Live: Ashutosh Phatak @ Blue Frog

It’s official. Blue Frog waiters are by far the most annoying amongst any waiters in the Lower Parel area, possibly even upto Mahim.

Pop quiz. Apart from pick-n-pay joints, which restaurant gives you your bill before you’ve consumed your order? Yup, you guessed right, The Blue Frog. Also, don’t lets all try the Cafe Latte.

Oh yeah, full review of Ashutosh Phatak’s gig, lots of pics and the surprise Indiecision after the break.

Ashutosh Phatak is co-owner of the Blue Frog. And if Wednesday is to be believed, is also pretty fidgety before gigs. But this night wasn’t going well right from the start.  From 9pm itself Phatak was spotted hastily walking to and fro the dressing room. Accompanying guitar player Sanjay Divecha only arrived at around 9:30. As usual the 9:30pm start time for the gig was a lie. In fact, at around 10 it was announced that the gig would only start at 10:30 because “Ashu is going to play one long set and it’s better heard late.” Sure, and we’re morons who can’t see the performer scampering from guest to guest making sure everyone who was probably invited was in the venue.

The gig eventually started at around 10:45.  The opener had a melody that sounded suspiciously similar to this Titan Xylys commercial. It set the tone for the gig; more pop quizzy goodness, a whole bunch of “where have I heard that melody before?”

It has come repeatedly to my notice that Indian musicians, present performer included, seem to bear a heavy burden. But more on that later. It’s safe to say that Phatak’s coming album is going to be about love and oppression and breaking free from the many shackles that our community faces. Thematically therefore, this wasn’t one a gig to remember.

The few things that did help though were the individual bits of skill displayed by Sanjay Divecha on guitar, Lindsay D’Mell0 (yeah, same Shaa’ir + Func guy) on drums and the backing singers. One particular song, part of Phatak’s forthcoming ‘rock opera’, did stand out, musically. But by then the damage had been done.

Indiecision: C