A lot goes into deciding how successful a show is. Indeed, it is often more than just, "Did the band play well?" The band's performance, of course, factors into the final decision, but more questions must be asked. Was the show fun? Was the audience cool? Is the lead singer as hot in person as he is on the CD cover? And, most importantly, did the club sell Corona for less than four bucks a pop?
While these are all important and extremely valid queries, the question of the audience is by far the most ignored, yet most essential factor in determining just how good the show was. A bad audience absolutely has the power to ruin an otherwise splendid evening of rock 'n' roll, but a good audience can augment the experience beyond being just a rockin' show.
On Tuesday night, the 9:30 club was packed with one of the best audiences-made up mostly of gay men-in the history of the club for the first night of the U.S. tour of the Scissor Sisters, an outwardly gay disco-revival rock band who has recently taken the music industry by storm.
At most rock shows, the testosterone levels are skyrocketing as throngs of young, presumably straight, boys smash themselves into each other. At most shows it is difficult to remain standing at times because these crazed young boys are so intent on exerting as much violence as possible, perhaps to prove that they are "rock" enough for the show. The audience at the Scissor Sisters was polite, energetic and genuinely excited that this flamboyant band was gracing them with songs like "Tits on the Radio" and "Lovers in the Backseat."
The energy that filled the nearly sold-out 9:30 club was remarkable, encouraged by lead singers Ana Matronic and Jake Shears, who pranced around the stage promoting their culture with comments and gestures; one of the show's best moments was when Matronic, the only girl in the band, opened a song by yelling "Eat pussy!" and the crowd cheered loudly.
The Scissor Sisters, whose name refers to a lesbian sex act, cranked open the evening with their latest hit single, "Take Your Mama," and proceeded to play all the favorites off their debut, self-titled album, which came out in July. The band's blend of disco-tinged techno beats and synth, rock-based guitar and drums, and Shears' falsetto made for an evening that can be summed up in the phrase "absolutely amazing big gay rock show"
