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Words & Images by: Jake Krolick
Bob Schneider :: 12.10.07 :: World Café Live :: Philadelphia, PA
 Bob Schneider :: 12.10 :: Philly |
There are a few situations that can place a damper on one's concert experience. In addition to poor sound or a bad stomach, things usually turn sour when piss drunk attendees try to upstage a performer. Thankfully Bob Schneider saved his solo acoustic show from the crapper with his clever combination of Jim Breuer's wit and Keller Williams' tenacity.
The beauty of the Austin native's lighthearted attitude and punchy vocal delivery was epitomized when a mini-skirted fanatic decided that it was also her night to perform. Like an old kung-fu master, Schneider swooped in to make light of the "poop in the punch bowl" situation. We realized early on nothing was sacred in the mind of Bob Schneider. Case in point, his wonderful tongue-in-cheek response to just about every type of circumstance he encountered. Schneider waxed poetically about horny girls on ecstasy, crooned over methadone at Christmas and swiftly took the piss out of the drunken girl and her posse of clamoring goons.
For Schneider's latest fan-titled solo tour and album Songs Sung & Played on The Guitar with People in the Room, the brazen troubadour delved head first into familiar territory. He sung of the seedier side of life, tackling taboo subjects with humor and raw grit. He wove his stories into fresh, rhythmic songs performed in an inventive style all his own, aptly named "Frunk."
The World Cafe Live was a warm, dry haven holding 200 strong on a damp Monday evening. Filled with a mish-mash of longtime Schneider fans unafraid of a sing-a-long and fearing no amount of libation in the face of a newborn week, in short, the same legion of dedicated fans who wanted this tour to be called "The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour" or the oddly ribald "Better Then A Greasy Fishcock Tour." So it was mildly appropriate when the loud voices of drunken fans broke through Schneider's soft, tender rendition of "Long way to get before I get back home." Security moved in to ask the girl and her three suitors to calm down while Schneider diplomatically prodded them like he was a teacher calling-out bad students. He realized that the girl was incoherent so he let fly a hefty lyrical bitch slap with the opening lines of "Fist City":
No one wants to admit it
But I knew you fuckin did it
Things are gonna get shitty
'Cause were bound for fist city.
 Bob Schneider & Philadelphia All-Stars :: 12.10 |
The crowd roared with laughter while the three overgrown suitors appeared disturbed. Like a rabid pack of wolves, they bit and nipped at Schneider as he exclaimed that he simply wanted to play some music and get the fuck out of Philadelphia. The tension broke by the middle of a shaky "2002" when Schneider realized he forgot where he was in the song and decided that the night was some sort of messed up therapy session. He threw up his hands and accepted the evening, now simply a vessel being steered into uncharted waters by his captains, the audience.
The second hour heated up as if nothing had happened. Schneider slashed through a stripped down version of "Gumenema" as the stage glowed with a center display of discotheque Christmas lights. For a solo acoustic show, Schneider's electronic loops felt a little out of place, but the changing tempo and beats grew on the crowd, adding emphasis to Schneider's rhythmic singing. His wavering vocal qualities and perfectly timed delivery shone during his ballad version of "Game Plan" and a juicy, fan-fueled "Bullets."
The performance's strength was a clever mix of raunchy holiday cheer and poignant tender songs, which offered a nice glimpse of Schneider's songwriting depth. He cycled through a variety of instruments, playing acoustic guitar, looped keyboards and even a haunting blast on trumpet. What the performance lacked in instrumental skill was made up for tenfold in showmanship, a captivating balance of humor and music. You were left feeling like you had just stumbled into a tent performance at some adult-themed Christmas bazaar. The show's raw, unrehearsed qualities were exciting when you let them carry you away into the unexpected.
He ended his set by inviting up the self-proclaimed Philadelphia All-Stars: Big Mount and The NightStalker (see some of their moves here). Each hopped on stage dressed in turbans and dashikis, waving dance streamers in time to the addictive beats of "Ain't Got No Dope." Schneider strummed and sung most of the way through the song before he looped the end so he could join the All-Stars wacky dance soirée.
The crowd, intoxicated on the lively ending, demanded an encore. Schneider consented and emerged for a two-song finale. His extended bat bong rap during "Beat-O-Matic" stole the show and the crowd leapt all over his lyrical wind-up. Schneider's version of a one-man-band was a fresh take on an old profession, well worth seeing with the right company and spirit. Just remember to take your sense of humor because it's going to be a long and adventurous night.
Bob Schneider Live at the World Cafe
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