Belle and Sebastian, Of Montreal, Evan Dando, David Bowie

I probably wouldn't have left the house tonight if the boy from the record store didn't call me to say my copy of Belle and Sebastian's The Life Pursuit was in. I was gifted a copy last Tuesday from a friend with superior computer skills, also breaking the traditional Death Cab for cutie album he usually gets me for my birthday.

I had a birthday gift certificate, so I also got a Marine Girls record, a Matty Pop Chart CD, a Jad Fair CD, and a Pete Seeger record.

I almost hate Sukie in the Graveyard. What is up with the photos of Tatu all over the liner notes? Granted this time the band also included tastefully moody monchromatic portraits of themselves. Where can I get a bootleg poster of giant close up shot of Stuart like I had of Evan Dando in 93? After twenty minutes of Dando oggling, I realized I'd rather have a poster of Stevie to gaze at.

So I didn't actually say how the Of Montreal show at Chop Suey on Tuesday was. Wow. First of all, there are a lot fewer hippies at their shows in Seattle than in Athens. So Chop Suey smelled better than the 40 Watt in August, but it was way too crowded to dance. And what the hell is the fun of seeing Of Montreal if you can't dance? They opened up with Rapture Rapes the Muses so I was spared the anticipation of hearing my favorite song. Kevin Barnes does glam so well. I love the glitter and the rhinestones and the blue eyeshadow and the whole lovely rock and roll icon worship. I felt like the crowd was packed so tight it was absorbing some of the sound. But the biggest difference between them as an experimental pop band and a glam pop band? I'm thinking "lip synching controversy" if they keep sounding this good live.

The opening acts were almost unmentionable.

I was hoping to find a copy of All Saints for S's birthday, but I think I did even better: an autographed copy of Angela Bowie's "Backstage Passes". I read this a few years after it came out, but I remember her going on Oprah and talking about the book and how she caught David in bed with Mick Jagger. Hotttttttttt! Seriously, at a time when I hadn't read much porn, reading about "the much fabled Lance of Love" sent me into a tizzy. Z and I used to watch Labyrinth and The Hunger for the same reason.