John Maus at Washington Hall 12.1.18

If you’ve ever had a conversation with me, it probably has led to music, and then to my favorite musicians that I’ve gotten to photograph and which moments have stood out the most to me. It always comes back to John Maus. I’ve written about him here, here, here, and most recently, here.  Having said so much already, why write about him again?

This Saturday night, Maus performed a solo show at Washington Hall in Seattle. The venue was large for Maus and the crowd mature.  The stage at Washington Hall has an outline of lights, directing your attention to the only person on stage. 

Upon Maus’ arrival, he took a few moments huddled to himself before playing his initial backing track to sing over. This is a ritual of Maus’, a moment of silence before the coming eruption of emotion and sound.  Although this is par for the course for Maus, there is a subtle elephant.

This tour is Maus’ first solo tour in 6+ years.  After about 5 years of digital silence, Maus reemerged with his album Screen Memories and returned with a backing band in 2017.  He toured with his band until Summer 2018, when his band mate and brother Joe Maus unexpectedly passed away while on tour in Latvia.

The rest of that European tour was cancelled, life changed, and Maus announced this solo tour.

Returning for the longest solo set I’ve ever seen him perform, Maus plunged through his many songs.  Starting with “My Whole World’s Coming Apart,” and then later “Keep Pushing On,” and “And the Rain” – songs so resonating in this present moment and the many to come.  The crowd was audible, but it took until about halfway through the set, right around “Rights for Gays” or “Pure Rockets,” for it to feel like a true John Maus set.  The ones I remember from his previous solo days.  A small mosh circle was formed and people thrusted their firsts towards Maus while he was motioning towards them.    

A glance around the room and you could visibly see people dancing, jamming, responding and receiving (whatever you want to call it) in their own ways to the performance.  A look up to one of the ledges along the side of the venue and you’d find a timid family seated right next to another group of friends who were completely lost in their rhythmic swaying to each song.

In a brief and somber slowness towards the end of the evening, Maus performed “And Heaven Turned to Her Weeping,” from Songs, a song I did not know he ever performed live.  Via statics from setlist.fm, it looks like their data shows he performed it before in 2007, but has performed it a few times now in 2018.   A few lyrics from the ballad include:

“Even though you’re far away from me, you’re in my dreams // and it’s hard to erase you from my memories… Cause this is the time for loving you // but you’re not here with me”.

Maus returned for two encores, another first for me -  the second of his encores ending on his iconic “Believer,” from We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves.

As a fan, it is worrisome that this might be Maus’ farewell to Seattle, for now; a gift of another solo tour where he extends himself as much as possible on stage for us.  As someone who feels like a friend, I am happy and proud for John, who has no doubt had an incredibly difficult year, but still delivers the most passionate performance I have seen to date.

I’m now reminded of a moment in which John once asked me how his live shows compare to the many others I attend & my answer remains the same: they don’t.

R.I.P. Joe Maus 1988-2018.

John Maus & Geneva Jacuzzi - Red Bull Music Festival 5-4-18

On May 4, 2018, John Maus and co. took over Deno’s Wonder Wheel Theme Park in Coney Island, NYC.  The park was open only to ticket holders for the night’s show, a Red Bull Music Festival event.  The ticket included seeing the night’s entire lineup, selected by John Maus himself, as well as access to all of the rides inside!  The park also had also been updated with Maus-y touches: spooky skeletons, eyeball balloons and more were found throughout the park.  The rides themselves had John Maus songs playing on them.

The evening held sets from Maraschino, Gary War, Superstar & Star, Geneva Jacuzzi, John Maus, and Tommy Wight III.  Below I’ll give you a run down of my thoughts on the sets from John Maus and Geneva Jacuzzi, specifically.

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John Maus

Gone are the days where John Maus plays a show solo.  Maus has been touring with a proper band for nearly a year now.  The first time I saw him with his band was in August of last year, also on the East Coast (once in New Jersey and then in New York City). Many, many shows into their established lineup later, the band took the stage at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park on May 4, and performed with precision.

The evening felt perfect, almost suspiciously perfect, for a John Maus set.  Usually, there is some tinkering with the technicals by Maus while performing… this show Maus felt focused.   The mood had been set, the crowd was attentive and the Dr. was in.

We got through the standard set of songs Maus has been performing of late, many from 2017’s Screen Memories, a handful from 2011’s We Must Become the Pitiless Sensors of Ourselves, and crowd favorites “Rights for Gays” and “Bennington”.  Nearing the end of the set, Maus performed “Outer Space” for one of the first times, the the opening song on his latest album (the bonus album in his vinyl boxset recently released), Addendum.  

I’ve seen a lot of John Maus performances, at this point.  This was hands down, his best performance I’ve ever seen him execute.  The sealing factor was that while each beat was accounted for, the John Maus I first saw live felt back in his element. 

Unfortunately, the music I connect most to has a darkness, and John Maus is probably my favorite musician because of his vulnerability.  Everything feels so raw – he tears himself apart each night on stage.  He boasts to the crowd, he bellows, he howls - all to pop music.  His pain is felt.  This has all been THE John Maus experience.  When he started touring with his band, I believe his performances continued to be genuine, but that he finally felt some comfort in touring alongside friends. 

The reason the Coney Island performance felt so perfectly Maus, is because, although he was playing with his band once more, it felt like Maus was on that corner stage alone.  When he screamed through the loud performance as usual, the trauma felt current in his voice, instead of familiar.  His struggle felt true and present, as it had when John Maus toured by himself and the sets were more intimate.  

Here's a short video clip I took of John Maus performing "Outer Space".

Geneva Jucuzzi

Taking the stage prior to Maus was his friend, Geneva Jacuzzi.  I’ve heard things about her performances, and now I can say I understand why people find them so memorable.  After crawling onto stage, Geneva moaned while inside an inflating bubble around her.  Once the bubble was completely filled – the climax – her first song, officially began. 

I have never believed someone could work an inflatable bubble the way Geneva Jacuzzi does.  She spent about 3 songs inside the bubble – dancing, vouging, pressing up against each side, until she escaped.  After escaping she wears the bubble, she thrusts against the bubble, she beats the bubble up! 

Once out of the bubble, we also could really focus on Geneva’s moves.  Yes, her songs are interesting in their own right, but Geneva really puts on the theatrics live. You are here to see her perform! Between songs with sinister laughter, she winks to the crowd.  During the songs there is more flirtation when Geneva shines her own spotlight on herself, pointing it towards her most important features.

At one point Geneva got into the crowd, forming a divide between the people, a pathway she could run between.  She is inviting but terrorizing.   She got close to everyone briefly just to retreat back into her bubble before the show’s end.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been pleasantly surprised by a new live performance, and Geneva took my breath away.  You can count on me being at her next performance in the PNW.