Constitution Hall, a National Historic Landmark constructed by the society of Daughters of the American Revolution, shed its veneer last night to host the Pet Shop Boys, those fluorescent legends of 80's electronic synth-pop. It was a night for the notoriously uptight residents of D.C. to let it loose. And, were it not for the numbered and regimented seats hemming attendees to a fixed spot, they would have turned the whole house into a dance revival of the gay 80s.
For all the criticism of electro-pop as robotic, soulless, decibel porn, it's the Pet Shop Boys who fit that description flawlessly yet refute the naysayers all the same. There were, literally, robotic dancers dressed in full body unitards styled out of some campy 80s sci-fi flick, yet their simple, routinized movements brought out many in the audience to dance the same choreography. And for all the times lead-diva Neil Tennant spoke in monotone over a repetitive beat, the mesmerized throng would hold onto every word, anticipating, yearning for that eventual release.
For beneath the beat and between the chimes, there's a subversive sensuality in the Pet Shop Boys' music-particularly obvious while playing in D.C. Coming out of 80s while HIV was decimating their fan base, the Pet Shop Boys uncovered a most unsettling sound that was darkly post-apocalyptic yet layered with gleeful melodies. None more so than their 1986 hit, Suburbia, which opens to howl of Rottweilers and avalanche drums. On stage, setting the song to a back drop of assembly lines, out marched two dancers in suits with their heads hidden in cubes. And then synth-master Chris Lowe drops the melody. The dancers disrobed, revealing smooth milky skin, hourglass figures and, then, tossing their cube-heads... drag-queen-face? Either that or a very androgynous lady-face. Fact is whatever the dancers' sex, they were sexy and every straight man in the audience was duped. Or as Pat Robertson might put it, indoctrinated.
But "who cares" would be the correct response. The Pet Shop Boys have always been, and have never tried to be about anything more than fun. What makes them good, though, is that as fun as they are through and through, and as indulgent as the performance can be, the music and the show is never fully removed from the sadness that permeates their world.
Great article! I would take issue with the reputation of DC residents being uptight However, Because this almost never includes the folks who were born and bred, I only say almost to cover my ass. I mean have you ever been to a GO-GO? Sure you didn't invent this impression people have, But I felt like it should be stated somewhere that the people in DC have a reputation that was earned by the DC equivalent of the foreign yuppies that are fucking the BK and now possibly the Bronx. We call em Hill staffers here and most of them suck beyond belief.
I second this sentiment. The image most people have of DC residents is in fact a tiny portion of the population that lives and works here - and most of them live in Arlington anyway.
And yes, I'm a DC transplant, but I've been here 7 years - when do I start getting street cred?
Doesn't matter how long you've been here, I'd bet just by the way you pointed out the Arlington bit you're all right by me. For the record I have quite a few friends who were born and raised in Arlington that Don't suck "It ain't where you come from it's where you're at"- forgot who said that. Also it takes a lot to get street cred in DC I've been here all of my 31 years and if I cross the wrong street none of that matters.
I was born in the district, grew up on P Street and of course you are correct about Go Go. Trouble Funk was the BOMB back in the day. Throw in all the skater punk kids listening to Ian McKaye (Minor Threat/Fugazi) and Henry Rollins (Black Flag)
I'm a longtime admirer of Pet Shop Boys- no, make that a fan. It's true, there's always that contrast between an exultant sound, with melancholy lyrics. Or the contrast between the coolness of streaming electronic music, and Neil's warm, emotional vocals. Tennant's lyrics are intricate, verbal and poetic. That angelic voice. And the music is always crisp and modern, of the moment. They've long been a patron of up-and-coming remixers, they always seem to look forward.
Taken as a whole, their music seems to have depicted a certain modernism of the last 25 years, a transatlantic mix of cosmopolitan sheen, electronic glamour, yet also the human heart and emotions that lie beneath. Often beautiful, never boring.
Can we get a Residents remix and then have the Eyeball heads and the Cube heads duke it out?
The Residents are in their 60's. Hardly a fair fight.
As an L.A. resident I don't know much about the denizens born and bred in D.C., but repeated reports about "uncharacteristic" behavior of our elected reps seems to indicate something in the miasma of the place (power?) can erase any last vestige of "uptight". Fun review.