Beck, with needless gimmicks

BY GLENN GAMBOA | Newsday Staff Writer

October 20, 2006

Marionettes pulled the focus as Beck performed in Manhattan. (Newsday/ Ari Mintz)

Beck's career is starting to play out like one of those buzzed-about sitcoms that launch with a lot of attention for being new and different, then, as people get used to the formula, attention evaporates and the frantic search for new tricks is on.

In TV terms, that means the characters with sexual tension get together, somebody has a baby or Heather Locklear joins the cast. In Beck's case, it means a troupe of marionettes, dressed as him and his five-piece band, mimicking their actions onstage. It means create-your-own tour T-shirts - matching the create-your-own album cover for his latest release "The Information" (Interscope). And it means he comes out in a bear costume for the encore "1000 BPM."

Is it necessary? Well, no. "The Information" is easily his best album since 1996's "Odelay," using the two-turntables-and-a-microphone approach to make the personal "Sea Change"-style lyrics more appealing. In fact, the new songs - especially the chugging current single "Nausea" and the laid-back funk of "Motorcade" - held up nicely against Beck's best during the 100-minute show at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.

His opening five-song blitz of hits - "Loser," "Black Tambourine," "New Pollution," "Mixed Bizness" and "Devil's Haircut" - showcased his impressive band and boosted the audience's energy level.

However, the puppets, developed and operated by the guys who did "Team America: World Police," nearly stole the spotlight from Beck and his music, especially since it was the puppets and not the band projected on the theater's big screen. Sure, that was part of the plan - perhaps a commentary about how music fans want their bands to operate a certain way, concentrating on their older, more familiar music. Or maybe Beck just thought the puppets looked cool.

Between the puppets and designated dancer/percussionist Ryan Faulkner, though, it sort of felt like Beck was outsourcing the job of entertaining the audience - as if, bear costume aside, he had moved beyond the hipster goofiness of previous tours. (Even the opening act, the raunchy, old-school hip-hop outfit Spank Rock, performed the way Beck may have liked to have entertained in the past, though he would have been far more accomplished than this bunch of well-intentioned, swaggering novices from Baltimore.)

The night's most entertaining moment, a carryover from the "Guero" tour, comes when the band turns its dinner table into a set of instruments. They banged on glasses and plates to form the backdrop for "Clap Hands," while Beck remained off to the side as he played guitar and sang, watching the others have fun.

Part of Beck's appeal has always been his willingness to take chances and look foolish, whether it's in the "Ooh lala, Sassoon" chant in "Where It's At" or the self-deprecating humor of "Loser." He needs to decide whether he's ready to hand that duty over to anyone - even puppets - so quickly.

BECK. Puppets and hip-hop and bears. Oh my! With Spank Rock. At The Theater at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.