Ryan Gosling and BFF Zach Shields performed tonight at Bimbo’s 365 Club as Dead Man’s Bones – their spooky concept band backed by crooning whippersnappers from the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir. Any way they can live up to Keanu Reeves’ Dogstar? TweetBeatSF reported live from the show.
7:30 – 8ish: Arrived at Bimbo’s. Despite RG’s heartthrob status, there are a fair amount of dudes in attendance…though still heavy on the lady front. And for a show backed by choir boys, where are all the priests? No I didn’t! (yes I did) No opening act listed on the bill, but two people come out dressed as ghosts. One ghost with a cowboy hat says in a Smigel voice that there will be a talent show and proceeds to sing an Elvis-inspired version of Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin,’ with his Casper-sidekick on guitar, which is rad. Then a smattering of odd one-acts: a ‘mentalist’ tries (and fails) to guess the contents of a female volunteer’s purse while talking shit to her; a girl does some interpretive dance to break beats; a lady zombie plays the accordion, trombone, and theremin while her intentionally dim sidekick Igor bumbles around the stage; I hope someone belches the national anthem, but my wish goes unfulfilled.
‘Bout 8:15ish – 10 or so: Crap. No flash photography allowed. My pics of RG’s doll face will be ruined. RG and ZS come on stage wearing matching tight vests and rolled-up shirtsleeves. Some guy just yelled ‘Holy handsome!’ Stole my line…but I’ll be goddamned if he steals my man. Choir arrives in white robes and skeleton paint on their faces. So cute! Damn, these little bones can croon. This is like a haunted church service. Even as a Jew, I’m loving it. I mean, if RG don’t make me a believer no one will.
The stage is packed with drums, guitar, bass, secondary drums, keyboard/flute, pretty singer lady, and 12 beautiful children’s voices. They play “Lose Your Soul” (the hit) with the kids doing some cool syncopated clapping. RG’s got some pipes on him. Kinda has a Johhny Cash thing going on just a smidge. ZS, not quite as vocally impressive, but he’s easy on the eyes so all is forgiven. RG and ZS have a good rapport, very schticky – easy to tell they’re BFFs. They break to project some footage shot with the kids onto a bedsheet held up by ZS and the hot singer lady. Then all the kids shoot one of the kids dead and he falls down, then gets up to sing a song.
RG de-vests himself to roaring applause. The cat calls intensify. It’s like being at a Chippendale’s show packed with cougs. I’m getting uncomfortable. A girl yells, “I wanna be inside you!” ZS correctly points out there are kids here and tells them to lay off the booze or they’ll end up like the crazy lady. God, can you hear this drunk girl squealing behind me? Please shoot lightning into her ovaries.
Then all the kids start jumping around at the front of the stage to “Pa Pa Power” (my fave) like only kids can do. Really really awesome. The music ends, and we meet the kids. Then I get bitched out for violating the no flash rule…after the show is over. Lame. But the show was still good, despite the bitch-out. Keanu’s got nuthin’ on you, RG.
