Original image of the Clientele by There Stands the Glass.
I didn’t make any friends in the line to the bathroom at the conclusion of performances by The Clientele and Papercuts at Mississippi Studios on Tuesday, August 22.
My assessments- “those songs weren’t bangers, they were bummers!” and “instead of party-starters, we heard party-enders!”- didn’t go over with fans of the morose bands.
As with the other 300 people in the Portland venue, I bought a $20 ticket because I’m partial to British sad boy bops like "Bonfires on the Heath". Unlike the humorless devotees, I think it’s funny that all of us chose to wallow in misery.
The lavish production of the Clientele’s gorgeous new album I Am Not There Anymore led me to believe the core members of the British band would be supplemented by additional musicians. I was wrong.
Rough and lean, the Clientele sounded little like its refined recordings. And never having previously seen the band, Alasdair MacLean’s guitar shredding came as a shock.
Papercuts was an ideal opening act. The group’s downcast jangle-pop reminded me of my affinity for the style 40 years ago. A rendition of “John Brown” felt like a faded postcard from my Kansas home.