At around 12:30AM this morning, The Childballads crowded onto the small stage at Black Betty's in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for their first area show in about two years.

The first sign that things would be different was that neither Betsy Wright or Judah Bauer, both of whom played on the Childballads excellent EP, were going to be performing. Instead, Stuart Lupton was backed by a simple three-piece band (Tunde Oyewole on bass guitar, Paul Arfield on rhythm guitar, John Melville on drums).

I don't think it's fair to give a full review, as I left around 1:15AM, after the band barely wobbled their way through three songs, plus a cover of Bob Dylan's "Walls of Red Wing." To say that Stuart Lupton, the troubled singer of Jonathan Fire*Eater, was a mess would be an understatement. He was so fucked up and it was so pathetic and sad to watch. He could barely get out the lyrics. He could barely stand. He could barely even get into his goth character. That amazing voice of his was off all night. And ugh, I don't even want to go on. It's just so sad.

Stuart is such a talent and it's such a waste to see him like this. I couldn't watch this train wreck and had to leave. That boy has got to get his shit together. He really needs to. I beg him. Please.

The Childballads return to Brooklyn on May 10th for a headlining show at Studio B........