I was excited to attend the psychedelic-synth-rock band MGMT (Management) at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ, last Thursday, June 20th.
MGMT – Photo credit: Richard Burbridge for GQ magazine.
The Wellmont theater attracts great acts and is convenient since I don’t have to schlep into NYC. I avoid the tolls, expensive parking and dealing with West Side Highway traffic. Also, this theater is wheelchair accessible and the staff is attentive and accommodating. Built in 1922 as a movie and live entertainment theater, the building was updated and refurbished in 2008 retaining all the decorative architectural detail from the 20’s. In my opinion, historic buildings with their period detail and grandeur must be preserved and protected for future generations.
I woke up and decided to go in a 1950s get-up vs. a 60s/70s inspired psychedelic look that most fans ended up wearing.
Before catching a show, I like to eat at Cuban Pete’s, an authentic Cuban outdoor/indoor BYOB restaurant a few steps from the theater. Make sure to snag a table in the courtyard where palm trees, rustic furnishings, bright colored teal walls and waiters wearing Panama hats transport you to Havana. They randomly break out the bongos and drum like mad to a Cuban beat. The food is delicious with a diverse menu that appeals to kids and vegetarians alike. I usually opt for suckling pig, fried plantains in a caramelized sugar and fried black beans and rice. This place is always packed, so it is best to arrive by 6 pm to avoid the wait. Don’t forget to bring your bib and handi-wipes as the meal can get a little messy.
Sauvignon Blanc and suckling pig in Havana, Cuba. Oh, no wait, in Montclair, NJ.
After suckling my piggy, I managed to roll into the theater, no easy feat. I love people-watching and am inspired by what people are wearing. I was looking forward to some fashion edge in Montclair, NJ’s answer to Brooklyn, but was woefully disappointed.
I entered the theater and was taken aback by the dozens of tween girls wearing nondescript distressed, cut-off denim shorts, mundane canvas sneakers and banal cotton tees. When did Daisy Duke cut-off shorts rear their ugly head? The look is over and out, PASSÉ since the 2005 movie remake of the 1979 show,”The Dukes of Hazzard“. How in the heck did this become a tweeny trend? My guess is that they subscribe to a Facebook group called: “Jersey-Tweens-Banal-Denim-Fashion-Flash-Mob” which instructed them to wear a “Daisy Dukes” MGMT groupie uniform.
Paging all tweens n’ teens, here is some fashion advice: The only appropriate place to wear Daisy-Dukes is to your annual high school car wash fund raiser.
Next, I perused the lobby waiting and hoping for a few fashion pioneers to enter. Thankfully some did arrive, not tweens, but in their 20’s and 30’s. Fashion is still A-L-I-V-V-E!
Stylish, cute and handsome at MGMT
Showtime. The first time I heard MGMT I was immediately attracted to their happy electro-pop psychedelic beat. If Woodstock were to happen today, I could envision teens sitting in muddy puddles, tie-dye tees, happily swaying with their cracked, clogged bongs and videotaping MGMT with their iPhone 5s.
This was the first time I saw MGMT live and was excited to hear some of my favorite songs like “Weekend Wars,” “The Youth,” “Electric Feel,” and “Kids.” However, the sound was louder than all the emergency sirens of every nuclear plant on the earth going off simultaneously. I have been to many shows at the Wellmont, but I think the Sound Guy left the joint to go to Cuban Pete’s for some mojitos.
The band did little to interact with the audience other than uttering “Hello New Jersey.” Some bands have an amazing stage presence and are energetic performers. MGMT is a band that was meant to listen to at a rave or maybe from a sound system anywhere but a concert hall–not live. The lead members Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden are very easy on the eyes. During the performance, a huge screen flashing psychedelic, rainbow hued, animated imagery, juxtaposed with animals, elements from nature and humans, hypnotized and captivated me. The visuals were so mesmerizing that they overpowered the music. So I sat staring and inhaling the wafts of illegal substance billowing around me while trying to figure out how Photoshop could have been used to create this visual extravaganza.
Overall, I found this show underwhelming. The biggest disappointment was not performing their Grammy Award nominated hit, “Kids“, which I love so much. Judging that most of the audience was 16 years old, could playing a song entitled “Kids” encourage toddlers to stroll in unattended rocking out in diapers and denim? Maybe down the road they could name a song “Adults,” so that some of their legal age groupies could have some fun after a show.
Despite all this, I am still a fan of MGMT and will continue to download their music. You just won’t find me at a future show, unless I read in Vogue magazine some day that “the fashion world’s luminaries descend upon Radio City Music Hall to gain inspiration from MGMT’s fans for future cutting-edge designs.” Highly doubtful.
What would Daisy Duke want me to wear to an MGMT show? Satin veil fascinator from Batcakes Couture from Etsy, Kate Spade clip on earrings, Halston Heritage dress from Saks, Astoria slingback shoes from Shoescribe.com.
Hair styled by Peggy Marzell of BlondeHairExpert.com.
IFB’s Summer Essentials Weekly roundup.
Time to toss those Daisy Dukes and buy a fashionable collection of shorts like these.
Daisy Duke, played by Catherine Bach, wearing “Daisy Dukes”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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July 17, 2013 at 4:35 am
Love the outfit (and accessories) you picked. I agree on the Daisy Dukes, to a certain extent. I think the ones the first girl on the left was wearing are pretty neat (I hate her cropped top). I profoundly loathe the distressed, sloppy ones. A neat pair can have a place on the way to the beach, while cleaning/doing the laundry, and washing cars. That's it!
July 17, 2013 at 11:25 am
Thanks for your comment Chiara and your compliment on my outfit. So you live in Italy, eh? How awesome. I have always wanted to visit but have not just yet. I am obsessed with French and Italian things.
July 17, 2013 at 5:21 pm
Please, come! I am sure you'll have fun.
I love France too, I have been only to Paris and Corsica until now, but I'd love to see the Provence, Normandie and Bretagne.
July 1, 2013 at 6:28 am
U LK WY 2 GD FR THS KDZ WH LK MGMT
June 27, 2013 at 9:24 pm
You look gorgeous, as always. I love the pulled back hair — so Grace Kelly on you! As the parent of a 'tween, I share your hatred of the Daisy Dukes. Miss J's middle school has a largely ignored dress code. One of the oft-broken rules is about the hem of shorts and skirts. When you put your arms at your sides, the hem should AT LEAST meet your fingertips. But the teen version of "fashion" is cheeky. And I don't mean fun and irreverent.
June 25, 2013 at 3:03 am
Hey Gorgeous! My Ma (and Montclair native) tried to post a comment but her Disqus no workie, so she forwarded her message to me to post for her:
"Magda (beautiful as ever)! I used to go to the movies at the Wellmont Theater. Glad to hear it is still in use. Can't picture a Cuban restaurant next door. There used to be a Swedish bakery and restaurant across the street. Of course, that was 100 years ago. Those shorts are annoying. Some waitresses are so dressed at a Cooperstown eatery and their butts are just table high. Who needs that view? Just back from JJ's graduation. Everything was nice and went well. Now they come this way!"
June 25, 2013 at 4:18 pm
I love your mom's response, Jenny. So funny. Yup, I agree, don't need to look at your table high ass. Kisses.
June 24, 2013 at 5:47 pm
Great post! Love your look and honest review of Jersey fashion or rather non-fashion!