AXIS|OF|LIVE

1) The PATH train costs less than a single NYC subway ride
2) You can buy liquor at the deli next to the train station in Jersey City
3) Loew’s Landmark Theater = $1 soda! $2 candy and popcorn! $1 bottles of water!
4) Beck = still awesome (despite the scientology!)

Loew’s Landmark Theater was very easy to find once we emerged from the train station, with due thanks to the young man standing outside and holding a sign that read “BECK” with an arrow pointing to the left. We wondered if he was getting paid to do that, or if he was steering the crowds out of the kindness of his heart. The theater is absolutely gorgeous, a remnant of the earlier half of the twentieth century, with a lavish interior to match the exterior. And much to our surprise, drinks and candy were cheap as hell. Sarah snagged a box of popcorn and I bought a Diet Coke, and we scurried to our seats, near the wall at the halfway point of the orchestra. Not too shabby of a view, though it was obscured somewhat once the other people in front of us arrived. That’s always a bummer.

The openers were Baltimore’s own Spank Rock, who made do with the small section of the stage not overwhelmed by Beck’s massive set-up. They tore shit up for a solid half hour, unable to go on longer because of the many wires that needed to be untangled and unplugged once they were done. MC Spankrock was joined by a talented crew that included DJs, back-up rappers and bongo players, and they treated the slowly growing audience with a blend of amazing numbers such as “Rick Rubin,” “Chilly Will,” “Backyard Betty,” “Bump” and personal favorite, “Sweet Talk.” Most everyone there ended up really getting into their short but energetic set, especially a cluster of white guys who looked like they were raised on a diet of Eminem and now had graduated to Spank Rock, holding up their cell phones so friends at home could hear, and waving their hands like frat boy groupies. I can dig it. I was happy to see them open for Beck, figuring I could skip their Bowery show later this week, but they were so good, I’m now undecided.

After about a 35 minute wait, we got the treat we’d heard so much about: puppets! Now see, I thought they were going to be muppet types of puppets, in crazy blue and purple and green colors with big noses and crazy hair. But they were marionettes of Beck and his band, bearing striking resemblances to their human counterparts, even down to their outfits. “I wonder if the band has to wear the same clothes every night, or if they have a whole selection of tiny outfits for the puppets,” I said to Sarah. “They probably wear the same thing every night, dude,” she replied, laughing. I like my idea better. Big puppet wardrobes!

The puppets performed “Loser,” a perfect opener, and then we were greeted by Beck and his actual band, who got into “Black Tambourine.” The puppets were handled on their own tiny stage in the background, with cameramen crouched before them, taping their every move, which was projected onto a big screen in the background. The detail was really astounding: the puppets had their own instruments, including tiny tambourines, maracas, and a xylophone. They were handled by four puppetmasters, who really did an amazing job controlling them for the two hour set. How cool must it be to write “Beck’s puppetmaster” on the occupation line of your tax return?

As mentioned, the set was long. Long, but substantial. The last time I saw Beck was in Melbourne, Australia on his Sea Change tour, a very somber show which included a lot of moments where Beck sat alone on the stage and sang sad songs. This time, Beck was surrounded by his band at all times, even during the acoustic solo set, when a table and chairs were brought out and the band sat beside him and ate dinner (chicken salad, for the curious). Their dinner ended with a rousing jam session that included clinking on plates and glassware during the final number of the main set, a mix of “Clap Hands” and “One Foot in the Grave.” Another great mix occurred earlier in the set, which included the amazing “Hotwax,” “Nicotine and Gravy,” “Hell Yes,” “Scarecrow,” and a cover of Of Montreal’s “Wraith Pinned to the Mist.” Dude knows his indie rock.

I’m not too familiar with his new album, The Information, but it might be telling that the least interesting numbers of the set were from the LP. I found myself getting a little bored during the section of the set where he went through all new songs, including “Dark Star,” “Motorcade,” “The Information,” and single “Nausea.” “Cellphone’s Dead” was great, though, as was “We Dance Alone.” I was really glad to hear some choice numbers from Sea Change and Mutations, such as “Dead Melodies,” “The Golden Age,” and one of my all-time favorite Beck songs, “Oh Maria,” which he unfortunately forgot the words to after a single verse. Before the ultimately fun and happy encore, in which he juxtaposed an older classic (”Where It’s At”) with a newer one (”E-Pro”), we got to see the cutest video in the world, of the puppets taking in the sights and sounds of Jersey City (Beck puppet wearing children’s sneakers! Puppets sniffing panties in the store!). The soundtrack to said video was Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On a Prayer,” and man alive, you’ve never heard a crowd of people so eager to sing along. That’s Jersey pride for you. I hope he releases a DVD with all of the videos from every city on the tour. I would so buy it.

Final assessment: dude’s still got it. He also hasn’t aged at all since he broke onto the scene. I wonder what vitamins he’s taking. Or maybe eternal youth is a perk of scientology. But I don’t care if he’s a scientologist! He has puppets! He wrote “Devil’s Haircut!” He will therefore always be awesome. Here’s the setlist, courtesy of Sarah, who has one of those little electronic writing pads for purposes such as these:

Loser / Black Tambourine / Girl / Mixed Bizness / We Dance Alone / Que Onda Guero / I Think I’m in Love / I Got Expectations / Hotwax-Nicotine and Gravy-Scarecrow-Hell Yes-Wraith Pinned to the Mist mix / Cellphone’s Dead / Paper Tiger / Devil’s Haircut / Dark Star / Motorcade / The Information / Nausea / Broken Drum / (Something acoustic) / Tropicalia / Guess I’m Doin’ Fine / Oh Maria / Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime / Dead Melodies / Debra / The Golden Age / Clap Hands-One Foot in the Grave mix // 1000 BPM / Where It’s At / E-Pro