The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl) at Joe's Pub on Thursday, Aug. 19. (Photos copyright 2010, Steven P. Marsh)
Enthusiastic reception for sean and charlotte’s band and preview of charlotte’s other project: the duo Kemp and Eden
It was a lovely, silly, weird scene at Joe’s Pub early Friday morning when The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, the band comprising Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl, performed what Sean described as the last stop on their “international tour.” (Though it sounds like his idea of international mostly involves going out of state!)
Sean Lennon mugs during his Joe's Pub set.
Lovely because their low-key chamber pop was full of beautiful melodies, deceptively good playing and smart lyrics.
Charlotte Kemp Muhl of The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger.
Silly because of the duo’s deftly goofy banter and off-kilter titles.
And weird, or maybe just surreal, for a lot of reasons. For instance, Sean’s ex-girlfriend (and current business partner), Yuka Honda, formerly of Cibo Matto, was front and center in the audience. At her side was Nels Cline, the awesome Wilco guitarist and The Nels Cline Singers frontman, who also happens to be Yuka’s fiance. Sean invited Nels onstage to sit in on one Saber Tooth Tiger song, and nearly sat in Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone?’s lap while briefing Nels.
Click through to the jump for news of Yoko Ono and a look at Charlotte’s other band!
Guitarist Nels Cline, center, joins band for a song.
Tangled web? Who’s to say? But everyone involved seemed to look perfectly happy.
And then there was Sean’s mom, the inimitable Yoko Ono, who arrived about halfway through the late-night set (it was scheduled for 11:30 pm, but started closer to midnight), settling into the stage-right VIP table. Yoko looked totally into her son’s set. The 77-year-old rock lightning rod looked to be a lot more awake and alert than more than a few of the mostly much younger crowd around her!
We also got a taste of another new band on Sean and Yuka’s Chimera label: Kemp and Eden, a duo featuring Charlotte and her childhood bestie, Eden Rice.
Sean plays guitar while Eden Rice joins Charlotte in a preview of their act, Kemp and Rice.
Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? 