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Saturday, September 1, 2012

Bumbershoot Gotye? More like Notye!*

Posted by Christopher Frizzelle on Sat, Sep 1, 2012 at 5:58 PM

Before I sing that song you all want me to sing, Im gonna bang on these drums for an hour.

Suzi Pratt
Before I sing that song you all want me to sing, I'm gonna bang on these drums for an hour.

Suzi Pratt

Key Arena was PACKED. There were people squeezed in against the ceiling. The guards weren't letting anyone else onto the floor. Gotye played, like, 400 songs that were not the song anyone came to see, and while I did not want to be one of those people who was just like "play the fucking song already"—the song everyone was there to see, "Somebody that I Used to Know"—all I could think the whole time was "play the fucking song already." All 15,000 people in Key Area were wearing the facial expression for "play the fucking song already." Yeah, yeah, the animations on the screens behind him were pretty, a different style for each song, some animated line drawings, some epic video of volcanoes exploding, etc., etc., but no one cared. I interviewed all 15,000 people individually and no one cared.

Then he said he was going do a quiet song, and everyone got excited because the song everyone wanted to hear starts off quietly, but it wasn't the song. Then he said for the next song he wanted the crowd to sing with him, and everyone got excited-er, because now it was finally happening, and then it wasn't the song either! Hahaha, you got Gotye'd, everyone! Instead he taught everyone a very complicated vocal yodel. No one felt like yodeling, try as me might to lead us to water. And then, finally, finally, he did the song. God the crowd was so happy. HAPPINESS happened. Unbridled happiness... for like a minute. Because... guess who he had sing Kimbra's part? The suspense was killing everyone. There were no women on stage with him. Would someone stroll out just before the female part comes in? Maybe one of the thousands of other musicians at Bumbershoot? Or maybe a musician on tour with him? Or, even, in a pinch, maybe just Kimbra herself on a giant video?

The answer was... no one. No one sang the Kimbra part. It was instrumental. Just the plop-plop-plop xylophone sounds. Nothing. Nada. Blankness. The other singer in a duet—who needs it? How's silence for you? Before the show, Gotye must've been eating crudite backstage and he was all, "Should I get someone to sing the Kimbra part? Naaaah, let's just do instrumentals there. Everyone loves that song so much. FUCK THEM. God I hate everyone who loves my song." And so he did the song with nothing, because he is rich and sick of his song and can do anything he wants, and the all the women in the room rushed to fill the voice by singing along, but you could barely hear it because it wasn't amplified, obviously. Way to go, Gotye! High five. Fans suck!

He started playing another song after The One Everyone Had Come to Hear, but by that point people were running for the exits. As I was leaving along with thousands of others, some woman, world's greatest Gotye fan, screamed, "Fuck you!!!!! This next song's better!!"

* Alternative headline: Gotye The Fuck to Sleep.

More photos after the jump.

Suzi Pratt

Keyboardist. This guy was awesome. Couldnt he have sung it?

Suzi Pratt
Keyboardist. This guy was awesome. Couldn't he have sung it?

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Comments (14) RSS

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Whatever one thinks of Gotye, this is much more of a indictment of Seattle, and casual fans in general, than the musician himself.

Posted by Dean Fawkes

on September 1, 2012 at 6:13 PM

You obviously have not taken the time to listen to any of his other music. He is a musical genius, not to mention the nicest guy you would ever want to meet. Shame on you for being so closed-minded!

Posted by Lisa_nut on September 1, 2012 at 8:13 PM

This article reads like a rant by some 14 year old kid whining about a girl who wasn't paying attention to him in the hall way. Does the stranger have an editor anymore?

Posted by TravisA on September 2, 2012 at 1:51 AM

Remind me to never travel to your city to see any musician play. Is everyone there so rude and uncultured?

Maybe all you can handle is Justin Bieber and One Direction. I'll keep the talented ones (like Gotye) over here on the Right Coast.

Posted by Someone who appreciates music on September 2, 2012 at 5:26 AM

Oh Christopher, you certainly done stirred the shit well and thoroughly UP. I'd hate to be your inbox this week...

BTW - For what it's worth, I thought this was pretty damn funny.

Posted by jcsmith2 on September 2, 2012 at 6:15 AM

You are the reason people are stupid. I'd suggest you go back to your last job because you clearly suck at this one. Aside from the people who can only focus on what the radio tells them is good music, the concert was phenomenal. One of the best I've seen in years.

Posted by schreist on September 2, 2012 at 8:03 AM

What these people don't realize is that KIMBRA is the BEST part of that song. Without her- or any female vocals that song is nothing. Way to ruin it Goyte.

Posted by Timothy Rysdyke on September 2, 2012 at 10:32 AM

Were you day drunk? The female half (ok, 2/3) of the audience filled in Kimbra's part after a short silence. Maybe you were in the front and couldn't hear it well, but it sounded pretty rad from my seat. I thought that was why he had the women in the audience sing along right beforehand, he was priming the pump. It's kinda funny how y'all had the article trashing that song for being so predictable, then this article trashing gotye for playing things other than that one predictable song. It might just be because I spent the performance chilling out in the cheap seats smoking doobies, but I really enjoyed it.

Posted by leviathan on September 2, 2012 at 3:01 PM

Who the fuck goes to an arena show for one tired and overplayed pop song?

@1 nails it. Confirmation that Seattleites are fucking LAME.

@6 I bet you went to the show for the dudes that did 8675309 back in the 80s and you considered it "epic."

Posted by Confluence on September 3, 2012 at 11:23 AM

Poor Gotye- he's in a terrible one hit wonder limbo where the masses only give a shit about his breakout song, yet that song's surge in popularity has already caused all the hipsters to turn on him like rabid dogs... and somewhere in there is a very talented musician that no one seems to want to take seriously.

Posted by UNPAID COMMENTER on September 4, 2012 at 8:58 AM

I saw him play the Sodo sometime back....like, a few months after the song came out. I can't remember exactly when that was. Last winter-ish. He plays well, has a nice voice, if a little bit underwhelming (it's a huge pet peeve of mine when the live show sounds the same as the record. Boooringggg!) But really, this article was dumbbbb. Just because he didn't play immediately the one song that I thought the Stranger decided last week was totez uncool?
He should go like King Missile and just play Detachable Penis first, to weed out the I-only-like-or-have-heard-that-one-song crowd.

Posted by More, I Say! on September 4, 2012 at 10:42 AM

The Stranger really needs a decent music reviewer. I loved the show and love most of his songs. I certainly didn't leave after "Somebody...".

Posted by seattleevonne on September 5, 2012 at 2:47 PM

I took a train, a taxi and walked to the NORTHERLY ISLAND to hear Gotye!

IT'S ALL IN THE EYE AND THE EAR OF THE BEHOLDER....

Gotye played in Chicago at Charter One Pavilion and it was WONDERFUL! The music, the sound, the lighting, the visuals, and the Chicago night skyline along Lake Michigan. The audience at that show enjoyed singing the Kimbra part of the song, because many women can feel that they sang with him. Wally has lots of GREAT SONGS from all of his albums and they need more radio play for people to get to know them. I was able to meet them backstage and Wally, Tim and Lucas were very nice to talk to and they were gentlemen even though they had other people wanting to spend some time with them. They are very busy touring all over the world and yet, they still stay humble and kind to meet their fans.

FREE GOTYE SONGS TO LISTEN TO>>>> http://soundcloud.com/gotye

Listen to.... Hearts A Mess, Bronte, Digging You Own Hole, Eyes Wide Open, there are so many more songs that could be hits if they were heard! Go ahead I Dare You! More Hits coming up!

Missy Higgins was great too, and the audience kept saying what a beautiful voice she has.
Wally is a kind and generous musician and shares his artistic friends with the world.

I am so sorry that the writer of this article got paid.
Clearly uneducated and used poor language.
Apparently Christopher Frizzelle was FRAZZLED!

Posted by Michele Randall on September 6, 2012 at 4:09 PM

ha ha ha I love what TravisA said! And way to say it Michele R.... but I "ll try my best not to be rude but certainly you and I can at least agree that yes,...I've heard that people at some of the shows have waited for the infamous song to play and then left...then missing the last 4 songs or so,...people who did that didn't bother to purchase the CD and listen to any other songs he has to offer. Sad, what a waste of their time to pay for a ticket and impatiently wait for one song at the concert, be satisfied with that, and leave. Weird...Well, Wally DeBacker has come a long way, and is an artist, not a mere musician. There are too many levels and layers to his creations that your simple mind and view of things could never comprehend. I can only wish that maybe, just maybe you will discover it for yourself because it has changed this womans' world forever and for the better! SATX :) I wish happiness for you wherever you may find it.........

Posted by sanantoniotexasapril on September 6, 2012 at 5:51 PM