Friday April 27, 2007 SGN.org |
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Volume 35 Issue 17 |
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Saturday, Aug 30, 2008
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Where It's At |
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| Jarvis Cocker giving rare appearance at The Showbox | ||
| by Jessica Browning -
SGN A&E Writer
Jarvis Cocker w/ Mono In VCF Monday, April 30- 8pm The Showbox - $20 Every once in a while I've found myself impossibly yearning for a new album by Pulp. Sadly, I've accepted that there isn't likely to be one, and instead satisfy my craving by dusting off His N Hers or A Different Class from time to time. Ever wondered what became of the misfit band that took so long to achieve success in the first place? Vocalist Jarvis Cocker has suddenly emerged from his self-imposed silence with the release of Jarvis (released this month on Rough Trade), followed by a prime spot on Coachella and a stop at Seattle's Showbox. Cocker and his varied bandmates in Pulp toiled away making scrappy, dark records in their hometown of Sheffield, England since 1978; audibly aching for stardom but never achieving it until the group finally aimed in one musical direction around 1992 with Separations followed by the top ten album His N Hers. Britpop mania was in full swing, and by 1995 Pulp's singles "Common People" and "Disco 2000" had become anthems guaranteed to pack dancefloors to this day. Pulp had finally achieved the status of writing a few classic pop tunes, and then things took an odd turn. Cocker, the unlikely nerd-turned-sex-symbol, got carried away by the long-awaited success and succumbed to a series of stupid behaviors (like mooning Michael Jackson during an awards show) and generally losing it through cocaine addiction. Although the last two Pulp albums still had a pulse resembling the old days, they were disappointing, self-conscious trainwrecks. It was a bit painful being a Pulp fan at that time, although the lanky, bespectacled Cocker still seemed talented, desperate and sexy in a perverse sort of way. On his brand new solo debut titled simply Jarvis, Cocker is sounding decidely more self-assured and unemcumbered by the trappings of UK mega-stardrom. You can bet his first solo appearance in Seattle will bring out all those boy and girls who had crushes on him back in 95'. He was always an older, oddball sex symbol, and still is. Nothing's really changed. Though his sense of humor and nerdy-seductive ways are still intact, it seems the agony of being in the spotlight while fast running out of inspiration has finally vanished from the songs. Cocker's voice is sounding better than ever, and a rare appearance from this reclusive star will be enough to get Pulp fans to turn out in droves. The new record touches on disappointing sexual encounters and love being not so blind - themes Cocker has always written about wryly and brilliantly. It will be a treat to have a chance to see the dapper, pouty man that stole the hearts of a thousand neo-mod boys. That unfaltering love is essentially what will bring listeners to The Showbox to see him. Cocker has been missed. J. Browning Artist Essentials: Standout tracks from Jarvis include "Fat Children" and "Baby's Coming Back To Me". Also go to www.youtube.com to find Pulp's legendary Glastonbury performance of "Common People" and the video for "Disco 2000". |
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