I have to admit to being fascinated by the Gorillaz. The idea of a famous band people, playing in a cartoon band, it has possibilities. At least it ain't cock-rock and ya can dance to it more or less. Anyway, this was their first show in the United States so I felt it was necessary for Whatever Magazine to check it out. Sponsored by Mtv2, and hyped on line and on air it was packed. The balcony was for VIP's only, and I wasn't so I scrunched my way all the way to the front row to try to catch Damon on film. Dan 'the Automator" Nakamura opened the night from the balcony, but only one of his turn tables was working, so he couldn't really show off any more than a remix of 19-2000. He tried, but the fucking thing wouldn't work. He gave up and joined the rest of the real band members behind the screen for the Gorillaz. There were two screens. The upper half was a real movie screen, the lower a screen was transparent, so you could sorta see the band in silhouette. Squint at the photo, the one with the yellow on bottom and street movie on top- crooked. You can almost see the mic stand and the hat on Damon behind it. No big thrill, but that was the point, not to be doing the usual superstar band sthick. One the upper screen they showed Gorillaz cartoons. It was really decent stuff, trippy cartoons with the characters from the band. Before each song a freeze frame with some words popped up, like "Zombies and Painkillers," then the band would play. They did put stuff onto the lower screen, but it was sketches, and stuff with less definition because of the screen. The cartoons were mesmerizing from the beginning. It was hard to stop watching them. They had "Murdoc," "2D" and the other characters superimposed onto real film, like that road in the photo, and they had trippy cartoons, and happy one, and sad ones, the whole emotional range, and of course a cartoon gorilla, and lots of movement throughout. Nothing truly original in cartoons, but definitely quality cartoons. I guess the original thing is the band of famous people playing behind the screen. I don't mean to dis the cartoons, but it didn't blow my mind. I guess I'm holding a grudge for not having my mind blown.