Bachelorette and Here We Go Magic Seaport July 3, 2009 Written By Joshua Williams Photographed By Amy Davidson   Opposite Photo: Jennifer Turner of Here We Go Magic

We started our summer music outings with a Friday at the Seaport. It’s a good location for shows, and on a nice day with a breeze coming off the river, it can be quite a pleasurable experience.

Bachelorette

For some reason, the powers that be decided I had to endure Bachelorette. I didn’t find anything particularly striking with her set. Playing guitar and keys over laptop loops, her music could be described as moody at best. But I found it pretty indistinguishable. It seems like Bachelorette played a lot of solo karaoke in front of a mirror, and somewhere between that and cutting out indecipherable collages of kitty cats and butterflies, she convinced someone to let her play live.

Luke Temple of Here We Go Magic

She was followed by Here We Go Magic. I did enjoy some things. A few. The drummer’s use of handkerchiefs over the drums as a dampening device was kind of neat. He also provided a lot of tom heavy drums a la Maureen Tucker. There were some good moments from the keyboardist, and the bass player was serviceable. There were lots of pretty soundscapes, an the whole thing is kind of washed in psychedelia, but I found a lack of any distinct melodies.

Here We Go Magic

I think my issue with this show, along with many I see, is this: where is the rock? Where are the songs that make you want to sing along. I’m tired of seeing bands that don’t entertain. There’s that old saying that New York audiences are too cool to dance or actually enjoy the bands they’re watching. That bored attitude appears to have spread to the stage. Even though Here We Go Magic almost made up for my having to endure Bachelorette, it wasn’t enough, and I would have rather been somewhere else.

myspace.com/bachelorettepop

myspace.com/herewegomagic

herewegomagic.com