Dean and Britta
Schubas in Chicago
3/15/7
I’m a huge fan of both Luna and Galaxie 500 and it’s clear to me that after this length of time Dean Wareham has not only built up a fantastic back catalog of albums and songs but still has the magic to create more. Singing alongside his enchanting wife Britta Phillips (also a member of Luna), the melodies literally ran off the stage as the audience tried to catch them if only to hold on to the moment of bliss they were experience just a little bit longer. While they played songs spanning across their careers, their set was, in one word: lovely.
I’ve seen Luna live a couple of times but the small setting of Schubas really brought out Dean Wareham’s gentleness. Britta was at some times passionate as in the case of “You Turn My Head Around” but overall just exhibited a real grace and sense of beauty that made you long for the song to continue just a little more. There’s a real sense of almost timelessness to them and a perfect space where homeostasis and harmonic balance is occurring. Their Velvet Underground inspired music feels inspired even in it’s deepest melancholy. Britta’s bass playing and Dean’s guitar chords were also accompanied well by the keyboard playing of Lara Meyerratken who helped fill in the songs in a way that made them complete.
The real highlights of their approximately hour long set for me were “Bewitched” and their cover of Serge Gainsbourg’s “Bonnie and Clyde” which if memory serves they played as Luna at The Metro a few years back. While the new songs off of their album Back Numbers hold up well with their past material, it hasn’t made its way into my heart as much as L’avventura but only perhaps because it needs some more time. The overall set was incredibly well balanced, though they didn’t play one of my favorite Dean and Britta songs, “Moon Shot.” It was still nice to listen to “Hear the Wind Blow.”
Visit the official site of Dean and Britta
View the complete set on flickr
click more to view Dean and Britta’s setlist as well as further remaining tour dates:
Mar 20 2007 8:30P
The Music Mill Indianapolis, Indiana
Mar 22 2007 9:00P
Mercy Lounge – 18 & up Nashville, Tennessee
Mar 23 2007 8:00P
Variety Playhouse Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 24 2007 8:00P
Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, North Carolina
Mar 29 2007 8:00P
Black Cat Washington, D.C, Maryland
Mar 30 2007 8:00P
Hiro Ballroom New York, New York
Apr 6 2007 8:00P
The Getty L.A., California
Apr 7 2007 8:00P
The Silent Movie Theatre Los Angeles, California
Apr 8 2007 8:00P
Independent San Francisco, California
Apr 10 2007 8:00P
Alladin Theater Portland, Oregon
Apr 11 2007 7:30P
Triple Door Seattle, Washington