Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins

I went and saw me some Jenny Lewis and the Watson twins tonight, live and in concert at the world-famous Birchmere. An enjoyable show that really opened up her recent solo album for me.

First of all, this was my first time at the club while I want to like it, I can't really give it my full endorsement. It's a cool place with plenty of tables and chairs, which I like. But I was hassled by security for "taking pictures" with my cameraphone when there were plenty of other people taking photos with their flash and everything. Further, the joint is just in the middle of nowhere with no sort of public transit anywhere nearby.

The show itself, however, was solid if a little short. I didn't love Rabbit Fur Coat, but I thought it was quite good. The songs and the lyrics weren't anything special, but Jenny is just such a great performer that they couldn't help but grab you.

The live set really elevated my opinion of it, though. Interestingly, The hightlight for me was the performance of Jenny's backing vocalists, the Watson Twins. At first, they kind of creeped me out. I think the whole identical twins dressing identical is kinda screwy.

But I realized that the whole shtick behind Jenny's performance was really fantastic vocals and the Twins were a big part of that. Jenny has always had a great, full, and distinct voice. Add some carefully thought out backup singers ooh'ing and aah'ing and you have yourself a party.

The result was a vocal sound that as (A) even bigger than on the expertly produced album and (B) totally unlike anything you usually see at a rock show. Now, I've had a little vocal training myself and I've always appreciated really talented singers, so for me, this was a special treat.