LIVE REPORT ~ The Candy Spooky Theater: May 21, 2007
The Knitting Factory New York City, NY
The lighting was dim— as one would expect from a “tap bar.” The stage was set a mere four inches above the floor the crowd stood on. In this enclosed corner, the only thing that stopped people from walking onto the stage were the three loud speakers placed on the edge of the stage and the wall of the front crowd which made up what should have been the rail.
Roger, CEO of Tainted Reality, strolled onto the stage. Without deliberation, he announced the band members. Peggy, the bassist, came in first in a Victorian white shirt and rose-red dress, with matching ribbons adorning his customary pigtails. Zull, the guitarist, was next, dressed in a long sleeved Victorian shirt with an elegant black dress over it. A white top hat sat askew on his white curls as he approached his guitar which stood on a stand. The crowd held its breath. Finally it was time. With urgings from Roger, the crowd screamed for Jack Spooky, the vocalist, and last member, of this group. Without warning, This is Halloween, the beginning theme song from the movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” chimed through the speakers. The crowd cheered harder in recognition, and Jack walked onstage dressed in gothic black head to toe, a corset wrapped around his waist. When the members arranged themselves on stage, Peggy, Jack, and Zull respectively, they were no more than two feet away from the crowd. It was an intimate affair, and the crowd held its breath in anticipation.
The playful notes of Devilish Kidnapper began. Suddenly, as if invisible strings began pulling on him, Jack hung his arms and head in the air like a puppet. When Jack’s part came up, he came to life again, singing to the crowd. Somewhere in this playful interlude, Peggy’s bass strap broke. Without a thought, he rested his instrument on the stage, playing and dancing as if it was his intention. Luckily, the broken strap was replaced by the next song and the show continued.
With each new song, the crowd seemed to cheer even harder. And with each new song, the band members pulled the crowd more and more into their show, until the heat in the room escalated to burning levels. Merry Go Round strummed out. The crowd yelled in jubilation. Each time the chorus came up, Jack held out the microphone to the crowd. The audience screamed the lyrics louder and louder at his urgings.
The crowd was very much a part of The Candy Spooky Theater’s act, much to the enjoyment of the audience. The singing, cheering, and eye contact made from each and every band member to the crowd of fans made it a wonderful show.
The Candy Spooky Theater received one of the best and longest encore calls this author has ever heard of at a Japanese rock concert. Given the time it took for Candy Spooky to get back onstage, it’s possible they weren’t even supposed to have an encore. Luckily for the fans, they did. Jack had, at this time, retrieved a piece of paper with some English on it, and proceeded to speak to the crowd in English.
“Hello New York City!” Grateful cheers came from the audience.
Jack looked out at the crowd, searching the sea of faces, “Let’s get crazy together!!” The crowd went wild with agreement. Without pause, the encore began.
The encore lasted for three songs, mostly replays of what had already been played, but the crowd didn’t care. The audience danced, shouted, and lifted their arms in excitement. It was a great performance, one that many fans wish to relive again.
report and photos by Sophia
Thank you to Tainted Reality and The Knitting Factory for making this possible.
links
Tainted Reality
The Candy Spooky Theater Official Website
The Candy Spooky Theater Official MySpace
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