Wednesday, October 8, 1997
Angsty singer not able to animate bored crowd
MUSIC: But, over-the-top
performances, lyrics may send Lynch to stardom
By Vanessa VanderZanden
Daily Bruin Staff
Even though he may be one hell of an angry guy, Brendan Lynch
would have had to light tear gas bombs to motivate crowds last
Monday night. His appearance at the over-publicized, black-walled
Viper Room required more energy than any performer should be asked
to muster.
Especially since his set followed two unheard of groups, Love
Revival and the comparatively mellow, estrogen-fueled combo,
Tarnation, who created a scene unlikely to comprehend Lynch’s
angst-driven lyrics and power-studded chords. Especially at 11:30
on the first night of the working week, when the droves of haggard
office slaves need more than a cold brew and amplified sound to
make it through a less-than-famous club act’s set.
Yet, one has to wonder what kind of an impact Lynch would have
had even on the most kinetically-explosive of nights, performing in
the most coveted of time slots to a burgeoning audience of Lynch
groupies, squirming like larvae in the Summer heat. Screaming
exuberantly into the microphone as though he, the god of sardonic
musings, held the tame crowd in the palm of his hand, Lynch seemed
more of a mid-show clown than the evening’s main event.
As he melo-dramatically clutched the mic-stand and fell to his
knees in pools of sweat, he appeared as the oft-mocked media image
of what rock stars have become today : exhibitionists who take
themselves way too seriously. And his lead guitarist only managed
to further propogate this vision, holding his phalic extension with
the gusto of a battalion commander, his face contorting as though
cannon balls would be soon to shoot straight out of his powerful
machine had he not the strength to hold on and play just one more
reverberational riff.
However, it seems obvious that just this kind of over-the-top
performance style is what attracted promoter Glen Ballard, the
music exec who brought Alanis Moristte’s vengeful lyrics to the
limelight. Ballard’s co-production of Lynch’s debut album, a
self-titled package, may propell the comically intense musician to
the front stages of sold out amphitheaters the world over. Which,
as last Monday night’s sampling revealed, would probably not
disturb Lynch in the slightest. And, for the record, may not
disturb the likes of pop/rock radio junkies to a large extent
either, once they warm up to Lynch’s scratchy flounderings. But
then again, they got used to Morissette, so anything’s
possible.
Some of the catchier tunes, which had the audience of made-up
Melrose Place stand-ins still bopping their heads as they left the
cubby-hole-sized room, included "Get Over Yourself" and "Ride."
Both tunes involve more insightful lyrics than the snappy choruses
allowed the crowd to appreciate, which the typically high-volume
club setting of the background instruments helped to drown out.
Yet, like any band, it only takes those first few listeners to
buy the album based on a few memorable phrases, then after repeated
play, pick up on the meatier text, to become established within
America’s pop culture. For despite Lynch’s generic stage presence
and typically angstful three to four word recitations which bop
around in listeners’ heads for days afterwards, his knack for
poetry cannot be denied. His songs mention "swimming naked in the
Listerine" and a girl clad solely in "body paint and
acupuncture."
With this kind of lyrical talent and Ballard’s backing, it would
be difficult to imagine Lynch’s success confining itself to the
Viper Room on Monday nights for long.
Mercury Records
Brendan Lynch played at the Viper Room Sept. 30. Though the
performance wasn’t memorable, Lynch will undoubtedly find
success.