by Moses Namkung

Clad in a black dress with a black bow pinned in her hair, lead singer Tracyanne Campbell exuded melancholy the entire evening. In fact, much of Camera Obscura, with perhaps the exception of keyboardist Carey Lander, seemed uninterested; maybe it was just another day at work for them, being part of a backing band and playing the Fillmore, ho hum.

We once spent a remarkably gray, cloudy summer in the band's hometown of Glasgow, so the depressed collective demeanor wasn't altogether surprising - maybe their stage presence (um, if you can call it that) was just a representation of Glaswegian spirit. Unlike their postcard-perfect Scottish neighbor Edinburgh, Glasgow doesn't have a castle, spectacular landmarks or vistas, or an overabundance of tourist appeal. The city's economy, previously centered around shipbuilding and industrial works, has gone through a rough transformation and the city has experienced high unemployment, drug usage and alcoholism.