Little depression as Beck leaves impression

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Nov. 25, 2002 | 8:12 a.m.

Midway through his performance Friday night at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, Beck described a visit from his room-service waitress earlier in the day.

"(She) was asking me if we were going to play old songs or new songs. She was too depressed in her life to hear the new ones," Beck said.

The waitress was referring to tracks from Beck's latest album "Sea Change." Written in the days after his breakup with his girlfriend of eight years, many of the disc's songs reflect their author's melancholy mood at the time.

But if the 32-year-old Beck still feels down, he certainly didn't show it in his first Las Vegas appearance in more than three years.

Would a depressed person dance the robot? Or belt out a spontaneous verse from R. Kelly's "Bump n' Grind?" How about returning for an encore in a glow-in-the-dark, striped leisure suit?

From his intimate opening solo numbers through his rocking set with backing band the Flaming Lips, Beck was a study in energy. For 90 minutes he entertained a sold-out crowd of 1,500 with an upbeat set, drawing from his career's many stylistic phases.

Two of Beck's personas were evident from the outset. His shaggy locks, stubbly face, faded jeans, untucked white shirt and black suit coat hinted at his early days as an indie slacker. His acoustic guitar and harmonica rig attached to his neck (a la Bob Dylan) were indicative of his current status as modern-day folk hero.

The sparse solo segment, which included a powerful version of "Pay No Mind (Snoozer)" and a raved-up take on "One Foot in the Grave," left no doubt that Beck's impressive vocal command grows stronger with each passing year.

Halfway through "The Golden Age," the Lips chimed in, cast in ghostly lights behind a curtain separating them from the headliner. The partition soon lifted, as Beck and his tourmates locked in on funky grooves and dance rhythms.

The party truly got started with Beck's announcement, "This is dance music for all the robots in the house." The thumping rendition of "Get Real Paid" that ensued had the crowd of mostly thirtysomethings bobbing together for the first of many times to come.

Beck's own robot moves drew screams from the audience, as did many of his retro dance steps, including a full-on splits drop during "New Pollution."

Stage banter, which had been notably absent from several recent shows according to road reports, flowed freely.

"They told me one of my guitars was here at the Hard Rock," Beck noted on one occasion. "I've been looking for it all day. I never gave them one, so I don't know what it could be."

Beck also showed off his instrumental versatility, alternating between acoustic and electric guitars, harmonica, and a synthesizer that spiced familiar songs with new textures.

The Flaming Lips also added welcome wrinkles to Beck's music. The core trio of Wayne Coyne (guitar, vocals), Steven Drozd (guitar, keyboard, vocals) and Michael Ivins (bass) were supplemented by additional musicians Cliff Shirlock (drums) and Greg Kurstin (keyboard, vocals), resulting in layered, lush accompaniment.

During the Lips' own opening set, the band's spectacular visual effects were also its undoing. After all, what music could possibly stand out amid a stage crowded with costumed furry animals waving floodlights, massive bouncing orange balloons and a screen flashing wild images ranging from twirling naked women to pulsating internal organs?

The Lips' 45 minutes were also marred by a tinny overall sound quality -- something corrected in time for Beck's appearance -- and at times, by some strained vocal work from its leader, Coyne.

Surprisingly, when Coyne and his crew joined Beck, the ensemble plucked just five of the 12 tracks off "Sea Change," a far lower total than for most shows during the tour.

Instead, Beck concentrated on up-tempo material from his catalog, rocking out on "Minus," sambaing to the lounge-y "Tropicalia" and rapping the familiar lyrics to "Loser," albeit on his second stab at the 1994 breakthrough single after a false start.

An extended take on his other mega-hit, 1996's "Where It's At," during the encore sent the crowd home smiling.

Perhaps Beck's decision to forego much of his new material stemmed from the venue's setup, with The Joint's nonseated floor area hardly the place for slower tunes.

Or maybe, it was that room-service waitress making sure she heard what she wanted.

"We're playing a little bit of extra rock tonight," Beck said. "They must have put a little extra testosterone in our dinner."