Musical Sex on Stage

How to describe Handsome Furs' live show: see above. Sex on stage pretty much wraps it up.

It was hot, sweaty, completely manic, enticing, erotic, and entirely entrancing. Dan Boeckner (of Wolf Parade) and his wife Alexei Perry are two of the best performers I've seen in years. How do you put on a show for a couple hundred eager fans? Spastically kick the air while blasting synth and drum machines. Hit hard, electric riffs on the guitar, pulsing forward towards your wife, and letting her throw her head forward as she urges you to continue.

It was completely and utterly ridiculous. Sometimes I couldn't stop my face from forming that automatic "what-the-f-is-going-on" expression. My mouth dropped as Perry wriggled around the stage between songs. My grin widened as Boeckner began and punctuated every few words with fuckin'.

"We fuckin' love this fuckin' punk rock basement club here, Cleveland."

"This song is about fucking."

B: "You guys been to Zanesville, Ohio?"

P: "We stopped there for gas on the way. It was fuckin' sketchy. Something was seriously messed up about that place."

B: "Are any of you from Zanesville? If you are, I will personally buy you enough liquor to kill you."

P: grinning, "Dan is from the Zanesville of Canada."

B: "Yeah, I grew up in a fuckin' dump. This song is about growing up in a dump."

Apparently some fans bought the couple several rounds of shots before they went onstage. Perry kept talking about how wasted she was. But I was happy about it. I've never seen anybody have as much fun as those two were having. Boeckner was shredding faces with guitar playing that felt legendary. He made that thing squeal, and it came through so clearly, only to be accompanied by the beat of the drum machine. Perry hopped, skipped, and jumped while managing to hold down the beat and populate the songs with sleazy synths.

The Montreal duo spit on each other, licked each other, and even made out before the last song. It was strange to watch (is this music, or is this softcore porn?), but it made you smile in that knowing way. Like, "oh, to be young, and irresponsible, and living the life of sex, drugs, and rock&roll." I guess I can't call that knowing. I don't think I'll ever really know the rock lifestyle. I digress. They reminded me of every bad decision ever made. The kind of bad decisions that you look at in hindsight and smile about. Because you are glad you made them, happy to say you were reckless and carefree.

Reckless and carefree. Dan and Alexei. May their lust last forever.

Cleveland loves you.