David J (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets) @ Cafe Du Nord 02/14/07

[El Dingo]

Boy did I score this year.

One of Dee Dee's favorite artists playing on Valentine's Day! I slide on having to buy flowers or chocolate or whatever.

Those of you who know the Cafe du Nord understand how small it is. Basically it's a bar/cafe on Market St. that holds about 80 people. Tonight they had outfitted the place to resemble a dirty speakeasy. The tiny stage was packed with a piano, sstand-up bass, a victrola, candles, feather boas and other jetsam.

The first act to hit the stage was a motley group of cross-dressers and harlots. They were wearing lots of makeup, white-face, gauze and feathers. The singer, Vinsantos, sang of rejection and desperation accompanied by a sad violin and cello. The piano was played by Kitten on the Keys.

After a few songs Vinsantos took over piano duties and David J took the mike. His clothes were straight off the Salvation Army rack and he was wrapped in a long white feather boa. The first song was a tribute to old porn movies and was punctuated by the chorus, a repeated shout of 'cumshot'. This delicate number set the tone for the rest of the show.



He mostly did original tunes, including 'This Vicious Cabaret' (co-written with Alan Moore fo the "V for Vendetta" graphic novel). He did a few covers 'Love Letters' by Nick Cave, a John Cale song that I didn't know, and encored with David Bowie's 'Time', 'My Funny Valentine' and closed with 'Who Killed Mr. Moonlight' from Bauhaus' final album "The Sky's Gone Out".

Periodically a female drag queen named Fauxnique would wander onto the stage and act out the song with David.

David's stage banter was a little off, but I'm pretty sure he was incredibly drunk the whole time.

All in all it was a fun night out. Very San Francisco and, most important, I got a parking place right in front of the club.