Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto - October 16, 2006


Nobody pulls Beck's strings ... except last night



TORONTO - One of the funniest moments from the movie This Is Spinal Tap occurred when the band received second-billing behind "puppet show" on the marquee.
But by combining music and puppets last night at the Ricoh Coliseum, Beck put on one of the most creative concerts you ever will see.

Beck, a singer/songwriter/hip-hop rapper/funky hipster who defies definition, always is interesting. But last night he pushed "interesting" toward "bizarre" with fun results.
The puppets bore likenesses to Beck and his band, and throughout the night the big video screen provided close-ups not of the human beings, but of the performing puppets.

Late in the show, a fully set dinner table emerged and Beck's band sat around it. Beck serenaded them with his acoustic guitar and it ended with the kind of rocked-up glass-clinking session that would get any kid grounded.

It wasn't all about the sideshows, though. Beck and his band sounded crisp and clear as they weaved through the better-known songs of his decade-plus career (Loser, Devil's Haircut, Where It's At) as well as tunes from his new CD The Information (Elevator Music, Cellphone's Dead).

You might think the puppet bit would get tiresome, but it never got old, despite some minor technical difficulties experienced by the "puppet-cam."

"We thought a lot about the puppets' eyes," Beck said in an interview with the Toronto Sun prior to the show (see adjoining story). "Finally we settled on black dots."

Uh, because that's the most terrifying thing for children?
"And adults, too," Beck said with a smile.
Musically and theatrically speaking, Beck is no puppet.

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has anyone else seen this tour? i swear to god, it was incredible.

the puppets were amazing.

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Halloween came early for Canadians last night when Beck and his band of merry, wig-wearing mates descended on Toronto’s Drake Hotel to play secret midnight show following their Ricoh Coliseum gig. The vibe was frat-party meets alterna-hoedown: Beck and crew downed shots and beer to fuel the lead song “Scarecrow.” The bassist announced, “We’re gonna try and play some stuff we don’t normally get to play,” and the band proceeded to cut loose with joyously sloppy versions of “Diamond Bollocks,” “We Dance Alone,” “Black Tambourine,” and a mash-up of David Bowie’s “Fame” and Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust.” Beck seemed content to sit back and let his increasingly inebriated bandmates entertain the crowd, looking on in amusement as keyboardist Brian Lebarton (who insisted on being called “Cameron” all night) stripped off his shirt and repeatedly tumbled out of his chair. We’re betting more than a few wig-happy musicians are nursing hangovers today.

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i fucking hate the drake.

it's ok, it would be a cool venue to see beck in.

i had a chance to see mia there last year and turned it down.

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He did a taping last night at the Bravo! Rehearsal Hall...it was AWESOME.

damn, he's really showing toronto some lovin'

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I saw a whole half hour of one of those shows televised, puppets and all....
Back in fine form he is. So good is The Information album he has forced me to save up for 4 copies to I can collect all the different sticker sheets inside. Yes, I am sad, but he is so good....