Live Review-Jarvis Cocker @ Terminal 5

The Godfather of the second British Invasion played his final show on a very exclusive and mini tour of the US last night. Jarvis Cocker, the voice behind Pulp and the band from the fourth Harry Potter film took the stage at New York's Terminal 5 and owned it as if he was a regular house artist. Emerging from the shadows and fog of a smoke machine, a tall scraggly middle age man who looks like the coolest college professor you could ever have, moved around on stage like he was a 20 year old Mick Jagger. Jarvis was on tour to support his 2007 debut solo record, but also show off some new material that will be released next year (I have no idea if any of the new songs will appear to the score of Wes Anderson's new film that Jarvis is penning). I didn't know what to expect from Jarvis, his voice is moody as it is seductive, it is powerful as it is vulnerable, what I got blew me and the crowd away. Just before he went on, I overheard fans who were at his Brooklyn show the night before mentioning how fantastic he was, I still was a tad skeptical. I was wrong. His voice and band elevate his music to new heights when played live. In between songs he spoke about his views on the world, his views on relationships and the stories behind his songs. It was a storytellers session of sorts as well as a cultural exchange. As he tried to understand American life, we tried to understand his, an Englishman living in Paris making pop music. His 90 minute set was highlighted by the closing of his first set as he lied on the floor saying "Rock the bells, rock the bells, rock the bells." As his keyboardist hit the chimes to the opening of "Black Magic," the crowd went nuts and so did he. If there was one thing to sum up Jarvis Cocker it is he is certainly the most under appreciated man in the music world today. It may have taken him eight years to complete his first solo record, and next year panning out to have two album from him, it just proves we need his music now....more than ever.