Constantine Performs at The Paradise in Boston, 8/12/06

First, can I say that I absolutely adore the Paradise rock club in Boston, and was thrilled when I heard that Constantine was performing a solo gig there?  Over the years I've seen some great bands there--Buffalo Tom, Warren Zevon, The Ramones, Indigo Girls, Paul Westerberg--to name a few. I hadn't been there in at least 10 years, and was happy to see that the coolest little rock club in Boston hadn't changed much.

The crowd there for Constantine was a bit sparse.  Maybe 1/4 of the club was filled, and many fans seemed to be part of his devoted fan base, rather than casual fans.  But in the year since he "graduated" AI, Constantine hasn't released a record and the TV show he was working on is in development hell at the moment.  It's tough to hold the casual fan's attention without product.

Constantine has some new songs posted on his MySpace, and apparently, he'll be releasing something in the fall.  He previewed a handful of new songs for the crowd last night.  He also reprised a couple of Idol tunes, sang songs from "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" which he's starred in. and performed a few covers.

He mentioned several times that he was sick, and his vocals were indeed raspy, particularly in his upper register.  But he put energy into his performance and gave his audience of mostly "fangirls" what they wanted--an entertaining and engaging performance.  While waiting online outside, there was a crowd of people, many anxious to get a spot close to the stage.  Constantine flirts and plays with the crowd--particularly those in the front rows--so it's no wonder fans wanted to get up close and personal.

The new songs:  When I first heard the MySpace tunes, I was a little underwhelmed.  However, A Girl Like You, a saucy Latin-flavored tune, is growing on me as I speak.  His rhythm guitarist, Jim Boggia opened the show with a short acoustic set.  The guy is both a talented songwriter and and hella funny.  Constantine performed one of Boggia's tunes, Several Thousand and it was definitely a highlight of the night, as was a winsome tune, written by Constantine in Nashville called My Favorite T Shirt.

A couple of Idol favorites, "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "I Think I Love You" lost a bit of their charm away from the cheesy context of Idol, but it was cool to hear them again.  Several covers rounded out the set, including Wicked Little Town, from Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Con starred in a New England a few years ago) and Jeff Buckley's I Want Someone Badly.

Here's the thing about Constantine--after hearing him sing original songs, I still see Theatre Boi rather than a Pop Singer.  The way he performed on Idol is what attracted me, not necessarily his musicality.  I look forward to seeing Constantine perform on stage or on screen, much more than I anticipate a CD of songs.  But that's just me.

During the show, I chatted up a few people--anonymously, of course. Heh.  That may have been an unfortunate choice, 'cause it turns out somebody I've known online for a couple of years was sitting right next to me.  We even had a conversation! Ha.  Many people were scanning the crowds looking for people they'd never met before--online friends presumably.  A few boyfriends/husbands were dragged along.  A guy behind me saw the pub next door and was tempted to hang there instead.  I saw a few obvious Mother/Daughter combos as well.

At one point during the show, it struck me that I was watching an American Idol contestant perform at the Paradise rock club.  Just a few years ago, that would have been unfathomable.  But times have changed.  AI now embraces rock and blues along with the Pop and R&B.  And it's a good thing.

Afterward, there was a meet and greet.  I didn't get in line right away.  I watched for awhile to see how Con was interacting with the fans.  When it appeared he was in a good mood, I decided to get in line.

Of course, once I got in front of him, I had ABSOLUTELY nothing to say.  I just stuck out my hand, introduced myself and told him that I enjoyed his set, and "oh by the way, could I take your picture?"  At M&G's I either A) Totally clam up or B) Babble on like a moron, usually asking ridiculous questions.  Better that last night's experience was in the A category.  Ha.  Meet and Greets are sort of odd anyway--what to say to a perfect stranger, ya know?  Some folks got autographs and/or pictures.  Some asked for a hug.  Constantine was very accommodating--posing, signing and smiling.

All in all, it was a pretty cool evening.  Thanks for asking...