I suppose every person has those bands, those “you know by name” – those you have gotten recommendations for, those you have read about, those that are within a one-click purchase that never happens. Bands you feel like you already know except there’s just this one detail: you’ve never gotten around to listen to their music.
On the other hand, I have always much preferred being surprised by artists in a live performance. And so, tonight was kinda special for me in both those respects. I’m just back from a concert by French singer Yelle who is currently touring the U.S. and was at the Regency Ballroom tonight.
I had no idea what I was going to find, except for a friend telling me their music was very dance-y. And dance-y it was. From the beginning to the end, the audience was jumping up and down, faster and with more drive than I have seen in a lot of other shows. My ignorance of the tunes was in no way an issue – getting into the groove was easy as pie – it’s always better when there is company.
The french lyrics were not a deterrent to the crowd, au contraire. A lot of people in the audience tonight were of course French but not overwhelming. As such, it was quite a surprise to see a crowd in SF singing the chorus of À cause des Garçons — a cover of an old cheeky ‘80’s song.
As a bonus, the band stuck around for over an hour after the show to meet and greet the fans, take pictures, and sign posters. Complètement fou! It’s the kind of little things that easily wins me over.