FSOTD #53/Joking (1992)

My first concert of 2009 was the Indigo Girls in Buffalo, way back in April.  First time I had ever seen them.  Like so many others, I became a fan of the Indigos in 1992 with their sensational album Rites of Passage.  It's rife with great songs, one of which is today's FSOTD "Joking".   In truth, the song that was really running through my head was (from the same album) "Airplane", but when I searched for available audio, the first tune up was the live version of "Joking".  Given my concert experience, it seemed the more appropriate choice.   Unfortunately, they played neither in New York :(

The concert was an interesting experience for me and one of my many friends named Michael.    We had good banter and bonding with some new lesbian acquaintences, and by showtime, we were well-fueled and properly immersed in the scene.  Out came the Indigo Girls - Emily Sailer and Amy Ray, looking as good as ever I've seen.  After 20 years and a great deal of success, the pair have a refined and almost elegant "butch" look.  And by golly, they are oh-so-professional on stage.  Everything was in the right place.  Every song was impeccably well-played.  Their harmonies soar. Yet, with each song, a change of guitars. Everything so professional it became distracting.  And the measured amount of interaction with the crowd had a scripted feel.   Again, each song was outstanding (and I mean that), but my friend Michael and I agreed that the show itself never seemed to go anywhere.  It did not build to a climax.  The stage help and equipment-switching and such seemed to rob the show of internal cohesion.  It was a strange reaction.  I've been to a great many concerts but never remember coming away with the sort of widely divergent emotions as with The Indigo Girls.

Go see them if they come to your town.  The above misgivings (opinions) notwithstanding, you'll get your money's worth.  And if you don't know their album Rites of Passage, go get it.   It's a top shelf effort.  The Girls also have a cool website.