Phil Collins [no, not the pretentious jerk from Genesis, some other Phil Collins] is a very serious sociological artist. I know this, because his show, "Phil Collins: The World Won't Listen," just opened in Dallas, Texas. The show features karaoke performances of songs off The Smiths' epic album, The World Won't Listen. Hence, the clever title.
Sidenote: I wonder how many people are going expecting an extremely balding dude singing "Sussudio." If there is a significant number of them, I can't help but think they'll be bummed out by show, which got a more emo review than the latest Fall Out Boy tour.
Simon Reynolds, a rock critic, said of the show:
"The World Won't Listen" is the cry of any tortured adolescent. It's sort of an all-purpose expression of feeling like a bit of an outcast. It kind of gives a grandeur to everyone's woes.
Hand me a stapler; I need to get my hand permanently attached to my forehead to adequately express my despair.
So, how does karaoke fit into all of this? Get ready for the money shot. Collins, who is from England, decided to see how The Smiths impacted people around the world, by filming staged karaoke performances of Smiths songs in Bogota, Colombia; Istanbul, Turkey; and Jakarta, Indonesia. I'm kind of picturing Borat and William Hung with pompadours, singing, "Boy With Thorn in Siiiiiide!"
Of course, I could be wrong. The show, which is oddly enough, at the Dallas Museum of Art in Dallas, Texas through the end of March, has been getting positive reviews as an "experience," and "not what you think."
Though that last one might actually just be a warning to people who want to see the real Phil Collins, so they don't get angry and demand their money back.
