[…continued from last post]

The Ska leanings of “Joan” from “Flex” were up next in the set. It was another chance for Lene to grab her saxophone since the bouncy number was literally built on the sax riff hook that was as bold as [literal] brass in the tune. Then the intensity of the set ticked upward as the band goosed the tempos to play the rousing single “Say When.”

It had been so long since I’d see the video for the track that I had forgotten how the band had a hands-to-shoulders pantomime they performed during the song’s climax. And that movement was helpfully included on the back cover of the “Say When” single sleeve as well!

Lene’s signature hit, “Lucky Number” followed in the set as the audience rose to their feet for this New Wave classic. It was impossible not to bounce along to the ebullient number so we just did it. Hearing her canon of tunes was nothing I ever imagined would happen, so this second, longer concert just five nights after the first one was a real gift that I never imagined I’d receive.

Ms. Lovich kept the energy levels up for the third song in a row as “One In A 1,000,000” cheerfully bopped along. Just when she needed to pull back a little, we had the single “Angels” from “Flex” with its strident organ leads echoing the leaps that Lene was making vocally. It was energetic, albeit of a darker stripe musically than the previous trio had been.

And with that, the main set was over, and the fervent crowd laid into the cheers and applause until the band returned to the stage a minute or two later. Biting into the strident “Flex” single “What Will I Do Without You” before arriving at the traditional Lene Lovich show closer, the song with the gut-punch intro, “Home.” By the time the band got to the “la-la-la” refrains in the song’s climax, I had begun to get a little misty eyed knowing that the end was near. But not before Lene Lovich introduced her musicians as the song vamped on for a little whole longer than I was used to.

By the time that it in fact ended, my heard was whirling with what I’d just experienced. Against staggering odds, Lene Lovich and Morgan King flew over to North America, had former music director Jude Rawlins build them a new American band who then performed a huge North American tour, anchored by a dozen dates opening for The B-52’s and DEVO, but venturing into lots of nooks and crannies of the continent to reach pockets of fans in the least likely places.

And I had seen both their opening set as well as a headlining show! And obviously Lene Lovich was up there with Russell Mael as being an idiosyncratic vocalist in their seventies who still had chops-a-plenty to spare with their performance. Both full of the same power and drive they were known for. And Lene still played the sax, to boot!

The audience dispersed as the lights came up and went to the merch table in the foyer and it didn’t take long for Lene [in comfier shoes] and Jude to arrive and meet any and all comers. I was astonished to hear Jude say that the notion was to bring back Lene for a larger tour in the next year! He also seemed to be in discussion with some superfans who may have been following the whole tour.

Lene was happy to meet anyone and a young boy of about seven who had been at the show went up to her to meet her himself. I said to my friend Mr. Ware, “I envy that kid,” as I snapped a photo of him meeting the unique star who had attained wise crone status and was still releasing her unique magic into the world. I had brought along something for an autograph; the “Shadows + Dust” CD with its O-card made for a perfect autograph receptor.

Lene was happy to meet anyone and a young boy of about seven who had been at the show went up to her to meet her himself. I said to my friend Mr. Ware, “I envy that kid,” as I snapped a photo of him meeting the unique star who had attained wise crone status and was still releasing her unique magic into the world. I cannot fathom what it would have been like to meet such an artist as a child. When I was growing up, this simply didn’t happen.

I had brought along something for an autograph; the “Shadows + Dust” CD with its O-card made for a perfect autograph receptor beyond its status as an excellent album that I had waited long years for. When offering it to her for signing, I mentioned that with Halloween nigh, “The Wicked Witch” would have been a timely tune to select for the set. “Well, you can’t do them all,” she responded. And then she posed for a few snaps that my friend Sandra graciously took. We then ambled out of the hall, feet not quite touching the ground as this most potent artist had finally intersected with my life. As I looked back she was still posing for snaps with a line of fans, with my friends Suzy and Roger at the front of the line. I captured the scene above to remind me of this very special evening of classic New Wave. Against all odds, after 46 years of fandom, I had finally seen Lene Lovich perform. Twice in one week, but this second show was the really amazing one. Here’s hoping a tour next year might even come into Asheville!

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