Thursday, November 6, 1997
It’s no lie: Fibbers’ live act enrapts fans
MUSIC: Added spiritual violinist, stand-up bass create soulful
spectacle
By Vanessa VanderZanden
Daily Bruin Staff
For some bands, only a live performance captures the ephemeral
quality which they exude. Their notes transcend the physical world,
lifting audiences up with them beyond the walls and ceiling of the
concert hall. Such a band is the Geraldine Fibbers.
Taking over the Palace last Thursday night, the darkly cosmic
group put on a show that held fans transfixed. In support of their
latest release, "Butch," the small club act seems to gain die-hard
supporters wherever they play. With the inclusion of a spiritual
violinist and stand-up bass player to the routine two guitars,
vocals and drums, the Fibbers provide a musical experience unlike
most other L.A. club-circuit travelers.
Lead singer and guitarist Carla Bozulich led the Fibbers in a
series of fast-paced tunes to kick the evening off. Flailing
himself stiffly like a wooden doll brought to life, guitarist
extraordinaire Nels Cline careened through chords just to the right
of the shrieking Bozulich. Their energy spun the crowd into a
frenzy of head bopping, and at times, a little moshing.
The five band members seemed bonded together as only tight
musicians can be, playing off of each others’ feedback, seeming to
almost create the spectacular noises for the first time,
spontaneously, onstage that night.
Once the group had properly caught the audience, they climbed
into a series of awe-inspiring jam sessions which proved the meat
and potatoes of the entire evening. Once the violin began singing
mournfully on "Trashman in Furs," the entire crowd lost themselves
in thoughts of who they are, what they want, and what they aren’t
and can never have.
But the moment climaxed as all members left the stage, leaving
only the violinist and guitarist to stretch out the chords on
"Butch" to a despairing degree. They seized the audience, pulling
them down in the blue lights of the club, making them wish they
could take their lives along in the almost death cry which the
instruments produced.
And, even when the quintet flashed through some of their hokier
country-laden pieces like "Folks Like Me" and "You Do Right," they
never left out the meandering wheat-field sadness which so often
accompanies a classic, down-home tune. By the time the group left
the stage, one by one, "Sound of Music"-style, the audience could
only whine for more, appeased by one spindly guitar droning encore.
But the Geraldine Fibbers will most definitely be back, their music
needing a live audience as much as a live audience needs their
music.Virgin
The Geraldine Fibbers played at the Palace last Thursday.