The Pretenders at the Agora, Cleveland

So, Mrs. Beckley and I went to the see Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders at the Agora in Cleveland last Sunday (12/10). We both enjoyed it quite a bit. The opening band was annoying and very very loud...I know, if it's too loud, you're too old. So it goes.

We sat at a table right behind Chrissie's parents (she's from Akron) and some other elderly people you were presumably relatives. Tiny cute old people. It was entertaining to watch various people come up and schmooze them during them show.

Neither one of us had ever seen the Pretenders before. I'm here to tell you that Chrissie is a star without a doubt. She has the moves.

I do wonder if it really makes sense for a NE Ohio crowd to cheer loudly for "My City Was Gone" and "Precious". It's cool to be namechecked when you're in a place that isn't namechecked very often, but those songs really aren't complimentary to NEO. "Precious" is such a cool song, though, how can you resist? Especially when you're actually located in a building at East 55th and Euclid Avenue (although I don't think that's where the Agora was when she originally recorded the song...too bad).

I looked up the lyrics to "Precious" after the show. I was struck by the following:

Howard the Duck and Mr. Stress both stayed
Trapped in a world that they never made
But not me, baby, I'm too precious, I had to f*** off

Cleveland brain drain in 3 lines from a pop song....

(Mr. Stress is a guy who's had a blues band in Cleveland for like, decades. Chrissie Hynde apparently knew/knows him, maybe played with him at some point, I'm not really sure. But anyway, a Cleveland fixture, even now.) 

¶ 12/13/2006 08:57:00 PM 0 comments