After a rather up and down (but mostly up) 2005, I thought it was only fitting to end this year with a bang. So, I flew to New York, expended a majority of my holiday bonus and got tickets way in advance for the upcoming Clap Your Hands Say Yeah show at Irving Plaza.
Unlike my 2005, Clap Your Hands' year is nothing but up. After starting off the year with shows to 30 people at small New York venues, this Brooklyn based band (well, Alec is from Philly, but he commutes to Brooklyn) are now outdoing their headliners, pressing more albums than they could handle, made an appearance on Conan O'Brien and now is headlining a sold out show on New Year's eve with support coming from the very headliners they outdone earlier in the year.
I arrived at Irving Plaza at around 11pm, missing both Dr. Dog and The National. I wanted this to be an all Clap Your Hands show, full of nothing but fun and none of the sadness that accompanied The National.
As me and my two great friends entered Irving Plaza, we were dismayed by the venue no longer accepting coat checks and the line to the bathroom. However, the atmosphere was absolutely celebratory, with everyone in their best attire and best attitude. There were fake tattoo artists, carnival games and people giving away party favors all over the venue.
Oh, but I was still pissed that there was no coat check. So I talked to the coat check ladies and bribed them accordingly. It worked out best for everyone!
After getting our drinks, we made our way to the open stage. We didn't get very far, but we were content. There was a huge basket of balloons at the top just waiting to be opened at Midnight. Some people were wearing balloon animals on their heads, with some in the back crowning me with their own. I took them off and tossed it to the crowd like a beach ball.
Clap Your Hands came on around 11:45 and opened with an instrumental track I've never heard of. I believe "Clap Your Hands" followed, with Alec holding a megaphone. "Graceful Retreat/Is This Love?" followed. That's when the countdown began. They started it 2 minutes premature, but it didn't matter. Everyone was boisterous, with kisses and hugs all around. Unfortunately, the net of balloons didn't fully disengage. However, that was corrected by a valiant audience member who was able to grab the net and let the balloons loose.
From that point on, Clap Your Hands played an amazing set of songs from their debut album. "Yellow Country Teeth" and "Home on Ice" were my personal favorites. "Me and You Watson" and "Satan Said Dance" are my other two. Let me tell you though, each song played was done so magnificently and flawlessly that the crowd was eating up every note.
The band themselves were in high spirits. Alec was focused yet so appreciative of the crowd. The rest of the band displayed their usual active selves.
We went and got temporary tattoos and merchandise during the last two songs of their set. Not because we didn't want to, but because we wanted more physical mementos from the show.
Overall, a fantastic end to 2005 and I couldn't have spent it any better.
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