Word: luna
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...disappointment of the indie rocker inside this reporter, there was nothing incredibly magical about Luna's show at the Somerville Theatre, in spite of the band being worshipped by fans and critics alike. Nothing that would male me suddenly want to go out and shore up my back catalog of Luna music...
...high expectations for this show. Lead singer Dean Wareham has a reputation for musical brilliance, going back to his days fronting Galaxie 500. Moreover, Luna's compositions have a dreamy and yet biting edge that picks their way into your mind and refuses to leave. The band's latest album, The Days Of Our Nights, is a sublime piece of mellow and dreamy Velvet Underground-inspired pop. That fact, along with the other Luna songs that had filtered into my brain, suitably impressed and intrigued me enough that I desired to check out their live show...
...cheerful stage adorned with Christmas lights was promising. The theater was just about sold out, and crackled with anticipation. However, beyond the warm reception the band received on arriving onstage, the show's atmosphere was flat. While Luna performed rather good renditions of their studio recordings, highlights from The Days of Our Nights like "Dear Diary" and "4000 Days" seemed forced and perfunctory...
...soothing and haunting on recordings, was reduced to a nasally twang straining to hit the top notes. While this may have been part of the band's charm, I found it difficult to listen to and rather annoying. The sedentary nature of the crowd was also unnerving. While Luna is not a band to which one dances madly, sitting down and occasional nodding meant the excitement inherent in concerts was absent...
...somewhat, through such things as the trumpet flourishes on "Hello Little One," a definite lively plus. The side comments from the band on the pleasant-smelling popcorn (and the subsequent audience member who bestowed the band with a tub) and the intra-band bantering were also amusing. However, Luna's set was underwhelming, either because of the too-hip-to-be-wild atmosphere or sheer boredom...