know it's unavoidable, and for the most part these Pool Parties have been nothing but positive events.  But when the most noticeable banners are for the Open Space Alliance of North Brooklyn, that's all kinds of better.)

When I got back to my stop, there was a girl playing a game on the subway platform.  The game consisted of saying "Hi!" to strangers and counting how many said "Hi!" back.  I was #25.  What a fantastic game!

I'll get more pics up on the Flickr, or not.  The Pool Parties group there was shut down, I don't see any explanation.

Also at the Pool:  Daniela's Lair, Marissa's faulous adventures..., Modern Age, Music Slut, Music Snobbery, Prefix Mag, Super Floss, Tastes Like Caramel, no doubt more tk

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This Thursday brings TOO MUCH FREE STUFF:  Flogging Molly & O'Death at Pier 54, The Long Winters at Castle Clinton, Semi Precious Weapons/Theo & The Skyscrapers at Europa (advertised as free in the Voice, but $4 on Ticketweb?).  And MORE.

tags: ting tings  black moth super rainbow  mgmt  jellynyc  jelly nyc  pool parties  the pool parties  concert reviews  

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