Les Savy Fav @ Epiphany Church 1/31/09

In the midst of a self- acceptance crisis, seeing Tim Harrington and Les Savy Fav might be just what the doctor ordered. Anyone suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or economic frustration, or just plain down in the dumps can benefit from the high-energy performance of Les Savy Fav. And that's just what happened this weekend at the glorious Epiphany Church .

The venue is quite remarkable in its own right, and I look forward to seeing as many acts there as I can. Resplendent with stained glass, exceptional wood-working and an altar worthy of, well, worship, Epiphany also doesn't disappoint with sound. The vocals were a bit unintelligible at times, but it wasn't anything that really detracted from the evening's upbeat attitude.

Les Savy Fav - "Sweat Descends"

When Tim Harrington came out, fully clothed in a priest collar, and sprinkling (un)holy water on the crowd a song into the set, you knew it was going to be a good night. The set began with a crowd sing-a-long to "When the Saints Go Marching In." But then the real set was under way, and the crowd quickly worked themselves into a frenzy to songs like "Patty Lee" and "Let's Stay Friends." The music is aggressive but fun, and not really as abrasive as some of the older stuff sounds on record. While I don't know if the Sunday morning congregation would enjoy it, it was far from offensive.

With each song, the layers of clothing came off, then on again, along with a wig and an alternate fringed tracksuit. Harrington jumped into the crowd, barrelling toward me at one point, laid in the pews, and brought an orange construction cone onto the stage and strung his mic through it. There wasn't a lot he didn't do. But that's what we came for. Sure, the music is good, and it's fun to dance to. But the bulk of us came to see what Tim Harrington would wear, do and say, and I don't think anyone was disappointed.

But it's fitting that the band performed at Epiphany Episcopal Church, whose website praises acceptance and tolerance of all people. Either Harrington truly does love himself as he is (with his less than trim physique and male pattern baldness), or he's really one of the best actors of our time. He struts and caresses himself with a touch that seems genuine, and when he said "God gave us all beautiful bodies," I actually think he believed it. He's not trying to be something he's not, and he's not swayed by societal pressure to be a cookie-cutter indie rock star. How can you not love that?

At the end of the night, Harrington jumped off the stage during the encore and made his way to the back door. A few minutes later, the exit was jammed with people, and I started getting a bit annoyed. Until, of course, I saw what the delay was. "Father" Harrington was, in fact, shaking hands with his parishioners thanking the crowd individually, and left us all with a parting thought: Peace be with you, and yay God!