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(TV) tv review



IN CONCERT
by Vit Wagner

 http://www.thestar
com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&c
d=1149889810699&call_pageid=970599119419


Television, the critically revered New York icons who put out their first
album in 1977 and broke up a year later after releasing their second, have
never entirely succeeded at staying together or apart ever since.
The quartet's appearance last night before a packed Phoenix Concert Theatre
as part of the NXNE fest was its first Toronto gig since 1992, the year that
the group also released its most recent disc.
During the intervening 14 years, singer/guitarist Tom Verlaine, guitarist
Richard Lloyd, bassist Fred Smith and drummer Billy Ficca have maintained an
on-again but mostly off-again relationship, performing annually in New York
and occasionally, when the spirit moved them, abroad.
No surprise, then, that the rustiness showed through on occasions.
There were technical glitches, mostly having to do with the vocal mix.
And the fussy tuning between songs wasn't exactly conducive to building
momentum.
Happily, the band's superior ability to match tightly wound virtuosity with
spacey, psychedelic jamming was equally evident.
Although Television emerged during the jerky, pogo-ing heyday of the Ramones
and the Sex Pistols, the only typically punk aspect of the band was the flat
vocal intonation of Verlaine, perhaps the only singer capable of making Lou
Reed sound like Elvis Presley.
While most bands were fortunate to have one guitarist who could actually
play, Television had two who played exceedingly well.
The intricate byplay between Verlaine and Lloyd is the reason why 1977's
Marquee Moon and 1978's Adventure are undeniable classics.
Evidence that the dynamic remains a potent force shone through on several
occasions, particularly during the spot-on performances of "Little Johnny
Jewel," "1880 or so" and the band's masterpiece, "Marquee Moon," which was
held for the encore and was well worth the wait.
In that respect, it was very much like last night's return after more than a
decade.
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