Gossip are the biggest fucking rock stars that mainstream America have never heard of, and during their latest Seattle visit they showed us what a real rock show should look like. It isn’t pretty, but rather a sweaty, emotional, riveting, screaming, exhausting experience.
In true rock star fashion, each band member made a separate entrance with Hannah coming on first to set the beat, followed by Nathan layering on the mechanical guitar and finally Beth crooning the opening lines of “Dimestore Diamond,” a track that is reminiscent of Prince’s brilliant “Raspberry Beret.” Gossip’s latest release Music For Men is more slickly produced than their earlier work, lacking some of their trademark raw energy and heavier on dance beats. That being said, I still love it. Beth’s vocal range is subdued on many of the songs, kept under lock and key almost, but during the live show that kitty was let out of the cage and she shredded the vocals. Ms. Ditto is a force that will not be contained.
All of us at the sold out Showbox mimicked Beth’s every dance move, shimmying and bouncing on the packed floor, which became a giant mosh pit during “Don’t Make Waves.” Before “Men in Love,” Beth lead us in a rendition of “If You’re Happy And You Know It” but changing the words to “If you’re queer and you know it clap your hands. If you’re straight and you know it clap your hands.” Clap we did because how could you possibly deny her? That girl has charisma for days. It was almost more entertaining to listen to her chat with the crowd, responding to every cat call with her biting wit. And her charm—she thanked Seattle for making the Midwest worth it.
Similar to their Block Party performance, they stuck to songs off the new album but threw in some older stuff like “Yr Mangled Heart” and of course “Standing in the Way of Control.” Hearing Gossip perform that song live should be on your "100 Thing To Do Before I Die" list. Watching Beth doubled over, screaming into the microphone, the crowd jumping up and down, sweat pouring off all of us . . . it all sent shivers down my spine. Beth said it best, “I don’t mind selling out.”
