The Go-Betweens at Mercury Lounge in NYC

(an account emailed by Johnny Scheinman, an old friend)

You live the life you live, but once in awhile a heroic effort must be made at any cost to capture great beauty, even if in a fleeting, dying moment. That moment was Friday night (6/10) at The Mercury Lounge in New York, where the Go-Betweens put on the most beguiling rock and roll show I have ever seen in my life. If there is no hope for humanity, and therefore the planet, I am God-blessed to be alive at the same time as Robert Forster, who, for my personal esthetic, delivers all the connecting I can over hope to do with artists and their art. Long may he reign over the tiny flock, and if carrying the once-great, now just good Grant McLennan along in order to keep the Go-Betweens name alive, so be it. "Oceans Apart," upon repeated listenings, is the best of the comeback albums, and this gig, with the fabulous new bassist Adele Pickvance aboard, showed their form cannot be any higher than it is now. They rocked with passion and wit, they sent goosebumps with a "Clouds" that wended its way into Dylan's "Live Minus Zero" and back again. They played the set list and then rolled through at least ten more songs. Robert even laughed at my banter. When the sweat-drenched audience, dazed with joy finally began to saunter out into the night, some stopping in hopes of getting one of the few copies of the double-live at the Barbicon CDs for sale, no one wore a happier smile than Robert Vickers, fan and alumni in a drop-dead gorgeous Vickers-style suit, laughing with friends at the bar. Lord, we were all home, at least for a night .