Sexy Boys

First things first: Where the shit does one get something to eat in Downtown Tacoma? Seattlest spent yesterday evening wandering around the "Theater District" looking for a place to fill our bellies. We must've walked about a mile in all directions, only to find a McDonald's, a Pita Hut, a pizza-by-the-slice place, a couple sketchy pubs, lots of boarded-up storefronts, and approximately nine million coffeeshops. It was only when we got back in the car that we were able to find a half-block stretch of downtown with a few places that didn't look so bad. We settled on Meconi's for dinner and then Tacoma's version of Matador for dessert and drinks. When you don't have a row of restaurants, bars, and bistros catering to your captive audience of theater patrons, that's a problem.

Second things second: Why the shit was French electro-pop duo Air playing in Tacoma's half-empty Pantages Theater instead of an assuredly sold-out Paramount or Triple Door or even the Moore? This question is a little easier to answer. The Paramount's showing The Light in the Piazza through this Sunday, the Triple Door had its second of two shows with Rufus Wainwright, and the Moore...well, the Moore hates French people (plus, they just got done hosting Bishop Blanchet High School's production of Grease).

As to the show itself: Norwegian Brit Kate Havnevik kicked things off with a bunch of songs from her debut album Melankton. Her sound is similar to Beth Orton, or (maybe more accurately) Björk-lite. After all, she's got the accent, the terrible dress, and the throaty odd enunciation. But unlike Ms.Guðmundsdóttir, Havnevik's music is watered-down to the point of palatable; it's no surprise that her songs have been featured on The West Wing, The O.C., and (but of course) Grey's Anatomy. Though her set featured varied instrumentation (itty-bitty bugle, xylophone, upright bass, keyboards) and some well-produced synth sounds, it's hard to get too into a song where the chorus is panting. And that was one of her better tracks. Our companion deemed Havnevik to be "elegant" and liked that she "didn't cheese it up," but we thought her quirky and random comments to the crowd ("I'm moist") rung false and got old real fast.

And then there was Air: Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel wear *tight* pants, Dunckel's white pair snug enough to show both which way he dresses and why he sings like a girl. They looked good, but the set started out loose, sloppy, and seemingly unrehearsed, with a way muddy mix to boot. Fortunately the sound improved and the band got tighter (like their pants) as the set progressed. Air mostly played from new album Pocket Symphony, but they mixed things up too, even throwing in a glorious version of "People in the City" from 10,000 Hz Legend. There was a light show and smoke and stars. The Moog adjuster tech was kept busy and Godin made his keyboard talk. And call us crazy, but we were more than a bit underwhelmed. Sure the band closed strongly---the solid encore of "Alone in Kyoto," "Sexy Boy," and the instrumental freak-out crescendo of "La Femme D’Argent" was a total crowd-pleaser---but was it worth the trek to Tacoma? It's a close call, but ultimately we're going to err on the side of "no."

Photo care of Flickr / Steven Gin.