Beck @ The Aragon 10/03/08

If I were to ask my 17 year old self if I thought I would be seeing Beck again at 29 I don't know how I would answer that. This is embarrassing to say now, but the last time I saw Beck was at one of those Twisted Christmas shows when I didn't know any better. I remember, vividly, the lanky chap scurrying and fitting about on stage in a leisure suit. If I recall correctly he was supporting Odelay at the time. Yes, I know that he's had loads of albums, varying in sounds and style, between 1993's Golden Feelings and 2008's Modern Guilt (I've got an unopened copy of the Loser single on vinyl if you need me to validate my "cred" or whatever). I guess all I can say is that I regret not seeing him between 1997 and last Friday.

Download: Beck - "Modern Guilt"

Standing by the sound booth situated towards the back of the floor in the Aragon, I sneaked a peek at the sound guy's set list. Right now I wish I had photographic memory so I could share with you the entire lot of songs but alas that is not the case.  Beck and his band took the stage and nearly as soon as he slung his guitar he belted into "Devil's Haircut". This was a good (and obvious) choice for an opening song as Beck fans spanning many generations could identify it (because let's be honest here, a lot of the people at this show were not "diehards." Like many acts from the 1990s that have sustained themselves many of their fans tend to stick in that particular era of their heyday). He then went into the 60s-esque song "Girl" and I will admit that here is when I did my best go-go dancing impression, though it may have all been in my mind. The stage was overtaken by these larger than life gel lights which seemed to dwarf the band, making them look like figurines rather than life size (see this video for "Nausea").

And now memory serves me incorrectly. I am sure that Beck was re-lent-less in playing, one song after another and after another again for a period of say six songs (though this held true throughout the entire gig). At some point the band put all of their instruments down and came stage center. They put clunky boy band-esque head sets on and picked up Kaos pads. You'd be correct in guessing that they played "Hell Yes." According to my friend Ryan, who is at least 10 inches taller than me and who so kindly gave me his extra ticket, one of them also had a drum pad (with kettle drum mallet) and Beck had "some weird credit card sized thing that he could scratch with."

Eleven years later I got to hear "Loser" and "Where It's At" in the same set again but with added extras of "Lost Cause" (the only song of Sea Change he played) and "Nicotine and Gravy," "Chemtrails," Black Tambourine," "Think I'm In Love," "Que Onda Guero" and "Black Tamborine" (not in that particular order). I have to admit that I was disappointed that he didn't play "Walls" nor did he play anything off Mutations but I really can't complain too much considering how energized and generally fantastic this show was. And that's the wonderful thing about Beck (is this what Mutations was in reference to?), he's able to play so many different types of music and convey so many different moods and styles. I remember being quite taken aback by Sea Change  initially but absolutely falling in love with that album. Look at The Information and then look at the accompanying videos. Here is a man that loves to play music and loves to have fun. I love music and I love fun, so logically I love Beck.

Beck came out for an encore and played "Gamma Ray" (cue hip shake again). The L.E.D. backdrop went from showing the visage of Beck and the outline of the band to the charged crowd. He closed the show with "E-Pro" and the crowd pumped their fists (not really OK when the guy standing in front of you has b.o that smells of cat urine but if you're there for the music, which I was, you can get past that) in the air for the "na na...na na na na na nas." At 10:27 when Beck left the stage we seemed to think that he may actually come out and play one or two more, but the lights of the Aragon came on the crowd let out what seemed like a uniform sigh and slowly moved like one giant amoeba towards the stairs and revelled in the aftermath of Beck and his band.