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a nu-metal
goddess
Lennon concert review
BY KELLIE ABRAHAMSON KAbrahamson1@aol.com
At 9:15 last Friday night I was speeding down
JTB trying to make it to the Freebird and praying that
none of Jacksonville’s Finest were sneakily hiding
in the bushes ready to issue me ticketus maximus.
After an already ridiculously long, terrible day, I had
ushered my two kids out the door an hour later than
I’d planned (mostly due to two missing shoes, a
“she hit me!!!” and a potty emergency that ended
in disaster) and it was one of those days where
all I really wanted to do was crawl into bed and
sleep until Sunday. Instead, I had to cover nu-metal
songstress Lennon’s concert; hence my mad dash
down JTB.
I hate being late to anything, but given the day
I’d had, I was almost relieved. My assignment was
to cover Lennon’s performance, not the opening
acts, so I thought my tardiness would spare me one
or two bands and then I would be that much closer
to Lennon and subsequently my bed. Once I fi nally
arrived at Freebird Live, my hopes for a relatively
early night were dashed- the fi rst band was just
about to begin their set. At the time, I kicked myself
for being in such a rush, but it actually ended up
being a good thing because these opening acts
explained a lot about the audience and what was to
come.
You see, Lennon is Lennon Murphy, a singer/
songwriter from Tennessee who is also an alt pinup
model on SuicideGirls.com. At 19, she released her
fi rst album, 5:30 Saturday Morning, and has since
come out with four more records and two DVDs,
all on John Galt Entertainment, the label she cofounded.
She’s headed back to the studio in a couple
of weeks to make yet another record, promising this
one will be her heaviest yet.
After touring with the Warped Tour and
opening for Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe, Lennon has
developed a sizable following. Apparently no one has
sent Jacksonville that memo. Most of the people that
were at the show on Friday were there for Manna
Zen, AWOL or Mindslip, the local bands opening for
the nu-metal goddess. If you’re familiar with these
bands, you know that they’re, generally speaking,
melodic hard rock which would,
under normal circumstances, be
a perfect match for Lennon.
This particular evening,
though, she was without her
band, so audience members,
many of whom had no idea
who Lennon even was, were
surprised to see a pretty 20something
get on stage and
sing accompanied only by her
keyboard a la Tori Amos after all
the metal acts. Lennon informed
the audience that she writes all
of her songs on piano fi rst and
then gets together with the band
to transform the tunes into the
heavier stuff you hear on her records. Those familiar
with her work (all 6 in attendance) got to hear her
songs in a whole new way, while those who were
not had to just trust that the soulful piano ballads
sound completely different on her CDs and when the
band’s around.
With only about 50 people in the club during
her set, Lennon seemed to just have fun with her
time on stage. She spoke with her fans and manager
freely between songs, taking requests and joking
about her anonymity in the River City. Lennon also
told stories about the tunes she played, explaining
the origins of certain songs and why they’re
important to her life and career. At one point she
nervously performed a song she had written the
words to earlier that day, having a public moment of
insecurity before diving into a beautiful song with a
complex piano arrangement.
Given her SuicideGirls fame, I expected pervy
guys and catcalls, and there were a few. In fact, the
fi rst reaction to Lennon’s presence on stage was
“You’re hot!” yelled by a drunken frat boy. Members
of the male persuasion spent the fi rst half of the
show on the second fl oor of the building, presumably
so they could get a clear view of Lennon’s cleavage.
Still, the veteran singer/songwriter held her own
against the heckling oglers, throwing out comical
retorts, calling them out on their immaturity and even
demanding that they buy her drinks. By the end of
her set she had 18 bottled waters and 5 six packs of
Newcastle on stage waiting for her.
Even though most of the audience were
there to see someone else and ended up hearing
Lennon’s songs at their most basic level, by the
end of her hour-long set the songstress had won
over the crowd and many new fans lined up with
existing fans at the merch table to snag a CD and an
autograph, including the rude drunken frat boy. As
for me, I fi nally hit my pillow at 2:30 in the morning
but I didn’t really mind. At some point during one of
Lennon’s spellbinding songs, my ridiculously long,
terrible day turned into a ridiculously long, alright
night. What a difference a good show makes!
Charlie Hall Murray Hill Theatre, Jax (388-7807)
Silver Lake Drive Kingfi sh Grill, St. Augustine (824-2111)
LeMonde Ocean 60, Jax Beach (247-0060)
Jenna Metro Backstreets, St. Augustine (827-0990)
Kenhe The Homestead, Jax Beach
Little Green Men Brewsters Pub, Jax (223-9850)
Mike Sweet & Friends Mi Casa Café, St. Augustine
(824-9317)
Jager Dave On the Rocks, Jax (685-5268)
Retro Kats Culhane’s Irish Pub, Atlantic Beach
(249-9595)
Blue Collar Addict Brewsters Pit, Jax (223-9850)
Crystal Bessels Kickback’s, Jax (388-9551)
Matt Collins Pauly’s Pizza, Jax (727-9101)
Will Pearsall A1A Aleworks, St. Augustine (829-2977)
Yancy Clegg Sneakers, Jax
Phathom, Ampleforth Yesterdays, Jax (387-0502)
Brian Turner & Rip Tide Cliff’s, Atlantic Beach (249-2777)
Sidewalk 65 Tom & Betty’s, Jax (387-3311)
FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPT. 14-15
Cheshire Cats Trade Winds Lounge, St. Augustine
(829-9336)
A1A The Roadhouse, Orange Park (264-0611)
Pili Pili Caribbee Key, Neptune Beach (270-8940)
Something Distant Scarlett’s, St. Augustine (824-6535)
Dueling Pianos Dick’s Wings/Tinseltown, Jax
The Outcasts The Oasis, St. Augustine (471-3424)
Blistur Mercury Moon, Orange Park (215-8999)
Mr. Natural Tailgaters, Green Cove Springs (529-1976)
Boxrockers Lynch’s, Jax Beach (249-5181)
Out of Hand Palace Saloon, Fernandina
Livid Overtime Bar, Jax
Lisa & the Madhatters Cheers, Mandarin (262-4337)
Dot Wilder Jazz Casablanca Inn, St. Augustine
John Michael Rose Wicked Davey’s, Fernandina
Ron Perry Ragtime Tavern, Neptune Beach (241-7877)
Big Al & the Kaholics Monkey’s Uncle, Mandarin
(260-1349)
Those Guys A1A Aleworks, St. Augustine (829-2977)
Yankee Slickers Whitey’s Fish Camp, Orange Park
(269-4198)
Boogie Freaks Square One, Jax (306-9004)
Ryan Hamner The Grape, Jax (642-7111)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Robby Schenck Kickback’s, Jax (388-9551)
Magnolia Possums Creekside Dinery, St. Augustine
(829-6113)
Lauren Fincham Frisky Mermaid, Fernandina (261-3300)
Chelsea Saddler European Street/Beach, Jax (725-3929)
JW Gilmore Blues Pizza Garden, St. Augustine (471-9455)
7 Tides of Royal Blood Thee Imperial, Jax (475-0488)
Don’t Tell Anne Fionn Maccool’s, Jax Beach (242-9499)
The Bridges, Spoken Groove Murray Hill Theatre,
Jax (388-7807)
Bush Doctors Kingfi sh Grill, St. Augustine (824-2111)
Brian Turner w/Rip Tide Conch House, St. Augustine
(829-8646)
eujacksonville.com | september 13-19, 2007 23