Image Credit: Serge LeblonLast night’s Goldfrapp concert at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom was almost like a greatest hits tour—Alison and the band offered up plenty of ’80s disco magic (see: the video for “Alive”) by playing most of the tracks from their 2010 album Head First, but also went for some older favorites like “You Never Know,” “Number 1,” and “Ooh La La.”

“Voicething” was a brilliant opener, launching right into the thumping “Crystalline Green” from 2003′s Black Cherry. Alison, in full sparkle mode, started stomping around right away and quickly lost herself in a dizzying feast of outstretched arms and those ethereal wails we know and love. She adorably kept trilling “Helloooooooo….” between songs to the crowd, who ate her crazy right up. I’d say her most inspired outburst was “Neigh!” just before “Ride a White Horse,” but I also loved when she confessed that she’d had two drinks and wasn’t that so crazy? Said the creature responsible for some of the trippiest music of the decade!

For me, the best part of the concert was the first encore, or what my concert buddy and I called “the chill encore.” This was just two downtempo favorites, “Utopia” from Felt Mountain and “Black Cherry.” The jumping-bean crowd was able to catch its breath and retain some of its vision during this refrain from the strobe lights, and the heavy pulse of “Black Cherry” gently lured them back into mania mode….for the second encore: “Rocket” and “Strict Machine.” Of course!

I love music, but I’m not big on live shows. READ FULL STORY »