Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Columnist Spencer Patterson: Fischerspooner syncs in rocky Strip debut

Spencer Patterson covers music for the Sun. His music notes column appears Fridays. Reach him at [email protected] or (702) 259-2309.

"I hear this one's an underground cult classic," Casey Spooner announced as Fischerspooner launched into "Emerge," the first single off debut album "# 1," last Friday night at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.

Actually, "launched" is probably the wrong word. No one in Fischerspooner actually plays an instrument or sings onstage. Someone simply presses "play" on the group's CD. But more on that later.

Spooner ordered the crowd to sing along with the words to "Emerge," clearly not realizing where he was. With no college rock station on Southern Nevada's radio dial and no MTV2 on our cable system, Las Vegans who don't own the album likely had never heard the song before.

That didn't stop an irate Spooner from storming off the stage after the first chorus, muttering something like, "I told you what would happen if you didn't sing," with a few expletives thrown in for good measure.

The audience booed loudly, eventually persuading Spooner and the rest of the performance art troupe back to the stage for a few more numbers, including another half-hearted run through "Emerge."

It was hardly the stuff of legend, and certainly not what Fischerspooner could have imagined when it arrived in town last week. The event was, after all, reported to be a showcase of sorts for casino executives considering turning the New York City act into an ongoing Strip attraction.

I didn't positively identify any such moguls in the crowd of around 850, though there were a couple of well-dressed individuals who looked rather out of place in the hipster-dominated scene.

Either way, I'm guessing Fischerspooner can count on not being invited back for anything long-term after Friday's borderline debacle.

The hourlong set also included a botched stage dive, which resulted in a bloody lip for one unlucky woman near the front and what appeared to be a sprained wrist for Spooner.

There was also an aborted version of "Tone Poem," when Spooner -- who had ascended to the House of Blues' middle tier -- proclaimed there was too much confetti in the air for him to lip-sync.

Not that the show wasn't fun at times. Fischerspooner's disc, which has occupied a spot in my disc changer for the past few months, is musically creative and quite danceable.

But I didn't see enough from the group to make me believe Fischerspooner could draw large crowds on a nightly basis.

The dancers' skimpy outfits, wild-looking wigs and over-the-top theatrics might have been something new for audiences elsewhere. But here in Southern Nevada, they were hardly different from anything we can see at "O," "Mystere" or any number of other regular Strip productions any night of the week.

And Spooner's rock-star attitude was less hilarious than it was absurd, considering the guy doesn't actually produce any original music during his performances.

Much as it pains me to say it, my advice to Fischerspooner fans is this: Buy the disc and enjoy the songs without interruption.

And if you can find it, pick up the package that also includes the bonus DVD, so you can enjoy the group's visual elements from a far better vantage point: your sofa.

Music notes

Enter sandman: In what promises to make last year's Red Hot Chili Peppers concert look like an Air Supply show, Metallica will play The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on New Year's Eve. Drummer Lars Ulrich made the live announcement this week on Xtreme Radio (KXTE 107.5-FM).

A starting time for the show has not been announced. Tickets are $303, $443.25, and $503 and go on sale Saturday at noon at the Hard Rock box office, at TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 474-4000 and at www.ticketmaster.com.

Underground TV: Beginning on Oct. 4, the WB (Channel 21, Cox cable Channel 12) will take a weekly look at Southern Nevada's music scene with "Your Underground," a program airing at 2:30 a.m. each Saturday.

The show will present live performances by local rock acts at the Huntridge and other area music venues. The Higher, Junior Anti-Sex League and A Silence Fell are pegged for the first three episodes.

Hall hopefuls: George Harrison, Prince, John Mellencamp and Jackson Browne are among the first-time nominees on the ballot for 2004 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Previously nominated, but yet to be selected, are several worthy acts, including Black Sabbath, the Stooges, the Sex Pistols and Patti Smith. Inductees are expected to be announced in December.

Quick hits

A look at a few of the shows scheduled to hit Southern Nevada in the next week:

Touring behind his first studio album in six years, classic rocker Steve Winwood plays The Joint at 8 tonight. Tickets are $35.50, $45.50 and $55.50.

Winwood, an alum of the Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith and Traffic, went on hiatus after releasing his eighth solo studio album, "Junction Seven," in 1997. He returned with "About Time" in June.

Gothy punksters A.F.I. return to town for a House of Blues show with Hot Water Music and Bleeding Through tonight. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Tickets originally sold for $16, but good luck finding any for that price. The show has been sold out for weeks, with pairs of tickets going for as much as $232.50 in recent eBay auctions.

Three promising buzz bands team for a Monday show at the Huntridge Theatre: Rooney, the Sounds and Paloalto. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 the day of the show, with doors scheduled to open at 7 p.m.

Los Angeles' Rooney released its self-titled indie-pop debut in May. Sweden's the Sounds also debuted this year with the synthed-up "Living in America." And Los Angeles' slightly rockier Paloalto is supporting second album, "Heroes and Villains."

On sale

Missy Elliott plays Rain in the Desert at the Palms on Oct. 28. Tickets are $35 and $75 and go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Palms' box office and through TicketMaster.

Rusted Root stops at the House of Blues on Nov. 14. Tickets are $20 and $25 and are on sale now at the House of Blues box office, by phone at 632-7600, at www.hob.com and TicketMaster.

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