If Money Talks Then He’s a Mime: Dick Valentine

Towne Lounge, Portland OR
April 5, 2008

By Christian Lipski

Dick’s band, Electric Six, is known for its loud-rocking electronic dance style, so when I heard that the lead singer was going to be appearing as a secret special guest in a solo acoustic show, I had to go. Plus the show was five dollars for four bands.

Dick Valentine. . . SOLO!

The Towne Lounge is a tiny venue on the west side of Portland, and I’d say it holds about a hundred people, max. My brother and I watched the first band, The Rainy States, who were quite good, and the second band, who were from Seattle and so forgettable that I forgot their name.

When Dick Valentine took the three-inch-high stage, I thought he was in the third scheduled band, The Morals, but the fact that he was alone with an acoustic guitar (and the announcement from the PA that it was Dick Valentine) gave him away. He was about five-foot-six, dressed in khakis, a striped sweater, and one of those awful knit caps with the little brim. I almost thought that we were all being fooled by this little red-headed fellow, but then he opened his mouth and Electric Six came out of it.

The crowd was full of E6 fans who sang along to “Kukuxumusu,” “I Invented The Night,” “Vengeance And Fashion,” “Randy’s Hot Tonight,” “Rock and Roll Evacuation,” “Taxi To Nowhere,” and many more. Valentine tipped his hat to fellow Motor Citizen Jack White for helping them get started before launching into “She’s White” rather than “Danger! High Voltage,” which White is rumored to have sung on (and which Valentine didn’t play that night). He only played two solo shows in the country, the other one in his home town of Detroit, so I’m wondering what brought him out to the Rose City.

Valentine worked well with the audience participation, calling to the crowd to sing choruses and call-backs, and we were happy to oblige. Before “Night Vision,” Valentine called for exactly three girls to be on stage with him, but got four who sang enthusiastically on the choruses. For the last song of the night, he topped “Night Vision” by inviting the entire audience on stage for “Gay Bar.” And when the close pack of bodies caused the microphone to feed back, Valentine turned it off and led the crowd in a totally acoustic sing-along before ultimately ordering everyone back off the stage.

I can’t imagine that Valentine got much from the cover at $5 a pop for a show that he was not even billed on, but everyone in attendance got their money’s worth and more.

Additional Resources:

Electric Six are currently finishing their fifth album. They will be playing a show at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, New Jersey on August 13. For more information check out their MySpace page and Official Site.