Pop Goes the Tawaineasel

So I took a break from practicing and went to see another performance out in Wellesley this evening. My friend Jeff Chang, a fellow NEC alumnus, an excellent musician, great sax player, and all-around good guy, was in town to play some gigs with his Taiwanese Pop band. Now, I've seen Jeff play with his Vietnamese pop band and it was simply astounding. This time, the band didn't wear matching shiny shirts, but they were just as entertaining. Jeff was a frontman for several of the tunes.

Why the hell can't our gigs be this engaging? Even the damned drummer was smiling when Jeff was performing. Yup, that's right, performing. He didn't just give a cookie-cutter sing-through of the tune. He made it freakin' fun to watch and hear. Don't get me wrong about the playing, though. This band was tight. They know the tunes and would probably require an earthquake and a flash/bang grenade to get them to slip out of synch. (Note: Both are required. It seems like they might just shake off one. Both would be a minimum at having a chance.)

I've decided that Jeff Chang should be the new frontman for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Who's with me? (We need to find a gig for the drummer too, for obvious reasons.)

I'm hoping to catch them reprise these sets on Sunday if I can manage my schedule well enough. This time, though, I might bring along a few friends so they can join the asian pop cult.