Who: Tove Lo
When: October 3, 2015
Where: The Fox Theater/ Oakland, CA
With: Ange, Chelsea
Of Note: Now I have two girl crushes!
Once upon a time, I went to Australia. And when I was in Australia, what little time I spent in my hotel rooms/ Airbnb apartment, I spent with the TV turned to the, now defunct, FUSE network (essentially Australian MTV when MTV was still predominantly videos). Anyway, one of the videos that was on constantly was Tove Lo's 'Habit'. 'Habit' is one of those almost perfect pop songs. From the opening, slightly whiny, "Oh ohs," through the contrast of the lilting melody of the verses paired with their provocative lyrics, and onto the desperation of the, "forget I'm missing you," of the chorus... it's really just glorious. And that's before you get to the bridge that builds in stair steps, with additional instrumentation on each repetition of, "Can't go home alone again/ Need someone to numb the pain." It's one hell of a song.
And, it's not just 'Habit' that's a great song. Her whole 'Queen of the Clouds' album is great pop music - beats and hooks - paired with smart lyrics about everyone's favorite subject: love. Having only one album out, she ran through almost the whole thing. We'll get to all my favorites.
Then, there's the other thing about Tove Lo: homegirl is hot. Like, move my number on the Kinsey Scale hot. And, she is an outstanding performer. I liked her staging a lot: the band was present, there were light and fog effects throughout and then it was just her. Like, if she had been touring in 1998 or 2003, she would have had a litany of back-up dancers and a whole lot of choreography. Luckily, it was 2015 and we got her, with a mic and stand, wandering around stage, singing, and doing some really impressive gyrations. And occasionally flashing her boobs. (So hot.)
It's no surprise that my favorites from the album were my favorites from the show. She opened with 'Not On Drugs' with an extended vamp of the opening couple of bars that built sufficient anticipation with the crowd. I thought it clever that the opening song referenced the name of the tour (and album), 'I'm Queen of the Clouds'. This is a song with minimal verses and a big chorus, perfect for an opener. Plus, the chorus perfectly summarizes the feeling of being punch drunk, "I'm not on drugs, I'm just in love."
'Moments' is a song I perceive to be about what happens when things don't tie exactly to the plans you or others made for you. A song about embracing your flaws and imperfections. Alternatively, it's just an excuse to deliver one of the best lines ever, "On good days, I am charming as fuck." Live, the drumbeat was extra hypnotizing - just that bit of syncopation on the cowbell in the hollow space between the chorus and verse.
This all brings us to the set-closing 'Timebomb'. Let's talk about 'Timebomb', shall we? It starts all Vanessa Carlton piano-y and then a verse that's more monotone syncopated chanting than actual singing. And then, my girl Tove Lo, delivers a chorus that explains every single instance a smart, educated, "catch" of a lady has messed with a fuckboy, has accepted less than she deserves, has gone after a guy who is obviously bad news: "We're not forever/ You're not the one/ You and I could be the best thing ever... You and I, we're a timbomb." I love that she's committed, to a kicky synth track, the exact feeling of walking headfirst into something you know is going to end in disaster and yet, you just can't help yourself. And with the added repetition of, "boom, boom, boom, boom," you can actually feel it implode. I'm not sure there's a better song about dating in the mid 2k10s. Or at least a better one to describe my dating life in the mid 2k10s. Bu-dum-bum.
The other stand-out was, obviously, 'Talking Bodies', a song that with a stripped down chorus could possibly be a more explicit, modern update to the sexiest song ever sung, Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game'. The crowd went nuts.
And then, on the BART ride home, Ange & I determined that it was pretty easy to embarrass Chelsea, simply by singing about eating dinner in the bathtub.
I could talk more about how much I enjoyed this: smart pop music performed well is right in my wheelhouse. Plus. So hot.
When: October 3, 2015
Where: The Fox Theater/ Oakland, CA
With: Ange, Chelsea
Of Note: Now I have two girl crushes!
Once upon a time, I went to Australia. And when I was in Australia, what little time I spent in my hotel rooms/ Airbnb apartment, I spent with the TV turned to the, now defunct, FUSE network (essentially Australian MTV when MTV was still predominantly videos). Anyway, one of the videos that was on constantly was Tove Lo's 'Habit'. 'Habit' is one of those almost perfect pop songs. From the opening, slightly whiny, "Oh ohs," through the contrast of the lilting melody of the verses paired with their provocative lyrics, and onto the desperation of the, "forget I'm missing you," of the chorus... it's really just glorious. And that's before you get to the bridge that builds in stair steps, with additional instrumentation on each repetition of, "Can't go home alone again/ Need someone to numb the pain." It's one hell of a song.
And, it's not just 'Habit' that's a great song. Her whole 'Queen of the Clouds' album is great pop music - beats and hooks - paired with smart lyrics about everyone's favorite subject: love. Having only one album out, she ran through almost the whole thing. We'll get to all my favorites.
Then, there's the other thing about Tove Lo: homegirl is hot. Like, move my number on the Kinsey Scale hot. And, she is an outstanding performer. I liked her staging a lot: the band was present, there were light and fog effects throughout and then it was just her. Like, if she had been touring in 1998 or 2003, she would have had a litany of back-up dancers and a whole lot of choreography. Luckily, it was 2015 and we got her, with a mic and stand, wandering around stage, singing, and doing some really impressive gyrations. And occasionally flashing her boobs. (So hot.)
It's no surprise that my favorites from the album were my favorites from the show. She opened with 'Not On Drugs' with an extended vamp of the opening couple of bars that built sufficient anticipation with the crowd. I thought it clever that the opening song referenced the name of the tour (and album), 'I'm Queen of the Clouds'. This is a song with minimal verses and a big chorus, perfect for an opener. Plus, the chorus perfectly summarizes the feeling of being punch drunk, "I'm not on drugs, I'm just in love."
'Moments' is a song I perceive to be about what happens when things don't tie exactly to the plans you or others made for you. A song about embracing your flaws and imperfections. Alternatively, it's just an excuse to deliver one of the best lines ever, "On good days, I am charming as fuck." Live, the drumbeat was extra hypnotizing - just that bit of syncopation on the cowbell in the hollow space between the chorus and verse.
This all brings us to the set-closing 'Timebomb'. Let's talk about 'Timebomb', shall we? It starts all Vanessa Carlton piano-y and then a verse that's more monotone syncopated chanting than actual singing. And then, my girl Tove Lo, delivers a chorus that explains every single instance a smart, educated, "catch" of a lady has messed with a fuckboy, has accepted less than she deserves, has gone after a guy who is obviously bad news: "We're not forever/ You're not the one/ You and I could be the best thing ever... You and I, we're a timbomb." I love that she's committed, to a kicky synth track, the exact feeling of walking headfirst into something you know is going to end in disaster and yet, you just can't help yourself. And with the added repetition of, "boom, boom, boom, boom," you can actually feel it implode. I'm not sure there's a better song about dating in the mid 2k10s. Or at least a better one to describe my dating life in the mid 2k10s. Bu-dum-bum.
The other stand-out was, obviously, 'Talking Bodies', a song that with a stripped down chorus could possibly be a more explicit, modern update to the sexiest song ever sung, Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game'. The crowd went nuts.
And then, on the BART ride home, Ange & I determined that it was pretty easy to embarrass Chelsea, simply by singing about eating dinner in the bathtub.
I could talk more about how much I enjoyed this: smart pop music performed well is right in my wheelhouse. Plus. So hot.
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