Ariel Pink's latest performance at Baby's All Right has sparked some Internet buzz. With his forthcoming release, pom pom, it was an assembly of with-it youngsters of all stripes, solidifying his firm grasp on the alternative culture.
Having attended the show, the mass of to-be-named faces was like an onslaught of everyone trying to find their way to the best spot with the best visual of Pink and, perhaps, even Sky Ferreira.
The show was to begin at 11:30 p.m. and I was running late. But to my luck, Pink didn't even take the stage until around 12:45 p.m. Some people didn't believe he would play and, honestly, what a strange idea to conjure because how could he not perform to a myriad of people who truly are fans (but I guess that would have added to what he's trying to portray as his "mystique").
Avoiding the watchful eyes of the cigarette-puffing skeptics, it was hard to find a way into the room. But surprisingly, fans were quite accommodating to those who wanted to get an earful, if even for just a minute.
One fan assured me that she could hear everything just fine from the bar. She was right, and you could even see the shaggy blonde mop-top that Ariel was sporting. A tight set, I found myself looking past Ariel a lot though that's not to say he didn't own it as a front man. I was, though, taken by how close the musicians were in step, particularly the bassist, Tim Koh.
I had the pleasure of being introduced to Tim Koh at the end of the performance and he was very much in the same vein as his on-looking audience: cool, calm and reserved.
Aesthetically it was all there, and the performance was very solid, but the songs seemed to just miss the mark. Yes, it's a great idea, alienation and all, but channeling them live didn't hit the bar everyone had set. Instead, the studio single he released appears, qualitatively, to get the job done.
Exhausting every synonym for the one word I've abhorrently refused to use has come to an end. Yes, alright, Ariel Pink is a god among hipsters (my skin crawling) and, yes, he's well-received by his lot.
However, I'd even venture in so far as to say that he may have his finger on the pulse of his generation. And that's what I took away from the entire experience. Also, I've been told to feel lucky that this was my first impression of his live set. Apparently, according to Steregum, he's fallen victim to some lousy performances in the past.
Here's a live version of the released single, "Put Your Number in my Phone" from the BAR performance.
