By Chloe Schildhause
You can’t help but love Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head based on the sheer genius of their name. When I first read of NPSH last spring in Dazed and Confused, I knew I had to hear them. Thankfully the band's sound is as fun as its name.
The group - composed of four June babies, Luke Smith, Shaun Libman, David Price, Liam Downey Jr., and Claire England - released their self-released debut, Glistening Pleasures, this summer. But they’ve been performing and developing a following since 2005.
I talked with England via phone about NPSH’s evolution. “I set up the first show for these guys before I was even in the band” she said. The combo’s first performance was for 826 Seattle.
Their animated dance songs reference pop-culture loves such as Shamu, Jeopardy, slip-n-slides, and Curtis Mayfield along with the important things in life such as beards, side ponytails, turtlenecks, and jazz bands.
“I think that for us, [humour] will always be important," England said. "The band sort of started from a silly place. The subject matter was very silly and in the first shows, they didn’t have a lot of songs, so they were almost like a half-skit - weird funny stuff - and half-songs.”
For the outfit's San Francisco performance England said there may be a few skits, though it won't be quite the same because "now we have more songs. We have some theatrics planned. That’s important to us in putting on the show so we’re not just standing there.
“We don’t wear a lot of neon normally," she explained. "It’s just a different thing on stage. We want to catch your eye and be exciting and light up your face with how bright our shirts are.”
NPSH’s lyrics - written mainly by Smith and Libman with Smith writing all the music - are as ridiculously fabulous as their splendid shirts. Any girl should be honored to have their love interest sing the humorous, romantic “Me and Yr Daughter” to their parents, Could this be a love song for the '00 generation? “Me and your daughter / Touching my body / She is so lovely / Me and your daughter / Hotter and hotter / Suspended in sweet, sweet summer love.”
Another NPSH favorite is "Beard Lust," an ode to the fabulousness of facial hair, and then, of course, there’s "Iceland Babeland," in which the band promises, “If you want a shock / After the show / Girl, just let me know / I don't get star-struck anymore / Baby, I'm a headliner.”
Speaking of heads and headliners - what of Natalie Portman? The actress may not know the group, but England described Portman as a “lovely lady.”
“My sister met [Portman] for a minute at a bakery in New York, Magnolia Bakery.” shee said. “Natalie Portman came in and [my sister] was like, ‘Oh, my sister’s in a band named after you.” And [Portman] was like, ‘Oh, cool.’”
NATALIE PORTMAN'S SHAVED HEAD
With the Faint
Sat/8, 8p.m., $23
Warfield
982 Market, SF
(415) 421-8497
www.goldenvoice.com
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