Pretenders Played Terminal 5 with Lowlight, 4/3/17

One, quick shot of Lowlight at Terminal 5 that would have been better if I'd remembered to adjust my shutter speed from the 1/50th of a second it was on from shooting video a few days ago.

We (Don't) Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful

Since the fall of 2016, Pretenders have been on their first tour in four years. Most of those dates have been with Stevie Nicks, but the band have managed to slot in a few dates where they've been the sole headliner. One of those came at Red Bank's Count Basie, back in November, and our friends Lowlight landed the opening slot. I missed that one for some reason.

Jump ahead to one week ago. Pretenders would be playing NJPAC on Sunday April 2nd with Stevie Nicks and then headlining Terminal 5 the following day. As they searched for an opener for the Manhattan show, Pretenders frontwoman, legend, icon, rock and roll queen, Chrissie Hynde, said she wanted a band with some catchy songs. She told her manager to get Lowlight again. I wasn't going to miss my friends' big chance this time, and I made plans to head up to the cavernous cube with the giant disco ball on the West Side of Manhattan.

My initial plans called for taking the train. It's the rare show these days that's in Manhattan instead of Brooklyn, and I wanted to take advantage of public transportation. But our crumbling and neglected railroad experienced another derailment on Monday morning, and I didn't want to chance a commuting SNAFU. I drove the CoolVan for a beautiful and unobstructed hour to the venue, grabbed my ticket at will call, and positioned myself for Lowlight's set.

They took the stage promptly at 8pm and absolutely made the most of their 25-minute slot. From the opening strains of "'86 Parisienne" to the emotional outro of "Where Do We Go from Here," Lowlight won over a crowd of people who were there to see a rock legend. People around me threw their arms over their heads and screamed at the end of each song. At the end of the night, Lowlight signed copies of Where Do We Go from Here at the merch table. A week of crazy anticipation ended in a moment of triumph for the band.

[Note: For better or for worse, I can no longer hear "Where Do We Go from Here" without thinking of this video. You should watch it. You might learn something.

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I didn't score a photo pass for the evening, as those are non-existent for Pretenders' shows; and I pretty much adhered to the "no cameras" policy all night. I would have loved to have gotten some more shots of Lowlight during their big moment, but watching and listening without a camera in front of my face was great. It made it easier for everyone to see my big, stupid grin.

Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders hit at exactly 9pm, opening with two songs from the band's 2016 Alone, "Alone" and "Gotta Wait." Hynde then introduced "Message of Love," and we were off on a tour of one of the most solid catalogs in pop music: "Private Life," "Hymn to Her," "Talk of the Town," "Back on the Chain Gang," "Stop Your Sobbing," "I'll Stand By You," "My City Was Gone," "Mystery Achievement," "Middle of the Road," "Brass in Pocket." We got Chrissie Hynde solo track "Down the Wrong Way," and an encore that included "Up The Neck," "Thumbelina," and John McEnroe (?) jamming with the band on "Precious."

Through it all, Chrissie Hynde was mesmerizing. Her voice has not changed since 1979's "Stop Your Sobbing," unless maybe it's gotten even better. On the ballads, it was heavenly. On the rockers, it was full of her trademark attitude and growl. Hynde commanded the crowd and ribbed the band, all while wearing a T-shirt that read "I'm Sexy And I Know It."

One of the best moments of the evening came when Hynde thanked Lowlight: "A great little band. Not a great LITTLE band, just a great band. This is the second time we've played with them. My personal choice for the night."

Pretenders, it turns out, are one of those bands I've quietly, without really knowing it, loved my entire life. Their songs have woven themselves into the soundtrack of my days, from those years when I was a "classic rock" guy through to my discovery of new music. I sang almost every word on Monday night.

Lowlight, as you know if you've spent any time here at all, are one of my favorite bands and a bunch of my favorite people. They work so, so hard; and seeing them get a chance to revel a little bit in the payoff... ...well... ...WHAT??... ...I just have something in my eye!