Jake Shears and Ana Matronic of Scissor Sisters
Ana Matronic was blistering in her pop-rock-dance attack at the Scissor Sisters show Saturday night at Epic in Minneapolis. And yes, dears, Jake Shears did display his butt, sort of.
While one thinks of Shears as heading the group, Matronic does more talking and about the same amount of singing. Next to her, the exhibitionist Shears can seem almost shy. Both of them danced throughout the 80-minute show that also included costume changes, a 3-song encore and confetti cannons.
The nightclub was packed with screaming fans as the six-piece (plus two backup singers) performed almost every song from this year's "Night Work," their third CD.
They opened with the new CD's title track, and included in their encore "Invisible LIght," a single off the record. A standout mid-set for its killer dance beat was "Any Which Way," which is being released next as a video and single. The set also included several older songs, including "Filthy/Gorgeous," "Take Your Mama" and "I Don't Feel Like Dancing."
The band members upheld their reputation as celebrants of all things nocturnal (dancing, drinking, sex, clubbing). "This is the dirtiest song Jake has ever written," Matronic said to introduce "Whole New Way," a catchy, hyper-suggestive ode to sexual versatility.
Matronic, who has lost about 30 pounds recently (and gotten married to longtime bf Seth Kirby) wore a tight vintage-style dress with fringe-y separate shoulder pads. Her trademark red hair was lacquered into a 1940s wave. Her look may be icy and cool, but her stage persona is drag-queen defiant.
Shears, known for his body-bearing stage getups, wore a red, black and mustard-colored unitard and motorcycle jacket. By concert's end he had stripped down to a shredded singlet that looked like the product of an encounter between a goth gay grappler and a grizzly bear. The audience, a mix of straight and gay, went wild.
Somewhat tiresome were Matronic's stage sermonettes. There were the usual ones about "you guys are the best audience ever!" Another time, she blasted a critic for calling Scissor Sisters "shallow," and insisted there was a form of "transformative therapy" in their party music. While she seemed sincere, it came across as off-puttingly defensive. Shears said less between songs, though he did encourage people to get tested for HIV. The sound mix at Epic was harsh and treble-y, and the volume inched ever louder into the painful zone.
The suave opening act was Casey Spooner, half of the electro-cabaret act fischerspooner.
The Scissor Sisters set list: Night Work / Laura / Any Which Way / She's My Man / Something Like This / Whole New Way / Tits on the Radio / Running Out / Take Your Mama / ? / I Don't Feel Like Dancing / Skin Tight / Night Life / Fire with Fire / ? / Comfortably Numb / Invisible Light / Filthy/Gorgeous
