Fresh off of a less than stellar SNL performance followed by an actually quite lovely Letterman appearance, Lana Del Rey — the lippy chanteuse with a flair for vintage California — breezed through San Francisco last night for a free show in a former bowling alley.
Although Ms. Del Rey (née Lizzy Grant) has been the subject of some tedious arguments over the meaning of "authenticity" in pop music, it doesn't sound like any doubters were in attendance at the Haight Street record store last night. According to store employees, the show drew one of the biggest in-store crowds they've hosted. Wristbands for the free album signing afterwards also disappeared in a hurry.
Even SFWeekly says, "Turns out Lana Del Rey is not a hologram. Despite the urge to test that theory by thrusting a hand through her chest, it seemed from her normal appearance, solid vocal performance, and lucid presence that a lot that has been written about Del Rey up to this point has likely been speculation."
Without further ado, a couple cuts from Lana Del Rey's debut album "Born to Die", captured by folks in the audience:
"Video Games":
"Million Dollar Man", from the back row:
Title track "Born to Die":