Tag: show review Page 6 of 7

Show Review: Los Campesinos! [Metro; Chicago; 1/27/12]

On 01/30/2012

In chicago, lists, live music, mp3, music, show review

Prior to this Metro show, I’d only seen Los Campesinos! twice before. Both times were at Lollapalooza, but both were vastly different from one another. The first time, the band was playing one of the small side stages, had just released their first EP, and the crowd to watch them numbered less than 200. For a festival set, even on a side stage, it was a small crowd. Yet it was as if the band was hoping to win every single person over, even the ones casually walking by on their way to see another artist at another stage. They had an intense energy, playfulness and songs that showed it off while being catchy as hell. After the show, I immediately bought their EP and had them sign it, which all of them did while drawing doodles on it and chatting with me for an inordinate amount of time. There’s just something about those super young bands, so full of life and possibility, that you hope they never lose such charms. A couple years and a couple albums later, Los Campesinos! returned to Lollapalooza, this time on a massive stage with a massive crowd. I was excited to see my old friends again, but watching their set became a bit like going to your favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant to find it’s now become super popular and there’s a 2 hour wait to get in. The band was getting the success they so rightly deserved, but I felt as if some of their edge had been lost. Throw on top of it the fact that one of their core members Aleks Campesinos! would be leaving the band at the end of the tour, and I began to worry about the future of these indie pop upstarts. Their last album Romance Is Boring was also much darker and less energetic than their previous efforts, though it was still one of the best records of 2010. That darkness held strong on their most recent effort Hello Sadness, but that album felt like it took the band full circle, the lyrics holding strong and the hooks suddenly perking up to increase the likeability factor. Turns out they’re doing just fine without Aleks (and a couple other now-former members) in the fold. It had become high time, in my mind, to finally see this band outside of a festival setting and see if they could win me over once again.

All ages shows tend to bother me just a little bit, mostly because so much of the youth of today feels that talking to their friends while a band is performing right in front of them is a good idea. If you paid money to see a show, you’re there to watch the band, not talk to friends. You can do that anytime. For free. But the one thing all ages shows bring to the table is the spirit of youth. When everyone’s paying attention, there’s jumping around, sing-alongs at the top of your lungs, and generally good vibes to be absorbed by all. Los Campesinos! provided a great assist in all of this straight from the beginning of their set, starting with the dynamic first single and track off Hello Sadness, “By Your Hand”. Following it up immediately with prior singles “Romance Is Boring” and “Death to Los Campesinos!” both kept the energy level high and also provided a great retrospective of where the band is at present vs. where they were in their early days all of 4 years ago. It was the sonic equivalent of a knockout punch from the get-go, which is probably why everyone behaved themselves in the most immature way possible. There was dancing, there was singing, there was crowd surfing and even a touch of moshing, but thankfully it appeared that everyone was physically okay for the duration of the show. Gareth was doing his best to keep a cool head as the ringmaster of the proceedings, encouraging everyone to keep having a good time but also to be mindful of others and helping those in need. It was about building friendship and community as much as it was seeing some great songs performed, and it seems everyone got their way. Those hoping for catalogue-spanning highlights from Los Campesinos! weren’t really disappointed either, though as expected the majority of songs were from their new album Hello Sadness. It was grand to hear bouncing around from “Songs About Your Girlfriend” to “We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed” to “There Are Listed Buildings” and “Straight in at 101” without so much as a blink of an eye. Things slowed down just past the midpoint of the set, as new songs “To Tundra” and “The Black Bird, The Dark Slope” were emotionally tough but dragged in a crowd that was looking for a good time all night. Nothing that a little “You! Me! Dancing!” couldn’t fix though, which it did and kept the celebration going for another few songs, including the encore.

Closing out the main set was a very good rendition of “Baby I Got the Death Rattle”, even if much of the crowd apparently didn’t know the song’s closing lyrics of “Not headstone, but headboard/is where I want to be mourned.” Gareth clearly tried to get a sing-along started and it unfortunately didn’t quite work out. Finishing the encore with the classic “Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks” worked out far better, and there was a distinct smell of satisfaction in the air when the band walked off the stage that last time. That smell may also have been sweat. What helps make Los Campesinos! an exceptional band, outside of their dynamic and fun live shows, is the respect they have for their fans. They walked off the stage, through the backstage area, and straight to the merch table, where they remained until the very last person had cleared the room. They signed stuff, drew stuff, took photos, shook hands, engaged in too-long conversations, and basically did the same thing as the first time I saw them in 2007. To know that in spite of all their success and growth the last few years that they still care for their fans and put in the time and effort, well to me that’s the mark of a great band. It’s also a big reason why I’ll probably be a fan of theirs for as long as they’re around.

Los Campesinos! – By Your Hand

Los Campesinos! – Hello Sadness

Buy Hello Sadness from Amazon

Set List
By Your Hand
Romance Is Boring
Death to Los Campesinos!
Life Is A Long Time
A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show Me State; or, Letters from Me to Charlotte
Songs About Your Girlfriend
We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
There Are Listed Buildings
Straight in at 101
To Tundra
The Black Bird, The Dark Slope
You! Me! Dancing!
The Sea Is a Good Place to Think of the Future
Hello Sadness
Baby I Got the Death Rattle
\\**ENCORE**//
Miserabilia
Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks

Upcoming Los Campesinos! U.S. Tour Dates:
Jan 31 – BLUEBIRD THEATER, DENVER CO (16+)*
Feb 1 – CLUB SOUND, SALT LAKE CITY UT (ALL AGES)
Feb 3 – ELECTRIC OWL, VANCOUVER BC (19+)
Feb 4 – NEPTUNE, SEATTLE WA (ALL AGES)
Feb 6 – WILD BUFFALO, BELLINGHAM WA (21+)
Feb 7 – DOUG FIR LOUNGE, PORTLAND OR (21+)*
Feb 8 – DOUG FIR LOUNGE, PORTLAND OR (21+)*
Feb 10 – GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL, SAN FRANCISCO CA (ALL AGES)*
Feb 11 – ECHOPLEX, LOS ANGELES CA (18+)*
Feb 12 – CASBAH, SAN DIEGO CA (21+)*
Feb 15 – CLUB DADA, DALLAS TX (ALL AGES)*
Feb 16 – FITZGERALD’S, HOUSTON TX (ALL AGES)*
Feb 17 – THE PARISH, AUSTIN TX (ALL AGES)*
Feb 18 – THE PARISH, AUSTIN TX (ALL AGES)*

*with Parenthetical Girls

Listmas 2011: Wilco’s Incredible Shrinking Tour [5 Nights, 5 Chicago Venues]

By Faronheit

On 12/22/2011

In chicago, listmas, lists, live music, music, photos, show review

In case you haven’t heard, last week Wilco ended their fall/winter U.S. tour in support of their new album “The Whole Love” by performing 5 shows in their hometown of Chicago. Dubbed “The Incredible Shrinking Tour”, each night built upon the one before it as the band started at the 3,500 capacity Civic Opera House and ended a few days later at the 500 capacity Lincoln Hall. Along the way, there would also be stops at The Riviera (2,300), The Vic (1,400) and Metro (1,150). While I would have loved to have attended all 5 shows, time, money and ticket availability reduced me down to only 3 of the 5 nights. Still, 3 Wilco shows are better than 2 or 1 or none, and I also happened to be in attendance at the last two nights in which the band played their smallest shows in years, probably over a decade. Each show I attended also had its own distinct vibe and set list, so I thought I’d take a few minutes to recap and review each one. Let’s go in order.

Show Review: The Kooks + The Postelles [Vic Theatre; Chicago; 11/26/11]

By Faronheit

On 11/28/2011

In chicago, live music, mp3, music, show review

Sometimes even the crappiest of bands makes for the most engaging of shows. That’s not to suggest The Kooks or The Postelles are crappy bands, but to put it another way, neither one of them will generate a huge amount of underground hype, largely because their music isn’t diverse or experimental enough. You don’t need such things to become successful, but they certainly do go a long way when looking to earn some respect from intense music lovers. If your songs are bright enough and catchy enough though, a fan base will come along with them in spite of loads of indications (i.e. bad press) you should ignore it. It boggles the mind sometimes how a band like Nickelback goes on to sell millions of albums while bands like Real Estate or Destroyer continue to live in relative obscurity. For The Kooks, their success is easy to hear as they’ve essentially provided a modern update to The Kinks’ Britpop stylings. Hell, change the “oo” in Kooks to “in” and you get Kinks. The band’s first two albums were lovely in how plainly catchy they were, and apparently two crappy reviews from Pitchfork means your third record gets entirely ignored. But they’ve also been getting steady radio airplay around the world, starting with “She Moves in Her Own Way” and branching out to “Always Where I Need to Be”, “Shine On” and most recently “Junk of the Heart (Happy)”. Their star continues to rise, in spite of some rather intense criticism. Similar things could be said about The Postelles, though their road to success appears to be a little tougher. Sonically their self-titled debut also updates a classic sound, that of 50s pop in the vein of Buddy Holly with the flourishes of The Strokes. It should come as little surprise that The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. liked the band enough to put them under his wing and produce a portion of that first record. The Postelles may be having more difficulty getting people to listen to their record, but once they do so many are won over. It helps as well that the band has been touring almost non-stop in the last year and have been building an audience with some high energy shows. Their touring with The Kooks feels like a match made in heaven, given their somewhat similar sound and fun live sets. So in spite of having rolled through Chicago earlier in the month while touring with The Wombats, The Postelles returned to the Windy City on Saturday night, opening up for The Kooks at The Vic. It was one wild time.

First off, I want to give a quick shout out to the Chicago band Yawn. I like those guys quite a bit, and they were the first band on the bill Saturday night when doors opened. Yawn was actually joining The Kooks on tour as Saturday night was also The Postelles’ last night on tour with The Kooks. But I missed Yawn’s set and can’t very well write about it, but having seen them before and being familiar with their latest record “Open Season”, they’re well worth keeping an eye on. Have a look at their official website to learn more about them.

After dodging some seriously heavy raindrops on my way to The Vic, I arrived with just enough time to shake the water from my hair and catch the start of The Postelles’ set. The crowd was surprisingly heavy already, though it was a sold out all ages show, so perhaps parents dropping off their kids just wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible. Just kidding, there was a good mixture of older teens and 20-somethings on the whole, but nobody much older than that. Spending so much time at 21+ shows has ruined me in some ways I guess, because the energy and enthusiasm of the rather youthful crowd was intense. Everybody seemed intensely excited to be there, the bands included, and at times the screams got so intense I felt they were giving me hearing damage. I expected such raucous cheering when The Kooks were on stage, charming British lads as they are, but things were just as lively for The Postelles. It makes more sense if you know their music and have seen them live though, because the hooks suck you in easily and make it a breeze to sing along to as the band gets extremely playful and moves around the stage like they want to engage you in every way possible. They had no reservations about climbing atop the monitor speakers at the front of the stage for a quick guitar solo or intense vocal moment, and every time they’d do it, there would be screams of excitement from the crowd. Their 30 minute set saw them powering through much of their debut album, hitting particularly hard with singles like “123 Stop” and “White Night” along with deeper cuts like “Stella” and “Hey Little Sister”. There were people standing around me that had never heard The Postelles before but wound up singing the choruses to half the songs anyways because they’re so damn catchy, and with so many clapping along and jumping around you’d have to be a real Scrooge not to have had a great time. Towards the end of their set they polled the crowd as to whether they should cover Elvis or The Ramones, and it appeared to be a relatively even split, so they chose The Ramones because they’d done Elvis the two nights prior. Their cover of “Beat on the Brat” was remarkably good, and if you’re interested in hearing a version of it, there’s a covers EP available for free download below (email required) with that and songs by The Smiths, Joe Jones and Wreckless Eric as well. Before closing out their set, The Postelles played one new song that will likely appear on their next record. Naturally, it wasn’t a change in direction but a continuation of their already established sound. And yeah, that was pretty catchy and fun too. You might not walk away from a Postelles show sharply impressed with the material you heard, but if you can switch your brain to the “fun summer popcorn action movie” setting rather than the “intense drama award-winning movie” one, you’re almost guaranteed to have a blast.

The Postelles – Everyday (Buddy Holly cover)

The Postelles – 123 Stop

Buy “The Postelles” from Amazon

The Postelles Tour Dates:
December 6th – Bootleg Theater – Los Angeles, CA

By that same token, The Kooks have not only a lot of the same things going for them, but they’ve got more material and success to back it up. Their 90 minute set was a 21-song steamroller that struck a strong balance between old material and new, singles and deep cuts. They started their set with “Is It Me?”, one of the catchier numbers on the new record and a good slower, quieter build to a more energetic chorus. The crowd was into it, but perhaps that was more the result of general excitement over the band finally being out on stage. Cameras in the air everywhere, and Luke Pritchard hopping up on the monitors at the front of the stage really did the trick right off the bat. If that didn’t work out for them, they slammed into high gear immediately afterwards thanks to “Always Where I Need to Be”. Hands were in the air and people dancing like they just don’t care. That feels like a cliche thing to say, but it also happens to be true, so keep that in mind before you judge. The set list appeared to be designed as an effective parsing out of the band’s best known songs with a consistent atmosphere of energy in between. The middle of the set was when the crowd appeared most lost, what with a couple newer tracks and some deep cuts from earlier records. Pritchard’s solo acoustic version of “Seaside” was a definite highlight that provided everyone with a brief moment of calm before the second half of the set got even more nuts. The Kooks closed out their set with a 1-2-3 punch that built the crowd up to an extremely high point and naturally left them wanting more. The combination of “Ooh La”, “Shine On” and “Do You Wanna” was ultimately what pushed the show over from great to excellent, the band growing more ferocious and intense with every minute. Pritchard worked the stage like a young Mick Jagger, swaggering one minute and egging the crowd to cheer louder the next. There wasn’t a whole lot they could do in the encore to top what was accomplished during the main set, but it was smart of them to save a couple big ringers for last. Non-album cut “Saboteur” was an interesting choice to start the encore considering it was the only thing on the set list that wasn’t on any of the band’s three records. The title track and first single from “Junk of the Heart” scored big points given its constant radio presence in Chicago, and “Inside In/Inside Out” classic “Naive” ultimately closed out the evening. As the band quickly worked towards that finish, the crowd maintained their energy and enthusiasm the entire time. It was an amazing thing to behold, and probably a testament to both the band and their fans that so many just didn’t stop for a minute to catch their breath but simply jumped, danced and sang along like it was one of the greatest concerts they’d ever seen. For some of them, it probably was. I may not think the world of The Kooks’ music, but I have a certain appreciation for what they’re trying to accomplish. They may not be getting any better on record, but live they’re simply not to be missed. It wasn’t the best show I’ve seen this year, but it made me feel young and just a little bit…naive once again.

Buy “Junk of the Heart” from Amazon

Set List:
Is It Me?
Always Where I Need to Be
Sofa Song
Matchbox
Rosie
She Moves in Her Own Way
Sway
Runaway
Eskimo Kiss
If Only
Seaside
Tick of Time
See the Sun
How’d You Like That
Mr. Nice Guy
Ooh La
Shine On
Do You Wanna
\**ENCORE**/
Saboteur
Junk of the Heart (Happy)
Naive

Show Review: Le Butcherettes + Gypsyblood [Subterranean; Chicago; 11/4/11]

By Faronheit

On 11/07/2011

In chicago, live music, mp3, music, show review

(Le Butcherettes at Lollapalooza)

The best live show that I have seen so far in 2011 has come courtesy of Le Butcherettes. Minding my own business and casually stopping by to check out what their performance was like this past summer at Lollapalooza, I became so enamored with what they were doing on stage that I could not pull myself away to go see the other bands I had also marked off in that time slot. The promise I made to myself at that time was that I’d never miss another Le Butcherettes show in Chicago again. They were simply too good to miss. There are very few bands I can say that about, because while so many have energy and are sonically virile, few actually embrace the idea that a performance can also be art. Naturally then, I was excited to hear that Le Butcherettes were coming back through town on a fall headlining tour, making a stop by the under 500 capacity venue Subterranean. Tagging along with them would be two great Chicago bands, White Mystery and Gypsyblood.

While I tried my best to make it for the very start ot the show, I unfortunately missed the entirety of White Mystery’s set. I’ve seen the duo perform live before and they’re excellent and worth seeing even if you do have to show up early to see them. Gypsyblood was the meat in this band sandwich, and thankfully I was able to catch all of their 30 minute set. The band released their record “Cold in the Guestway” this past spring, and it’s a pretty solid lo-fi post-punk collection of tracks, one part Black Lips, one part Liars and one part Joy Division. The ramshackle garage sound echoes well in their live show, which was largely fuzzy but never to the point where it degraded any of their melodies and hooks. The sheer number of “oohs” and “aahs” and “woos” also made it easy enough to sing along even if you didn’t know the words, and it was clear from the packed house that was the case with many. But the band appeared to be having a blast on stage, bringing a fun energy that charmed upon impact and had more than a few people close to the stage dancing like nobody was watching. The further towards the back you went though, the more people you spotted randomly chatting or paying closer attention to their phones than what was happening on stage. Not everybody could be considered a fan and not everybody was willing to be won over by these clearly talented guys. Still, expect to hear more about Gypsyblood sooner rather than later as they do more touring and charm more people.

There are a few things about Le Butcherettes’ set at Lollapalooza that didn’t make for easy repetition. First and foremost was the stage size, as festivals build huge spaces to accomodate the crowds, and Subterranean is miniscule by comparison. Secondly, for this tour normal drummer Gabe Serbian and bassist Jonathan Hischke were not along for the ride. Whether or not they’re simply out of the band or just not tagging along for the handful of November dates, their presence was missed anyways. Teri Gender Bender is obviously the central focus of any Le Butcherettes live show, but those two guys both brought a dynamic energy all their own to the point where Serbian began violently puking during the band’s Lollapalooza show out of sheer heat exhaustion. Hischke bounces around the stage with a style that draws some solid comparisons to Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Replacing them on Friday night and for this brief fall tour was Omar Rodriguez-Lopez on bass and an unnamed female on drums. Rodriguez-Lopez you may be familiar with either for his work in At the Drive-In/The Mars Volta or even solo, but he’s also the one credited with “discovering” Le Butcherettes and pulling them from the clubs in Mexico and onto the worldwide radar. He produced and played bass on all the songs on the band’s debut record “Sin Sin Sin” as well, so there was some charm in seeing him reprise that role for this tour. Yet he also shied away from any sort of spotlight or distinction on his own, standing off on the side of the stage the entire show next to the drum kit and giving Teri all of the spotlight. She of course is more than equipped to take the reins and run with it, which she did with her usual gusto and aplomb.

Things started on a relatively quiet note for Le Butcherettes, with Teri Gender Bender behind her keyboard and grinding out a moderately subdued (and ultimately lengthy) melody. It was a relatively odd choice to open with, particularly because most bands come charging out of the gate with something high energy and fun to immediately get the crowd in a good mood. What this did instead was lull much of the crowd into a false sense of security while quietly building tension for exhilarating moments of release. It wasn’t altogether perfect, but it worked in its own sort of way. Things didn’t really settle into a groove until Teri picked up a guitar, at which point the thrashing and head banging truly began. “Bang!” was most definitely an early highlight, as was “Dress Off”, both largely encapsulating what Le Butcherettes do best on stage, with Teri showing off her unique dance moves and getting interactive with the crowd. She was relatively restricted in her movements, given the small space on the Subterranean stage, but still managed to thrill by relying on the power of her own vocals and singing sans microphone a couple different times. There were also multiple stage dives that only moderately succeeded due to some of the people at the front that were not fully prepared to provide the necessary support for such a feat. The biggest overall reaction of the night came from “Henry Don’t Got Love”, naturally because it’s the single that has a music video and earned a bit of radio airplay in Chicago and around the country. Many were already jumping around and head banging before the band played it, but anyone that wasn’t yet at that point quickly got there during it. “New York” was also met with a similar sort of passion, even if most of us Chicagoans wished it were about our city instead.

After powering through an hour-long set that included almost the entire “Sin Sin Sin” along with a few older cuts, the crowd was more enthusiastic than ever as the band said goodnight and exited the stage. Naturally, an encore was demanded, and Teri was kind enough to give one, albeit in her own sort of way. Taking the stage solo, she picked up a drum stick and climbed atop the bass drum. No guitar and no keyboards, she relied purely on percussion and vocals for a quick 90 second song as one final treat for devoted fans. Above all else, that was a remarkable example of the power of Le Butcherettes – specifically that Teri could probably have spent the entire set with just a drum stick in hand and a microphone at her lips (or, some would argue, no microphone is needed) and it would have been just as engaging. The music is an important part of the equation for any band, but the performance art aspect of it bears an equal or greater share with Le Butcherettes. From Teri’s intense stares to her vocal tics to her stomps, head bangs and dancing, it’s tough not to watch such a spectacle without your eyes wide and mouth agape. While their Subterranean show lacked some of the fluidity and overt drama of their Lollapalooza set, Le Butcherettes remain a must-see live act no matter the venue. Hopefully as their star continues to rise, they won’t lose any of that magic.

Le Butcherettes – Henry Don’t Got Love
Le Butcherettes – New York

Buy “Sin Sin Sin” from Amazon

LE BUTCHERETTES TOUR DATES (WITH IGGY & THE STOOGES):
12/01 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Palladium
12/04 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
12/06 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield

Show Review: Cymbals Eat Guitars + Hooray for Earth [Lincoln Hall; Chicago; 10/21/11]

By Faronheit

On 10/24/2011

In chicago, live music, mp3, music, photos, show review

Fall is the best time of year for several reasons. It could be the weather, still relatively warm with a slight chill in the air. It could be the leaves changing, a beautiful reminder that we need to prepare for the harsh winter ahead. There’s also plenty of seasonal foods to enjoy, from pumpkin-flavored treats to freshly picked apples, particularly of the honey crisp variety. But set all those lovely things aside for a moment because fall is also fantastic for its concerts. So many bands are out on tour, freed from the glut of summer music festivals which have massive bills and radius clauses keeping some out of town through much of August and September. And while going to a summer festival where 100+ artists are performing can be a great way to discover new music, going to see a smaller show with just a couple artists on the bill can give you a much more impactful and perhaps surprising experience. You’re paying to see a headliner, but showing up early reaps plenty of rewards in and of itself. Case in point, this past Friday in which I dropped by Lincoln Hall for a headlining show from Cymbals Eat Guitars. Their first two records “Why There Are Mountains” and “Lenses Alien” struck a chord with tastemakers, and the band has been on the rise ever since. On their current fall tour they’re being supported by the band Hooray for Earth, whose debut full length “True Loves” turned many a head this past summer, even as it wound up a little lost in the shuffle of other, bigger releases.

On what was a crisp October evening, the show had an uncharacteristically late start time of 10pm. It makes sense in that none of the 3 bands performing had enough material for a full 90 minute set, but there was no real reason why things couldn’t have kicked off at a more normal 9pm and ended at midnight instead of 1am. Does it make that much of a difference in the end? Not really – once you’re out for the night, there’s not much difference between midnight and 1am. Plus it gives people more of their earlier evening free to do things like drink more before the show and then try to start a mosh pit during Cymbals Eat Guitars. More on that in a minute, but right now I want to give a quick shout out to Chicago’s own Bailiff, who was the first band on the bill Friday night. This was a one-off show for them as they’re not part of the tour, but those that know Chicago’s local music scene were smart enough to arrive on time for their set. While I like what I’ve heard on record from Bailiff, I had never seen them live before, and due to some small travel delays I only had the chance to see the last 10 minutes of their 25 minute set. Those 10 minutes were enough to impress me though, and I can’t help but think that those guys are well on their way to becoming a band that earns worldwide attention. The “it” factor is clearly there, and I’m absolutely looking forward to hearing and seeing much more from them in the next couple years.

A fairly sizable crowd had arrived at Lincoln Hall by the time Hooray for Earth took the stage, and most of them had never heard the band before. I know that because people kept asking me who the band was. That’s great news though, because it means they were intrigued by what they heard and saw. It’s the opening sets where everyone passively watches or talks the whole time that are bad signs. A couple drunk girls asked me if it was Yeasayer on stage. They clearly didn’t know their Yeasayer either, but at least they were in the ball park sonically. One of the great qualities about Hooray for Earth is how they’re able to marry psychedelic and pop sounds with electronica and dance elements, which at this show resulted in an unorthodox dance party. The guys in Hooray for Earth weren’t so much taken aback by the dancing, but they did seem just a touch surprised to see a number of people getting their groove on. It’s relatively challenging to get cross-armed indie kids to dance, so that was just one of the small victories Hooray for Earth could claim during their set. Another was some charming stage banter, highlighted by the mid-set pause in which frontman Noel Heroux called a friend to wish him a happy birthday. Really the music itself did all the talking that was needed though, and in their 45 minute set the band powered through much of their record. Naturally it was the title track off their new album “True Loves” that got the biggest crowd response, aided by the fact that it’s a highly addictive and fun single that has gotten some radio airplay by a few forward-thinking stations. Their live rendition of “Black Trees” was blisteringly cool as well, aided in no small part by the swirling, psychedelic video projections that washed over the band. Hooray for Earth likely made a bunch of new friends thanks to their reliable and enjoyable set. I think they can do even better though, and hopefully bring a little more on stage energy to their songs in the future. As they do more touring and write new material, that should all evolve naturally. Hooray for Earth remains a band to watch, and if we’re lucky, the next time they come through town they’ll be the ones headlining.

Hooray for Earth – True Loves
Hooray for Earth – No Love

Hooray For Earth – Black Trees

Buy “Lenses Alien” from Barsuk Records

It’s been a tough couple years for Cymbals Eat Guitars. Relentless touring around their debut record “Why There Are Mountains” resulted in two of the band’s four members quitting and frontman Joseph D’Agostino blowing out his voice. Such tragedy also comes with a ray of sunshine though, and in this case the sheer exhaustion pretty much meant the band was leaving it all on the stage each and every night. Now with a revamped lineup and a vocal tune-up for D’Agostino, Cymbals Eat Guitars unleashed their sophmore effort “Lenses Alien” to more critical acclaim, effectively proving their debut was not a fluke and they could not only sustain but evolve as well. The small tragedy on Friday night was that more people didn’t make it out to the show. Lincoln Hall wasn’t sold out by any measure, but those that did come were largely die hard fans. The ones that weren’t die hard fans upon arriving hopefully left with a sharply increased appreciation for these guys. They started their set with the bouncy “Indiana”, which had at least a few people jumping up and down right away, though things wouldn’t really escalate until about the final 30 minutes of the show. It was somewhere right around “Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)” that things reached an apex they could not top. The track itself is 8.5 minutes long on record, and on stage the band drew it out and enhanced it even more than I ever thought possible. The tension built up over the course of the song was held for as long as possible before the quiet exploded into a wall of sound and D’Agostino’s visceral scream. It has been awhile since a live rendition of a song has given me goosebumps like that. To their credit they also bled “Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)” into “Keep Me Waiting” effortlessly, the whole thing seeking to provide the auditory definition of the word “epic”. The seamless combination of songs would happen a couple more times in the second half of the set, and the noisier and more experimental the band got, the more energized the crowd got. That is to say a bunch of guys near the front felt it would be a great idea to start a mosh pit. As they bounced into one another more and more, those of us not looking to potentially get hurt backed away and gave them some space. THankfully things never got overzealous or violent, and respect was maintained not only between sectors of the crowd but towards the band on stage as well.

For me, the only disappointing thing about CEG’s set was an apparent lack of applause/cheering by the crowd once they finished their set. Perhaps my perception was off and the crowd was smaller than I thought, but I just assumed it would be a louder response for an encore than what was given. Almost as if they resigned to do an encore because they were headlining and less because it was demanded of them, the band came back out after a very brief moment backstage to play one more song. It was a nice cap on the evening, though it probably wasn’t necessary. They played for an hour, hit all the songs I had wanted them to and slayed them all, and while I was cheering for the band when it was all over, I was also satisfied to the point where I didn’t need any more. If the crowd isn’t going to give you the sort of response that warrants an encore, my opinion is don’t do one. Again, maybe I just had a disconnection between crowd size and the loudness of said crowd and everyone was begging for an encore. It’s also very possible my hearing was a bit off after such a loud and punshing set. Ultimately my stance is this: for the talented bands involved, this show should have been close to sold out – especially for a Friday night. That it wasn’t is the biggest disappointment of them all. Bands like Cymbals Eat Guitars and Hooray for Earth are the type worth listening to and investing in because they push creative boundaries within their respective genres. If you can’t be bothered to go and see them, they can’t be bothered to make more music. Please take that into account the next time either of them rolls through Chicago or whatever city you live in.

Cymbals Eat Guitars – Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)

Cymbals Eat Guitars – …And The Hazy Sea

Buy “Lenses Alien” from Barsuk Records

Show Review: Smashing Pumpkins + Fancy Space People + Light FM [Riviera Theatre; Chicago; 10/14/11]

By Faronheit

On 10/17/2011

In chicago, live music, mp3, music, show review

As a music venue, the Riviera Theatre is one of the worst in the city of Chicago. In fact, it kind of borders on abysmal. I dislike it so much that I’ve had a personal ban on going to shows there for the last several years. That was a result of attending multiple shows there and having normally great live bands turn in terrible performances. The common denominator among them all was the Riv, so I imposed a ban, vowing to only break it in the case of a show so rare it’d kill me to miss it. This is why it has been close to 7 years since I last set foot in the venue. Naturally then, I was by no means excited to get back there, but a situation finally emerged that I could not pass up. The Smashing Pumpkins were returning to their hometown for the first time in a long time (not counting the charity show they played at Metro last fall), and The Riv just so happened to be the moderately small venue they chose to play. They could have sold out a venue at least 3x the size, which made the experience special. Not only that, but they’ve been putting a dent in their 44-song “Teargarden by Kaleidyscope” project and are set to unleash their ninth full length “Oceania” next month. So add in the chance to preview some of that and despite my apprehension about the venue along with how well this revamped lineup is doing, I felt it was something I needed to see at least once.

One other reason I was a bit excited about the show was that the band Light FM was opening. They’re out on their first national tour in support of their freshly released album “Buzz Kill City”. I’ve been listening to that super catchy, fuzzed out synth pop record quite a bit in the last couple weeks, and was interested to see how it translated in a live setting. There’s also a certain charm to see a band in a state of relative infancy (they’ve been around awhile but are just now gaining national attention) try to win over a whole new set of fans. Given that the start time was a prompt 7PM, The Riv wasn’t yet at full capacity when Light FM took the stage. The band was still grateful to those that did show up early, and in my opinion it was worth it. They breezed through a 20 minute set, giving them only enough time to perform a handful of songs, but making each one of them count. They may not be the most active band when on stage, something that might make sense given the sort of music they make, but sometimes those things need to be sacrificed to ensure the quality is there. Similarly, it’s comforting that Light FM take a very basic approach to their live show and are successful. There are so many bands that feel the need to dress up their performance with a gimmick to try and set themselves apart, but more often than not it’s a measure to try and counter mediocrity. One of the bands on this bill fits that description perfectly, and I’ll get to them in a minute. On the whole, Light FM’s set was pretty good, in spite of only getting a relatively brief snapshot of what they’re capable of. Those that were there seemed to enjoy what they heard too, even if they had just shown up to get as close to Billy Corgan as possible. This is a promising young band with plenty of growing left to do, and the more time spent playing live the faster that growth will occur.

Light FM – Mercy
Buy/Stream Light FM’s album “Buzz Kill City”

The two bands opening for the Smashing Pumpkins on Friday were hand-picked by Billy Corgan. That’s probably the only reason that Fancy Space People were on the bill. Corgan is essentially serving as a “mentor” for the band, pulling them from relative obscurity and working closely with them on the relatively small amount of music they’ve released so far. Their debut EP was released on Starry Records, which is directly connected with Coldwater Studios, both of which are owned and operated by Kerry Brown, of the former Chicago band Catherine. Corgan has known Brown from way back in the day when the Pumpkins shared a practice space with Catherine in Chicago. More on that connection later, but the point being Corgan has his fingerprints all over Fancy Space People. My initial impression of the 8-piece band that showed up on stage was one of odd curiosity. I wasn’t terribly far from the stage, but from my vantage point it appeared that this was an all-female band dressed to the nines in sparkly leotards. Upon closer examination however, and after noticing that one of the band members clearly had facial hair, I came to realize that at least half the band was wearing long-haired wigs and all sorts of makeup, effectively creating a gender-bending androgynous situation. That was the first oddity. The second was how committed the band was to staying “in character”. They consistently referred to the crowd as “Earthlings” and spoke of offering up intergalactic protection from forces that might otherwise threaten to harm us. The song lyrics also backed up the banter. It was pure theater, and entertaining as it was, the whole spectacle wasn’t enough to distract from the moderately poor quality of the music itself. First of all, having 8 members in your band for a sound that clearly doesn’t require it is simply excessive and it wouldn’t surprise me if a few of the parts were doubled over just to add some more power to the songs. Secondly, while there’s certainly a void in the glam rock/hard rock genre since Kiss has become less and less active over the years, is that a void that needs to be filled? Different strokes for different folks, I guess. There was nothing outright terrible about Fancy Space People’s set, but it’s clear these guys and girls need to work on their sound first and their stage presence second. Make some songs worth hearing and tone down the rhetoric a little and people will pay attention. It seemed to me that much of the crowd was apathetic towards the band or scoffed at how showy the whole thing was. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night though was how Fancy Space People effectively bridged the gap in sonic styles between Light FM and the Smashing Pumpkins. By incorporating the synths of Light FM and the psychedelics of the Pumpkins, the three-act bill ultimately made sense, and that’s at least something Billy Corgan got right.

Listen to and buy music from Fancy Space People

Prior to speaking directly about how the Smashing Pumpkins’ set at The Riv was, I’d like to issue a small disclaimer first. My history with this band has been a tumultuous one. The Smashing Pumpkins were a staple of my years growing up, and records like “Gish” and “Siamese Dream” were (and remain) essential listening for fans of 90s rock. So many people loved this band, which is why it was such a shame to see personnel like D’arcy Wretzky and James Iha go. When the Pumpkins broke up in December of 2000, that was the end of an era for me. In my opinion, the real Smashing Pumpkins died that day, and when Billy Corgan put out the call to re-establish the band in 2005 sans everyone but drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, to me it hasn’t been the same since. There have been multiple lineup changes since then, with the only constant being Corgan, and devoted fans will argue that’s all you need. After all, one of the main reasons people keep leaving the band is because Corgan takes on a dictator-like status, seeking to control every aspect of the Pumpkins sound and going so far as to re-record the parts of other members if he feels they are not good enough. Then there are the post-reunion live shows, which often find Corgan in a less than jovial mood and berating the crowd for getting upset the band isn’t playing more of the hits. It would seem that the Smashing Pumpkins version 2.0 are seeking to erase the legacy they developed in the early years. That’s what disappoints me the most I think. But I also give some modicum of credit to Corgan for some of the ballsy moves he’s made in the last few years. Projects like the 44-song “Teargarden by Kaleidyscope”, which has been getting released piece by piece since winter of 2009 is a daring and bold attempt to be different. As that song cycle continues to progress, the majority of those songs have also been released as free downloads, which is Corgan saying he hopes people will try them and be inspired to purchase a limited edition box of them packaged together. In the last couple years the live shows have gotten less angry and more devoted to the power of the music, likely because many of the old fans have quit following the band and the ones that remain truly believe in what he’s doing. I consider myself a purist, disliking much of what the Pumpkins have done recently but still intrigued enough to keep an eye and ear on them in case something brilliant happens. So with fingers crossed, my hope on Friday night at the Riv was to try and enjoy what would likely be a set heavy on post-2000 material. Believe it or not, Corgan & Co. managed to actually surprise me.

As the Smashing Pumpkins took the stage at The Riv, I immediately felt out of my depth. They launched into the epic “Quasar/Stella Polaris and the People Mover” and immediately backed it up with “Panopticon”, the trio of which kick off the upcoming Pumpkins record “Oceania”. Very few (if any) people have heard that upcoming record yet, and while the crowd was cheering because the band was on stage, there was a sense of bewilderment to it. You can’t sing along to these songs because you don’t know them and have no idea where they’re going. The first bit of genuine excitement came with the black curtain behind the band dropping to reveal two large, mirrored propellers and an intricate lighting rig. Yet that unveiling was marred by the lights all shining on full blast at once, effectively blinding the audience for a bit as their pupils played catch up. As to how good the new songs at the start of the show were, they’re far more psychedelic in nature than the older Pumpkins stuff, and The Riv’s shoddy sound system created a much muddier and uninspiring mix than the songs themselves probably deserved. My bet is they sound better on record.

The first surprise of the evening came four songs in, when the band played the 1992 “I Am One” b-side “Starla”. That one really separated the hardcore fans from the more casual fans, and it would turn out to be just the beginning of a night largely devoted to looking back. Many of the songs were distinctly old school, but it was about the farthest thing from a greatest hits parade that you could get. The first third of the set was rounded out via deep cuts from “Gish” and “Siamese Dream”, with “Mellon Collie…” single “Muzzle” sandwiched in between. There was a weirdly balanced mayhem as the set progressed, with a pair of songs from “Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, Vol. 3” getting played, but having the first two volumes completely ignored. Also completely ignored were “Zeitgeist” and both of the “Machina” records. Outside of about half the “Oceania” record, the main focus appeared to be on “Gish” and “Siamese Dream”, along with b-sides and outtakes from those records. It’s been so long since I’ve listened to “Pisces Iscariot”, the rarities compilation from the band’s earliest recordings, that I was fumbling to remember cuts like “Frail and Bedazzled” and “Obscured”. Yet there’s also something discomforting about the few oddities that the Smashing Pumpkins pulled out of their back pockets on Friday night. Those b-sides and outtakes were cut from the main records for a reason, even if they were put onto compilations later. Very few bands can claim their b-sides are nearly as good as their main catalogues, and the Pumpkins are probably not one of them. So why whip them out and why now? Well, turns out there will be deluxe reissues of “Gish”, “Siamese Dream” and “Pisces Iscariot” before the end of the year. So was it promotionally motivated? You bet it was. Does it make them any less interesting to hear? Not really, as much of it is better than the band’s later catalogue. As evidenced by their touring around “Zeitgeist” a few years ago, Corgan seems to have a distaste for any of the old Pumpkins singles. Hence only four made the cut for the evening, with “Muzzle”, “Siva”, “Cherub Rock” and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” each clearly garnering the loudest crowd responses of the night and some intense sing-alongs. After the show I heard a few fans grumbling about the lack of easily recognizable songs in the set, but saying it was still “better than a few years ago, when they played even less than that”.

If there was one thing I learned from watching this Smashing Pumpkins set, it was that Billy Corgan is a much better guitarist than I’ve ever given him credit for. Sure, he’s been responsible for writing and composing almost the entire Pumpkins catalogue, but I always figured that he took the ideas of James Iha or whatever guitarist that was in the band and repurposed them for his own self-aggrandization. With more nameless and faceless personnel surrounding Corgan than ever before though, it’s less and less likely they’re writing these brilliant parts that he’s taking advantage of. They seem to be more about following his lead than challenging it. And you know what? It works for them. The dynamic allows for some give and take between all of the band members, even if they’re not as talented as those that came before them. The back-and-forth guitar lines between Corgan and Jeff Schroeder on “Siva” gave the song a little fresher life than it does on record. Bassist Nicole Fiorentino and drummer Mike Byrne both kept a strong rhythmic dynamic to most of the songs, and the former’s vocal harmonies intertwined remarkably well with Corgan’s nasal tones. You still should probably call this the Billy Corgan Show though, because whenever he wasn’t playfully sparring with his bandmates, he was off on some extended guitar solo. Over 2.5 hours, I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed somebody take more solos than Corgan did. It reached the point where it was excessive and also physically painful for Corgan himself. He cracked a smile through much of it, but there was a point during an intense version of “Silverfuck” that he had to shake his hand out because it had gotten so cramped up from all the soloing. All that intricate guitar work ultimately served a purpose, which was to unite the past, present and future of the Smashing Pumpkins under one large umbrella. He purposely chose the more prog-rock and psychedelic moments out of the older material to merge it better with the newer stuff that places distinct emphasis on it. On the couple songs that didn’t serve that unifying purpose, he forced them into it by drawing them out into longer arrangements, accented with more solos. And you know what? It wasn’t half bad.

At the start of the encore, Corgan came out to deliver some of the only stage banter of the entire night. After acknowledging his brother up in the balcony, he talked briefly about the early days of the band and how they shared a practice space on the North Side of Chicago with this great local band Catherine. Catherine broke up in the late 90s, but Corgan has remained friends with them and has been working towards getting them to reunite. So it was with great pride that he re-introduced Catherine to the world as they performed together on stage for the first time in over a decade. They played a two song set, with Corgan contributing some guitar, and it was some great post-punk rock that appeared to indicate Catherine hadn’t lost much of a step. “A fine wine we are not,” one of the guys in Catherine proclaimed before launching into “Broken Bunny Bird” off their 1994 record “Sorry!”. It was exciting that they were back together, but a younger-skewing crowd gave clueless stares and polite applause to the band as most were entirely unfamiliar with the material. Most likely many were disappointed that Corgan was giving the encore time to this other band rather than playing more Pumpkins songs. The truth is, it was a little shocking that Corgan yielded the stage to anyone given his love of the spotlight. To close out the night for good, he seemed to want to throw the crowd a bone and leave them wanting more by breaking out “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”. Ironically it was the one moment of the entire set where Corgan appeared to be uninspired. He raced through the song at a faster than normal pace, like he was trying to remove a band-aid that was stuck to a thick patch of hair. The hope was the pain would go away quicker if he just ripped it right off in one quick motion. The crowd was more than satisfied though, and smiles were easy to come by. For a night that was largely built on the unfamiliarity of new material, rarities and deep cuts, it was just a little surprising they were smiling at all.

Smashing Pumpkins – Owata
Smashing Pumpkins – Lightning Strikes

Set List:
Quasar/Stella Polaris and the People Mover (Oceania)
Panopticon (Oceania)
Starla (I Am One single b-side)
Geek U.S.A. (Siamese Dream)
Muzzle (Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness)
Window Paine (Gish)
Lightning Strikes (Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, Vol. 3)
Soma (Siamese Dream)
Siva (Gish)
Oceania (Oceania)
Frail and Bedazzled (Siamese Dream outtake)
Silverfuck (Siamese Dream)
Obscured (Gish outtake, Today single b-side)
Pale Horse (Oceania)
Thru the Eyes of Ruby (Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness)
Cherub Rock (Siamese Dream)
Owata (Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, Vol. 3)
My Love Is Winter (Oceania)
For Martha (Adore)
\\**Encore**//
Idiot (Catherine song)
Broken Bunny Bird (Catherine song)
Bullet with Butterfly Wings (Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness)

Remaining Tour Dates
Oct 17 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Oct 18 New York, NY Terminal 5
Oct 19 Providence, RI Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
Oct 21 Boston, MA Orpheum Theater
Oct 22 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theater

Show Review: Portishead [Aragon Ballroom; Chicago; 10/12/11]

By Faronheit

On 10/13/2011

In chicago, live music, music, show review

The last time Portishead showed up in Chicago, the year was 1998. They are a temperamental band at best, taking their sweet time in creating new music and equally so in scheduling live shows. Every indication is that they don’t much care to do what’s expected of them, and in that way it also makes them a more compelling band. Case in point: Portishead’s last record Third was released 3.5 years ago. They only halfway toured to support it then, only really stopping by North America to play Coachella before leaving again. For whatever reason, and not because they’ve been working on new material or have anything in particular to promote, Portishead just now chose to come back to the U.S. for about a dozen dates. They rolled into Chicago last night for a sold out mid-week show, acting like a parent that abandoned you 12 years ago and suddenly shows up wanting to pick up right where they left off as if nothing had happened. The truth is, they’ve changed and we’ve changed in that massive gap, but by no means does either of us have to accept that fact. You make the best of the time you’re given.

Portishead started their set at the Aragon the same way most bands start their live show – with the first track off the last record they released. In this case it was “Silence”, and though the crowd was cheering loudly as the band emerged on stage, they let out an even louder roar once the spoken word intro to the song began to play. The band came more than prepared too. The main trio of Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley had a few utility players on hand to help recreate and/or supplement what they’ve done on record, with Barrow being the multi-instrumental crux upon which the rest of the band turned. He held down center stage but positioned himself behind Gibbons and her microphone. Barrow was more than solid from start to finish, but his biggest moments of shining glory came primarily in the second half of the set. On “Machine Gun” he pounded the drum pads with more precision and speed than on record, while on “Over” and “Cowboys” he showed off turntable scratching skills that would make most DJs jealous.

Gibbons certainly held her own for the duration too, as any lead singer tends to secure all the praise or blame for the entire band because he or she has a microphone and can engage with the crowd easier. Her vocals were strong and piercing, interacting playfully with the highs and lows and general tension the rest of the band provided. She tore through “The Rip” and prevented its slow pace from devolving into something that might have otherwise brought the set to a screeching halt. When the band got loud or harsh, as songs like “Threads” and “We Carry On” do, she always seemed to cut through the fray and act as a counterweight. Yet in spite of her warming presence amid icy melodies, Gibbons remained otherwise distant for much of the night, not really saying a word between songs and often turning away from the crowd during instrumental portions of some songs. The only point at which that gap was closed came courtesy of the final song of the night “We Carry On”, where during an extended outro she hopped off the stage and met the crowd at the barricade. It wasn’t quite crowd surfing, but the mental and physical breakdown of that wall seemed to be cathartic for everybody involved. Once that genie was let out of the bottle, there was no going back, which is probably why the band exited and the house lights came up immediately afterwards.

Choosing highlights from Portishead’s set is tough when everything they did was nothing short of excellent. Well except for the first half of “Mysterons”, where a malfunctioning speaker proved to be quite the annoyance. The extreme crackling was met with sheer disdain by the crowd, most of who began to shout in protest as it continued on for much of the song. Whether the bum speaker(s) was shut off or adjusted, a full recovery was eventually made, though the band either failed to notice or simply ignored it and continued to power through as if nothing had happened. Other than that, things went swimmingly. Essentials such as “Sour Times” and “Glory Box” remained vital and disturbing. Certainly one of the high, if not the highest point of the night came mid-set with “Wandering Star”. Reducing the band down to the core of Gibbons, Barrow and Utley, they radically reworked the track into an organic and slower-moving ballad rather than the eerie, electro-glitched toe-tapper classic. Gibbons’ vocal quivered through most of it as well, only adding to the quiet vulnerability of the song and keeping the crowd at full attention. It was an utterly fascinating choice to make, and one that proved just how immensely stimulating the band can be even when they break from their trademark sound.

In 90 minutes flat, Portishead was done. Over a decade of absence magically erased and bonds restored. Calling their influence drug-like is probably apt in this case. It was fascinating to see the sorts of people that turned out at the show, from a fresh generation of younger fans to a decidedly older crowd – most assuredly fans from the earlier period of their 20+ years together as a band. People with mohawks and people with comb overs may not have much in common, but the one thing they could all agree on Wednesday night was that Portishead put on one of the best shows of 2011 so far. If absence truly does make the heart grow fonder, here’s one band that’s playing their cards just right. Still, we can all hold out hope they don’t make us wait another 12 years before showing their faces in Chicago again.

Set List
Silence
Hunter
Mysterons
The Rip
Sour Times
Magic Doors
Wandering Star
Machine Gun
Over
Glory Box
Chase the Tear
Cowboys
Threads
\\**ENCORE**//
Roads
We Carry On

Show Review: Paul McCartney [Wrigley Field; Chicago; 8/1/11]

By Faronheit

On 08/02/2011

In chicago, live music, music, show review

Sir Paul McCartney is a living legend. Anybody that disagrees with that statement needs to have their head checked. You can argue (somewhat pointlessly) that The Beatles were not the greatest band of all time and absolutely get away with it, but you cannot fight against their impact on the world. John Lennon once said that The Beatles were “bigger than Jesus”, and while he was wrong on that count, he was making a salient point about the immense popularity of the band. It has been over 40 years since The Beatles broke up, and their records and merchandise still sell like hotcakes, while evolutions such as the “Rock Band: Beatles” video game and a stereo remastering of the band’s catalogue have introduced a whole new generation to the Fab Four. The tragedy is that half of the Beatles are no longer living, what with John Lennon’s unfortunate murder in 1981 and George Harrison succumbing to lung cancer 10 years ago. The two remaining Beatles of course are Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, and it’s not tough to figure out which one has had the greater career. Sure, Ringo has been putting out album after album of solo material, but unlike the rest of the band, he’s the only one that hasn’t been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work as an individual artist. Really he’s more known for his work towards peace activism. As for McCartney, well, his post-Beatles output may be the best out of everyone’s. First as part of Wings and then eventually fully solo, McCartney’s catalogue is one few artists can match. He continues to gain significant attention and traction when it comes to generating new music, and he’s had at least two new songs get strong radio airplay in the last couple years. After re-releasing Wings’ seminal album “Band on the Run” (again) last fall and a couple of his solo albums this past spring/early summer, Sir Paul scheduled a relatively brief summer tour of U.S. ballparks in support of that. His grand show arrived at the historic Wrigley Field for two nights this past Sunday and Monday. I snagged a ticket to the second show on Monday, and it was a night filled with nostalgia and celebration of a true living legend.

If you’ve never had the privilege of seeing a Paul McCartney show before, particularly in the last 10 years or so, allow me to clue you in as to what you’re missing. This current tour is being labeled “On the Run” in easy reference to Wings, but a different way to look at it is to say it’s a “run” through 50 years worth of music in just under 3 hours. Yes, at age 69, Sir Paul is still playing 3 hour shows and with the energy of a man at least half his age. Perhaps it’s that vegan diet of his, or maybe he’s crafted a deal with the devil, but he spends so much of the time dancing around the stage and moving from various guitars to piano and back again like he’s been doing it all his life (which he has). One thing McCartney is not shy about is working the crowd, as virtually every song ended with him stepping away from the microphone and throwing his hands up in an apparent effort to encourage more cheering. Applause is the lifeblood of any performer, and even at his age it apparently still means quite a bit. Still, today’s crowds must seem passive to him compared to the heyday of the Beatles, where people would be screaming wildly through every single song. It’s that sort of fanaticism that caused the Fab Four to stop touring. The crowd at Wrigley Field for night two was likely more relaxed than night one, the thought being that the more hardcore fans snapped up tickets to the first show because the second show was only announced after the first sold out. According to a friend of mine that attended both nights, people spent far more time sitting down at the second show, something that he failed to understand given the incredible set list.

Speaking specifically to the songs played Monday night at Wrigley, the hits just kept coming one after the other. In the past, McCartney has often refrained from playing a lot of Beatles songs, preferring instead to focus on his many accomplishments since that period of his life. More recently though, it seems he has had a change of heart and perhaps has gained a greater appreciation for the Fab Four’s catalogue. If you’ve examined any of the set lists that Sir Paul has been playing as part of this “On the Run” tour, you’re aware there’s been very little in the way of variation from night to night and a clear dominance of Beatles hits. The full breakdown goes something like this:

Total songs played – 39 (counting the individual portions of the “Abbey Road Medley”)
Beatles songs – 25
Wings songs – 8
McCartney solo songs – 3
The Firemen songs – 1
Cover songs – 2 (Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon)

You can have a glance at the full set list at the very bottom of this post. Was it a perfect set list? Very few people will argue that it was, but with such a huge catalogue everybody and their mother has an idea of what constitutes perfection. Well-rounded is the best way to describe it. If you wanted to hear “Drive My Car”, Sunday night was the time to see that one. The same goes for “Day Tripper” or “Get Back”. Some of the more unique qualities in Monday night’s show compared to the night before were moments like “Got to Get You Into My Life” , “I’m Looking Through You” and “I Saw Her Standing There”. Really it was only a few Beatles songs that were exchanged with other ones that differentiated the two nights, and the main points/stage banter were nearly scripted. There was the seamless transition from “Let Me Roll It” into a brief instrumental version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady”, followed by a story of how McCartney went and saw Hendrix perform a couple days after the release of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, only to find out the guitar virtuoso had already learned how to play a couple tracks from that record and was impressively covering them at the show. There was one of the two moments where McCartney acknowleged his most recent releases by playing “Dance Tonight” on mandolin while drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. did everything from the macarena to the disco skywards point in the background. There were the tributes to his old friends Harrison (“Something”) and Lennon (“Here Today” and the cover of “Give Peace A Chance”), and the all-out explosive firewoked version of “Live and Let Die”. Naturally, the set came to a close with a crowd sing-along version of “Hey Jude” that absolutely sends shivers down your spine. The entire night McCartney had his immensely talented band backing him, the same band he’s been working with for so many years and has established a strong rapport with. They’re not only spot-on with their instruments, but have a remarkable knack for recreating some of the complicated harmonies of the Beatles catalogue. Considering that there’s absolutely no chance of The Beatles ever coming back, the show was about as close as one could get to the real thing.

Does it even need to be mentioned that going to see Paul McCartney perform at any time at any location is always recommended? That doesn’t just go for persons of a certain age either. While the crowd at Wrigley Field on Monday night was primarily middle-aged and older, there were plenty of younger people and even families with small children that attended the show. I’d like to think that everyone had a great time, though honestly temperatures were in the 80s and with everyone packed in like sardines the whole evening was a sweaty mess. But weather aside, you’re not going to do much better than Paul McCartney when it comes to large-scale shows these days. It is a gift that he is still making the rounds and touring no matter if it’s 2 dates or 200, and in spite of his youthful spirit one can’t help but wonder just how much longer he’s going to keep it up. He may have told the crowd on Monday night that he’d “see us next time”, but we are under no assurances that there will be one. Savor it while you can, my friends. There are very few genuine rock stars left in this hype-a-minute world, and Paul McCartney is one of them.

Set List:
Magical Mystery Tour (The Beatles)
Junior’s Farm (Wings)
All My Loving (The Beatles)
Jet (Wings)
Got to Get You Into My Life (The Beatles)
Sing the Changes (The Firemen)
The Night Before (The Beatles)
Let Me Roll It (Wings)
Foxy Lady Instrumental (Jimi Hendrix)
Paperback Writer (The Beatles)
The Long and Winding Road (The Beatles)
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five (Wings)
Let ‘Em In (Wings)
Maybe I’m Amazed (McCartney)
I’m Looking Through You (The Beatles)
And I Love Her (The Beatles)
Blackbird (The Beatles)
Here Today (McCartney)
Dance Tonight (McCartney)
Mrs. Vandebilt (Wings)
Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles)
Something (The Beatles)
Band on the Run (Wings)
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (The Beatles)
Back in the USSR (The Beatles)
I’ve Got A Feeling (The Beatles)
A Day in the Life (The Beatles)
Give Peace A Chance (John Lennon)
Let It Be (The Beatles)
Live and Let Die (Wings)
Hey Jude (The Beatles)
\**ENCORE 1**/
Lady Madonna (The Beatles)
Birthday (The Beatles)
I Saw Her Standing There (The Beatles)
\**ENCORE 2**/
Yesterday (The Beatles)
Helter Skelter (The Beatles)
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End (The Beatles)

Buy Paul McCartney music

Show Review: Timber Timbre + Marissa Nadler + Faces on Film [Schubas; Chicago; 7/21/11]

By Faronheit

On 07/22/2011

In chicago, live music, mp3, music, show review

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a heat wave taking over Chicago and most of the country right now. It has created a problem and a half for so many people and businesses, though I’m sure the ice cream shops are experiencing a super boom. Power outages at a time like this can be fast and furious too, with so many people cranking the air conditioning. The good news is that despite it being 90+ degrees outside, outages were minimal, though not a lot of people were walking around outside. Inside of the classic Chicago venue of Schubas, they do not have air conditioning. Fans are their only means of keeping cool, and in their concert room they were on full blast. The less warm bodies in the room, the cooler it was. It’s part of the reason why it paid to show up early to see the triple bill of Faces on Film, Marissa Nadler and Timber Timbre.

For those unfamiliar, Faces on Film is the moniker under which Boston singer-songwriter Mike Fiore records. He’s got two full lengths out, and I’ll readily confess that I’ve heard neither of them. It’s not that I’ve actively avoided Faces on Film, but there are so many artists out there and I’ve only got two ears and so much time. After seeing him play though, I have to say that I was won over. Singer-songwriters are often a hard sell, primarily because there are just so many of them. Have a strong sense of melody, play guitar with precision, and sing with range and power, and hopefully the right kind of attention will come your way. Fiore played his entire set solo, just him and a guitar, along with a respectful audience. As it was still early in the evening, there were only about 20 people that bore witness to his soulful and heart-on-his-sleeve performance. The response was louder than you’d expect though, and it helped that Fiore was charming and had some solid stage banter. After playing an acoustic guitar for close to half the set and an electric guitar for much of the second half, towards the end he pulled out a new instrument he had bought on eBay. It’s difficult to describe except to say it was like a small lap-confined autoharp that sounded like a synthesizer. That said, he told everyone before pulling it out that it hadn’t been working properly ever since he got it, and that he’s yet to make it through a full song using it. It brought a fun bit of extra entertainment to the set as everyone held their breath the instrument would work for an entire song. The end result? We got half of a song out of it before it crapped out. That one instrument may not have survived a song, but Fiore not only did that, but pulled off a full set in very smart and economical fashion. Faces on Film is one to watch for the future, that’s for sure.

Moon’s Row by Faces on Film by Faces on Film

Hear more music from Faces on Film via Bandcamp

While it technically wasn’t what you’d call a “triple headliner” bill, all three artists on it played for almost exactly the same amount of time and almost exactly the same number of songs. Only the order of the artists constituted what might otherwise be desrcibed as a “pecking order” of who people came to see. It actually surprises me a bit that Timber Timbre is playing last on this tour, if only due to their fewer number of albums and experience compared to somebody like Marissa Nadler, who just put out her fifth full length last month. The only logistical reason she wouldn’t be playing last at a show like this is because of musical style. I’m almost positive her fan base is bigger than Timber Timbre’s (at the moment), even if Timber Timbre are rising pretty strongly in popularity. At the very least let’s say this is a double headlining bill, and the quieter, much more fiercely independent Marissa Nadler wound up playing second for that exact reason. The crowd had built steadily by the time she took the stage, so the 200+ person room was moderately full and eager to hear her melancholy folk songs. In my pre-show interview with her, she mentioned to me that she’s got a pretty bad case of stage fright, so there was just a hint of apprehension on her face before starting that first song. Yet like the brave soul that she is, and like she’s done so many times before, she pushed onward and through. After taking the first three songs completely solo, she brought a friend of hers on stage to play cello, which brought some extra richness and depth to the rest of the set. Songs like “Little King” and “Alabaster Queen” had just a touch more dramatic flair and intensity than on record, and the crowd’s attention was affixed only on the stage. Mike Fiore aka Faces on Film also came on stage in an assist capacity for the last few songs, freeing Nadler up to focus exclusively on her rich and haunting vocals. In a sense then, Nadler had her own backing band for once, and though they didn’t quite have enough people to throw some light drums into the mix, in the end it didn’t matter. By the time she closed with “The Sun Always Reminds Me of You”, you could have heard a pin drop in that room. I’ve been to far too many shows at which people will have open conversations with one another as music plays right in front of them. Most of the time such behavior results from somebody being bored and feeling that chatting will be more interesting. So many great artists have been forced to ignore idiots that choose to disrespect a performer in such a way. It’s to Marissa Nadler’s credit that I heard not one bit of conversation during her set, save for her own stage banter, which was primarily confined to introducing and telling us a little bit about the song she was about to play. For as quiet as it was, it was also an overly heartwrenching and passionate performance – one you simply just couldn’t ignore.

Marissa Nadler – Baby, I Will Leave You in the Morning

Buy “Marissa Nadler” from Amazon

Last but certainly not least was Timber Timbre, a band I’ve done a minor amount of advocating for in recent months primarily due to their weird and unique take on music. Here is a band that brings together a number of familiar sounds, but not in any way you’d truly expect. At their heart, these songs are like what Nick Cave might sound like were he to attempt a doo wop album. There’s this almost scary waltz-like tempo on virtually every one of the songs on the band’s newest record, and the marriage of minimalist textures seguing into violent instrmental bits makes it that much more haunting. Speaking of haunting, the three piece chose to create their own stage lighting rather than use the traditional overhead can lights. In place of them were three construction lanterns with red bulbs inside, hung from makeshift poles next to each band member. It pushed the eerie atmosphere that much farther while crafting an intimacy that made the now packed room feel as if it were a sealed-off cave from which there was no escape. Given that we were all “trapped” in this situation, Timber Timbre made the best of it and played an assortment of songs from their catalogue. Even outside of the lights, the stage setup was odd courtesy of how each band member was surrounded by multiple instruments. Frontman Taylor Kirk did triple duty by playing the guitar and singing while simultaneously stomping on a bass drum. Mika Posen would alternate between keyboards, violin and a floor tom drum. Simon Trottier was sort of the everyman in the band, doing guitar but also autoharp and a number of various electronic gizmos that created unique sounds or backing tracks. So while the set up lacked a couple of the elements that are on the most recent Timber Timbre record, in particular saxophone. tracks like “Bad Ritual” and “Do I Have Power” still thrived in slightly different form. My personal favorite out of the set was “Lonesome Hunter”, which flew into a dischordant rage at the very end of it – something that felt entirely earned. The crowd, again holding deathly quiet throughout, threw an avalanche of applause on the band when they finished their set. Who knows if they legitimately had planned on doing an encore or not (as with pretty much every headlining band, such things are standard), but they did walk off and then back onto the stage after a few moments to seal the night with a grand rendition of “Trouble Comes Knocking”. It marked an almost triumphant end to a night that was really anything but.

That’s not to say anything was bad, in fact there wasn’t really a bad moment across all three sets. I’m speaking more to the extremely subdued and hushed nature of the entire evening. Unlike so many bands that infuse all sorts of energy and thrill-a-minute gimmicks into their shows, here were three artists that make uncompromisingly dark, quiet and slow music. That’s not something to be celebrated, but it is something worth praising. So many of us go out and have lighthearted, happy-go-lucky lives that we never truly connect with the sadness of others. We avoid emotionally stressful or challenging situations because of the fear we’ll get dragged down along with that other person. Yet no healthy, emotionally strong person strives for happiness each and every day of our lives. We need that sadness, that darkness, to help stay balanced and truly appreciate the better times. What these three artists did on stage, whether they were fully aware of it or not, was to help us access those feelings we choose to keep locked away from most of our friends and family. Nobody was about to break down and have a good cry, but when you talk about empathy and sheer drama, there was a wealth of it spread across 3.5 hours. When all the music was finally over, most everyone in the crowd filed out of Schubas in the close to silent fashion we had arrived. With the pitch black night sky overhead, that dark passenger stepped out onto the sidewalk with us, a gentle reminder that sometimes sunshine, lollipops and rainbows are completely overrated.

Timber Timbre – Black Water

Buy Timber Timbre’s “Creep On Creepin’ On” from Amazon

Pitchfork Music Festival 2011: Day 1 Recap

By Faronheit

On 07/16/2011

In chicago, live music, music, music festivals, pitchfork music festival 2011, show review

Ugh. It has been a long day for yours truly. Didn’t anticipate my day/evening going so late, so this initial recap of Day 1 of the 2011 Pitchfork Music Festival is going to be a little shorter and more to the point than much of everything else I plan on writing about over the course of the weekend. But fun was the name of the game today, and to call it a great day would not be an incorrect statement. Let me tell you a brief bit about the music I bore witness to, as well as maybe a couple other quick notes about things that went down on Day 1.

Due to an unfortunate vehicular mishap, in which my car broke down and refused to start, I wound up arriving at the Pitchfork Music Festival about 45 minutes later than I had originally planned. Still, it left me just enough time to see the last couple songs from EMA. Erika M. Anderson is her full name when not being referenced in acronym format, and she had a couple friends backing her up to handle much of the instrumental work. The two songs I saw her perform were solid renditions, in particular her single “California”, in which she did a lot of the same hand gestures that can be found in the video for said song. Fun isn’t the best word to describe what I saw, but very capable and strong are probably two solid descriptors. A few hours after her set, I was being taken on a brief tour of the backstage area and stumbled upon EMA. She was sitting in the grass by herself with a guitar and was making notes on some pieces of paper. In all likelihood she was writing a song, and hopefully something at the festival inspired her to do so.

My most hotly anticipated act of the day (and essentially the weekend) was tUnE-yArDs. After the massive number of raves I heard about Merrill Garbus and her intense performances, there was a little chill that went down my spine on the quite hot day when she began to belt her vocals into the microphone. Creating all sorts of vocal and instrumental loops, watching her put together songs like “Gangsta” and “Powa” was thrilling enough even if you threw away the actual songs. She didn’t do much to actually improve upon the recorded versions of the stuff on “w h o k i l l”, but then again she didn’t need to. That record is still amazing, and just seeing the songs come together live was the treat. Hopefully many were won over by her stellar performance. While I skipped seeing Battles in favor of tUnE-yArDs, all my friends chose to abandon me, claiming I made the wrong choice. They came away with nothing but raves for Battles’ set, and given to how they are dynamite live, the reaction felt sensible.

Thurston Moore was next, as I was intrigued to see what he would do. His backing band consisted of one guitar, one drummer, one violinist and one harpist. Yep, he had a harp with him and its lilting melodies were built into a lot of the songs. Moore also had a music stand with plenty of sheet music on it, which begged the question of how well he knew the songs he was playing. And virtually the entire thing wound up being a flop. Standing out in the hot sun and watching Thurston play slow acoustic numbers was not a good time. Early on in his set, he jokingly asked if everyone was ready to hear some songs about rape and other dark things, clearly trying to make light of the fact that OFWGKTA would be performing on that very stage in a couple days. There will be protesters for that, and come to think of it, people should have protested Moore’s set as well for being rather pedestrian and boring. Everything was capably performed, and much of the material came via his latest solo effort “Demolished Thoughts”. No Sonic Youth was played, but to close out his set, Moore told the crowd, “my band is saying that we should play a rock song”, a statement that was met with applause. The spark that ignited within the last few minutes of that set was what the entire thing should have been made out of. There’s always next time. If you went and saw Curren$y, consider yourself lucky.

The great news is that Guided By Voices were up next, and the very first thing that Robert Pollard asked the crowd was whether or not they were ready to see a real professional rock show. Hell yes, the crowd was ready. And GBV gave everyone exactly what they were looking for. Chain smoking on stage, wielding a bottle of alcohol, windmill guitar work, Neko Case on tambourine, jumping around like a madman, salutes, the hoisting of guitars high into the sky, the pointing of the necks of the guitars out at the crowd in a threatening and stabbing motions – all these things happened during that set. To call it awesome would be putting it lightly. These guys are all music veterans, and instead of slowing down their set was filled with visceral energy – the sort of which is missing in so many rock bands these days. Not only that, but they did all this while running through “hit” after “hit” (the quotation marks are used because despite a long career the band never achieved massive success to justify anything of theirs being a hit according to today’s standards). They hit up “Hot Freaks” “Tractor Rape Chain”, “Kicker of Elves” and “I Am A Scientist” (among many others) from their seminal album “Bee Thousand”. Their other big record was “Alien Lanes”, and tracks like “Game of Pricks” and “They’re Not Witches” sounded even better now than they did back in the day. So to recap: Guided By Voices put on one hell of a great show. And in that same way it’s sad, because there’s only a couple shows left with their “classic” lineup in place. They’re probably never going to do this again, so if you saw them at Pitchfork consider yourself lucky.

Neko Case is such an effortless charmer of a woman. There’s a certain sweetness to her, and maybe the down-home alt-country bits of her music are big contributors to that. One of the more interesting things about her is the backing band she surrounds herself with. The guys in the band were all older gentlemen complete with beards and a few extra pounds, and that alone was enough to make you think they belonged in a country band you’d stumble in and catch one night at some random bar. Who knows, maybe that’s where she met them. In spite of their appearances, they’re also excellent musicians, which is likely the reason why Case picked them in the first place. But that syrupy sweet voice of hers is in as good of shape as ever these days, and the set list mixing old songs, newer songs, and the newest of the new gave it plenty of workout. Case is currently hard at work on new material, so she did play a couple new ones during her set which were on par with everything else she’s done to date, if not better. The biggest crowd responses were for “Hold On, Hold On” and “People Got A Lotta Nerve”, and given their radio single status it’s no wonder why. There was no real reason for me to leave Neko Case, but after awhile I chose to wander over and at least check out James Blake‘s set for a few minutes. My concern initially was that his very quiet and minimalist self-titled debut would not translate well in an outdoor park. Outside of some seriously heavy bass, I’m pretty sure I was correct on that one.

Last but certainly not least, Animal Collective closed out the night in the headliner slot. It seems they got the love note I left them criticizing the very fluid and ever-changing dynamic of their live shows. The last time I saw the boys, they spent their festival time slot noodling around with psychedelic textures rather than playing most of the songs that appear on their albums. Think of it like one long acid trip in which many songs are teased but little to none are actually performed. They were on their best behavior at Pitchfork 2011 though, actually playing songs all the way through and even adding a few brief moments of silence from when one song ends and another begins. Call it common courtesy, and it made the set very bearable and remarkably fun. There was plenty of dancing going on, not to mention the glowsticks and an inflatable Spider-Man that became a part of the party. There were a handful of new songs sprinkled into the set as well, all of which sounded more than fine but with fewer harmonies than their last album “Merriweather Post Pavilion”. Between those elements and the neat stage setup complete with light-up rock-like structures and hanging shapes attached overhead by strings of lights. Animal Collective took their headlining job seriously and left the crowd in a better place compared to how they found them.

In case you couldn’t gather already, the entire day was nothing short of great. I’m very much looking forward to Day 2 tomorrow, but at this very moment sleep beckons. I’ll have photos for you as soon as I’m able. Check back for my Day 2 Recap overnight tomorrow night.

Show Review: Death Cab for Cutie [Metro; Chicago; 5/20/11]

By Faronheit

On 05/21/2011

In chicago, live music, music, show review

Prior to seeing Death Cab for Cutie play the Metro on Friday night, I had seen them on four separate occasions. The first two times they were supporting 2003’s “Transatlanticism” and the following two times they were supporting their major label debut in 2005’s “Plans”. Ultimately it amounted to four times in about three years, though two of them were headlining music festivals where they were up against poorer options. It also helped that I was obsessed with the band and felt that Ben Gibbard was one of the biggest songwriting prodigies of the last decade. Seriously, his lyrics seem to speak to me. But somewhere in the 3 year gap between Death Cab records, which was also a time period where I graduated from college, the band went down in importance in my mind. That their last album, “Narrow Stairs” was a bleak and generally poor quality piece of music only pushed them further from my radar. It’s easy to suggest that my slowly developed dispassion for the band was a result of their ascent in popularity and major label status. More likely it was a combination of a couple things: my own tastes in music changing along with the fact that “Narrow Stairs” really was a pretty bad album. It’s been another 3 years since that time, and the band is finally ready to put out a new album at the end of the month, titled “Codes and Keys”. In the weeks prior to its release, the boys decided to do a little tour, with the word “little” being the most important descriptor. Considering they regularly headline festivals and play for tens of thousands of people (and announced an arena tour for this summer), Death Cab booked a whole bunch of club dates at venues with capacities of under 2,000. So it was with the hope of reigniting my passion for the band and catching an early listen to a few songs from the upcoming album, in addition to seeing them perform in such a small and classic location.

One of the things that has always disappointed me about the Death Cab for Cutie live show is how neatly scripted it all is. They start with “The New Year”, make sure to play all of the singles from the “Transatlanticism” record and after, and then close with the song “Transatlanticism”. What really counts is the selection of songs that come between all those predictable moments. Breaking Friday night’s 25 song setlist down by album, the clear winner of the night was “Codes and Keys”, as the band played at least 6 (if not 7) songs from it, or over half the record. That’s to be expected, but it did leave the crowd in a bit of a spot. Playing a lot of new and unheard material can be fun to hear, but you can’t sing along to it nor do you know how good or bad it might be. My very early opinion on the new songs is that they’re a definite improvement over much of “Narrow Stairs”. On the whole they’re a little brighter and catchier too, though they stay largely true to everything we’ve come to expect from Death Cab. Both Ben Gibbard and Chris Walla have been trying to talk up the new album by saying it’s a lot more experimental in nature, with fewer guitars and more electronic dabbling, but that only appears true to a minimal degree. Maybe the live recreation is a little different than the recorded one. Also, though their sound is typically top notch and one of the best not only in Chicago but in the country, from the back corner position I was stuck in with the sold out crowd, much of the set came across as muddy and extremely bass-heavy. The band also screwed up/aborted/restarted two of the new songs, likely due to not having played them live many times before. They’re sweetly forgiven for those sorts of mini blunders. Anyways, the point about the new stuff is that it gives me just a sliver of hope that maybe the band will do as well or better than their previous peak. Call it a long shot still, but once I’ve heard the “final” versions of these songs I’ll be able to better judge.

As to the older material, it was excellent to hear the “FOrbidden Love” EP’s “Photobooth” early on in the set. Had the band released that song today, it’d likely be a big hit for them. The wealth of Death Cab for Cutie’s catalogue was actually spread out pretty well across the set, with a few minor issues. It may have been their previous album, but “Narrow Stairs” did not deserve to have four songs in the set. Of course they also could have done a lot worse than “Grapevine Fires” and “Long Division” in addition to the two singles from that record. Their most popular record to date, “Transatlanticism”, earned equal footing with “Narrow Stairs” in claiming four spots in the set, with the traditional starting and closing songs plus their two popular singles smashed in between. The dream matchup there would have been to try a deeper cut from the record such as “We Looked Like Giants” or “Expo 86” rather than the same old, same old. As far as “Plans” was concerned, that was another “all business” transaction, pulling the only three singles from that record and nothing more. The farther back they went the better it got though, which is why “A Movie Script Ending” and “We Laugh Indoors” felt so fresh and exciting even if they’re more “go to” picks from “The Photo Album”. Surely they would have done “I Was A Kaleidoscope” or “Blacking Out the Friction” had they been able to squeeze it in. Instead, three songs from “We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes” emerged from hibernation, with “Company Calls” being the biggest shocker. “405” is a classic and always a delight to hear as well. Finally, mid-way through the set came the lone “Something About Airplanes” song, “Pictures in an Exhibition”. An even more compelling choice would have been “President of What?”, but it’s a miracle to even get a single song from that 1998 debut so let’s consider it a win.

If I’m being highly or too harshly critical of Death Cab for Cutie and their choice in songs from Friday night, it’s because I care about their well-being as a band. The hope for any band is that they’ll continually evolve the longer they’re around, both on record and on stage. You pray for a solid catalogue from which they can pull any number of songs, including b-sides and not bat an eye. Perhaps as a band they grow tired of performing the same songs night after night and either allow their set lists to vary wildly or take the tracks we’ve come to know and love and tear them to shreds in new and invigorating ways. For a band that is close to celebrating 15 years together, they look awfully bored and awfully mellow on stage. Sonically there’s very little fault in their performance. These are songs they’ve played so many times they could do it in their sleep. You watch as Gibbard hits every note with that syrupy sweet voice of his while he bounces back and forth from foot to foot. You see Chris Walla bent over some machines or a piano. Nick Harmer moves around a bit as he’s slapping out his bass lines, while Jason McGerr remains trapped behind a drum kit as usual. It’s a little better than an Interpol live show, where the guys pretty much glue their feet to the floor and play everything straight (but their lighting rigs move!), but not much better. I stopped going to Interpol shows after seeing them five times and realizing they weren’t getting any better both on and off the stage. Now with my fifth Death Cab for Cutie show, a lot of those same feelings are cropping up. Will I ever feel the need to see them live again? Maybe if they put out a truly great new record and I want to hear songs from it. With the completely unfamiliar new material from “Codes and Keys” that seemed to dominate the set, I need more time and listens) to properly digest those tracks to see if the album will be truly great. Once I reach that point, the next best thing these guys can do is switch it up. They may be obliged to play (some of) their singles, but it’d be nice if they’d try and make a concerted effort to avoid pleasing all of their fans all of the time. Those that have stood by them for 10 years or more deserve a little more love than they’re currently getting.

One final note on the crowd and their reaction/behavior. It was a frat-tastic evening with plenty of strong-armed alcoholics trying to show how indie they are by attending a Death Cab show. If many of them weren’t making a trip to the bar, they were high-fiving and chatting through many of the songs. Please note that not everyone was like this, as there were a good deal of respectful and smart concert-goers that wanted to hear every note because they paid for it. Still, cheering and applause appeared to be very thin through much of the set (where new stuff dominated), and only near the end where it was hit-after-hit complete with sing-alongs did people start to get truly excited. “Aw man, they’re hitting their stride now”, some idiot next to me said during “The Sound of Settling”. What made it funny was that they ended their main set immediately after he said that. Still, the general lack of excitement from the crowd either impacted the band negatively or impacted my impression of the show negatively. Either way, the subdued reaction did not help. You saw Death Cab for Cutie at the METRO. They will likely never play a place that small ever again. At the very least, that was something to cheer about.

Preorder “Codes and Keys” from Amazon

Set List:
The New Year
Cath
Crooked Teeth
Photobooth
Some Boys*
Codes and Keys*
Company Calls
Long Division
Grapevine Fires
I Will Possess Your Heart
I Will Follow You Into the Dark
Title Track
You Are A Tourist*
Underneath the Sycamore*
Pictures in an Exhibition
405
Doors Unlocked and Open*
We Laugh Indoors
Soul Meets Body
The Sound of Settling
\\**ENCORE**//
Home Is A Fire*
??? (New Song)*
Title and Registration
A Movie Script Ending
Transatlanticism

Death Cab for Cutie – Home Is A Fire

Death Cab for Cutie – Underneath The Sycamore

Death Cab for Cutie – Some Boys

Death Cab for Cutie – You Are A Tourist

Show Review: Paul Simon [Vic Theatre; Chicago; 5/16/11]

By Faronheit

On 05/17/2011

In chicago, music, show review

Much like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and even Jimmy Buffett, Paul Simon is one of those musicians worthy of the label “national treasure”. The guy has been making music for nearly 50 years now, first with his good friend Art Garfunkel and then on his own for much longer. There are so many legendary songs that you would most definitely recognize even if you didn’t consider yourself a Paul Simon fan, and he’s even largely credited with starting the musical movement known as Afropop. A band like Vampire Weekend wouldn’t exist today, or at the very least would sound completely different, if Simon and Afropop did not find one another. It’s also fascinating that he’s continued to endure all this time, because while the songs he writes and puts together are typically strong, his own vocals aren’t exactly a selling point. That’s not to call him a terrible singer, it’s more that you’d think Garfunkel would have been the one to hit it big in their duo. What’s written is written though, and we’ve gotten so many great and just delightful songs from Simon over the years. But as with any musician who’s been playing for most of their lives, the last decade or two has seen a significant slow down in progress. It’s been 5 years since his last album “Surprise” came out, and that was after a 6 year gap following “You’re the One”. But if you’ve been paying a reasonable amount of attention to the music scene in the last several weeks, or you just watched the last episode of “Saturday Night Live”, you’d know Simon put out his latest album “So Beautiful or So What” last month. It earned the sort of moderate applause you give to a national treasure, where respect comes first before an truly honest assessment of the music. Really though, it’s not a bad album by any means. In support of said new record, Simon and his 8-man wild cultural mix of a band set out on tour, which includes two stops in Chicago – one at the historic Chicago Theatre, and the other at the remarkably tiny and somewhat intimate Vic Theatre. To see him perform in a stadium or at a music festival is a treat unto itself, but at a 1,000 capacity venue is something truly special.

Setting the scene, after a weekend filled with rain and temperatures that were close to 30 degrees below normal, the sun came out to play but was on the verge of retiring on Monday evening as crowds gathered in front of The Vic in preparation for the sold out Paul Simon show. Shortly after the 8pm listed start time, the house lights went down, the spotlights went up, and the band emerged to thundrous cheering. Starting strong and with something recognizable is always a plus, and Simon did not disappoint with the positively lovely “The Boy in the Bubble” off the “Graceland” record. Light and airy and with an accordion-fueled energy, the dancing began right away for much of the audience. The one big thing you learn from listening to Paul Simon’s catalogue is that despite being credited for Afropop, that’s by no means the only style of music he plays. He, along with his band, are citizens of the world, and the live show is very reflective of that. What really binds us all together no matter where you’re from is rhythm, and so you can bounce from the African beats of “Dazzling Blue” off his latest record into a more funky folk of “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” before running into reggae in a wild combination platter of Jimmy Cliff’s “Vietnam” and Simon’s own “Mother and Child Reunion”. From there it was a trip to Creole country courtesy of “That Was Your Mother”. Outside of a couple early set highlights, the biggest chunks of pure greatness in the set came closer to the end. “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” began completely a capella, as it does on the original “Graceland” version, but the end of the song, which featured a drummer face-off between Jamey Haddad and Jim Oblon, was where things really ran into the highly exceptional category.

At the start of the first encore, Paul Simon returned to the stage by himself, a spotlight the only thing illuminating the stage. He picked up his acoustic guitar and belted out a soulful, mournful version of the Simon & Garfunkel classic “The Sound of Silence”. Knowingly, 99% of the crowd became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The two people that “Woo-ed” early in the song were quickly shut up. It became the most intimate moment of the entire evening, just a man and his guitar. I’d like to think that everybody paying strict attention during those few minutes felt a connection, as if the song was being performed for you and only you. Surely the smaller venue helped in that regard, as watching a tiny man from a balcony probably doesn’t have the same effect. But that was the real goosebump moment of the show, and honestly, I wasn’t the least bit bothered that nobody stepped in to try and recreate Garfunkel’s vocal harmonies on the song. After not hearing a whole lot of singing along for much of the set, it was a little surprising to me that “Kodachrome” was when people started to pipe up. It was kind of a party from that point onwards though, with some nice excitement when Simon whipped out a rendition of The Beatles classic “Here Comes the Sun” leading into one of his best and most popular tracks, “Late in the Evening”. The crowd had clearly not had enough after nearly two hours and a 5 song encore, so after exiting again, the band returned one last time for “Crazy Love, Vol. II”. There was more singing and more dancing and smiles abound. Prior to walking off the stage for the final time that night, Simon took a moment to give appropriate kudos to his band and introduce them one by one. Not enough performers do that these days, and the way they all embraced one another made it very clear they’re all like family to one another. A 9 man, multicultural family. For two hours on a Monday night, they let us sit in on one of their family gatherings. One can only hope they do something like that again real soon.

Click on “Read More” below to stream the entire new album “So Beautiful or So What”

Buy “So Beautiful or So What” from Amazon

Set List
The Boy in the Bubble
Dazzling Blue
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
So Beautiful or So What
Vietnam (Jimmy Cliff cover)
Mother and Child Reunion
That Was Your Mother
Hearts and Bones
Mystery Train/Wheels (Junior Parker cover)
Slip Slidin’ Away
Rewrite
Peace Like A River
The Obvious Child
The Only Living Boy in New York (Simon & Garfunkel song)
The Cool, Cool River
Getting Ready for Christmas Day
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
Gumboots
\\**ENCORE**//
The Sound of Silence (performed solo; Simon & Garfunkel song)
Kodachrome
Gone at Last
Here Comes the Sun (Beatles cover)
Late in tne Evening
\\**ENCORE 2**//
Crazy Love, Vol. II

Show Review: The Arcade Fire + The National [UIC Pavilion; Chicago; 4/25/11]

By Faronheit

On 04/26/2011

In live music, mp3, music, show review

On a rainy April night, not unlike the few that preceeded it, thousands packed into the UIC Pavilion to witness the third and final show from two of indie rock’s most brilliant stalwarts, The Arcade Fire and The National. Both are out in support of their latest records, The National with their highly acclaimed fifth album “High Violet” and The Arcade Fire with their 2010 Grammy-winning/list-topping third record “The Suburbs”. They’re only playing a select few shows together, basically spanning a couple dates in Missouri, the three in Chicago and one in Indianapolis. It’s an incredibly tough bill to turn down if you love your music, even at the markedly imperfect large venue. Of course the band not only sold out one night in a room that size, but they did it three times in a row, so clearly the demand is there. And better the UIC Pavilion than the even clunkier Allstate Arena or United Center. The first show announced was the Monday night show, which after selling out in a relative heartbeat was then backed up by the Friday and Saturday leading into Easter. Monday never seems to be the “right” day for a show, what with the start of the work week and the general depression that sets in with that. All the rain wasn’t helping either, so there wasn’t quite the electricity in the air you might hope for. The thing about bands is that they don’t exactly have “weekends” or “Mondays”, and if a crowd is not giving them what they need, they’ll either force it out of them or turn in a performance that’s equal with what they’re getting in return. Thankfully both bands seem to do the former, resulting in one of the most exhilarating live shows you’ll find not just on a rainy Monday, but on any day of any week.

This may come as a surprise to nobody, but The National are not the most upbeat band in the world. Songs about failed relationships, political strife and general depression are the norm for them, but they do it with class and style and sharp pop sensibilities, all of which lessen the lyrical pain contained within. Starting their set on Monday night with “Anyone’s Ghost” was perhaps not the most inspired choice. The hook is solid, but it’s a slow burner much like a lot of the band’s material. The standard for many artists is to start strong and draw people in, with most choosing to go with the opening track on their most recent release as it tends to have that same effect. Given that the UIC Pavilion was only a little more than half filled when they started their set though, a fair number of people there were probably fans of The National already, showing up on time to see one of their favorites from the very beginning. You don’t need to sell those people on your band because they’re already sold. Whipping out the “Alligator” classic “Secret Meeting” next, things picked up courtesy of the surging chorus that had singer Matt Berninger screaming by the end – something that you don’t get on the recorded version. In fact, a lot of the songs during The National’s set were brimming with a newfound life and intensity that they haven’t shown often before, evidence of how they’ve grown as a live act in the last few years. Their “hit” “Bloodbuzz Ohio” scored big with the crowd, as did the scream-filled take on “Squalor Victoria”. Arcade Fire’s Richard Parry joined the band on guitar and some backing vocals for “Afraid of Everyone” and “Conversation 16”, which was exciting for some but left a couple brilliant people remarking, “So wait…that guy is in Arcade Fire?”. One of the more random moments in the set was when the band whipped out the “Alligator” b-side “Driver, Surprise Me”, which is not only a challenge to find on record but also to catch a live performance of. Out on a limb, I’d wager about 2-3 people in the entire building knew the song, and the deafening silence in the room was evidence enough of that. The National finished strong though, with a four hit combo that was big on energy and one unplanned moment. The extended outro tacked onto “Fake Empire” was an additional kick in the pants that was earned and exciting. The place was all filled up and naturally went into a frenzy when Win Butler of Arcade Fire came dashing out during “Start A War” to contribute some backing vocals and harmonies. Berninger cracked a smile as Butler exited the stage, commenting, “I thought we said no improvising,” appearing to acknowledge that the appearance wasn’t wholly expected. In the band’s pre-“High Violet” days, “Mr. November” was their standard closing song (in particular to celebrate Barack Obama’s election), bringing energy to spare along with all the screaming promises of “I won’t fuck us over”. This time it was just shy of last, the coveted spot being turned over to “High Violet” opening cut “Terrible Love”. It’s the song they should have started on, but finishing on it was nearly as good. One hour after they took the stage, The National exited triumphant, with the crowd eating out of the palms of their hands and rippling with palpable excitement for The Arcade Fire. It may have been rainy and it may have been a Monday, but the crowd had turned to Saturday and sunny.

The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio
The National – Afraid of Everyone

Buy The National’s “High Violet” from Amazon

One of the more fun things about The Arcade Fire’s current tour is their stage set-up, which features both a classic light-up drive-in movie marquee and a projection screen. Somebody next to me said they didn’t understand how a marquee sign was supposed to relate to the suburbs. Given all the light pollution and the need for an open field, drive-ins theatres were restricted to suburbs and farm towns only, so that’s how the concept makes sense. Prior to their entrance on stage, there were a couple quick “Coming Attractions” that were some old previews for movies where evil comes to the suburbs, otherwise known as bratty, drug-using youths. It was a fun and funny way to put everyone in the mindset for the band’s set, which again dumped the unspoken “start with the first track off your new album” rule but opted instead for the much more energized hit single “Ready to Start”. Not only does the song have a stellar pace, but the title and lyrics tell you plainly that you’d best be fired up and set to get things underway. Like a continued punch to the gut, “Keep the Car Running” hit next and the energy level stayed at a high. People were jumping and singing along at the top of their lungs, giving back to the band exactly what they were shoving out to the masses in the first place. “Haiti” may have been a little more relaxed in its pace, but its tropical vibe mixed with Regine Chassagne’s pixie-like dancing kept the party headed in the right direction. One of the weakest moments on the new record is “Rococo”, primarily for its spiteful lyrics and the sheer ad nauseum number of times the song title is repeated. The dancing stopped and the mood got heavy at the show all of a sudden when that arrived, and it was like the band had shifted into a different gear. What made the live version of “Rococo” essential though was the way that Win Butler sang the song. There was such a raw intensity and spitfire anger pumping out of the speakers that you’ve got to give the guy credit for selling his art. “This is our last night of three in Chicago,” Butler said. “We’re leaving it all on the floor tonight”. The darker side of “The Suburbs” became a theme from that jumping off point, the heart of which was “Suburban War” and “The Suburbs” back-to-back. “Month of May” didn’t lose any of the intensity but picked the energy in the room back up significantly as the band got more heavy metal than at any other time that night.

The third phase of the show seemed to be a return to the “Funeral” days, and a trip through the numbered neighborhoods. As they’ve always done, the band went percussion crazy on “Neighborhood #2 (Laika)”, with everybody that had a free hand banging on whatever they could find with a drumstick. I do kind of miss the days when Richard Parry would strap on a helmet and people would drum on his head, but if they kept doing it the novelty might wear off. The most spirited performances of the evening were naturally saved for last. Win Butler came dangerously close to jumping into the crowd for “We Used to Wait”, but he seemed hesitant to do so after it looked like a few people were trying to grab his microphone cord and wrestle it away from him. They probably wanted to sing, but then again so did everybody. The amount of unsolicited singing and shouting in the crowd was intense, but that’s kind of how you want it to be, a communal experience that bonds everyone, not just the performers. Without a doubt then, the two biggest moments came courtesy of the set-closing “Rebellion (Lies)” and the creme in the encore cookie sandwich known as “Wake Up”. The songs were born to be played in stadiums to masses of people, as evidenced not only in their use via sports advertising, but at the actual shows themselves. Fists in the air, people jumping and shouting in the triumph of the moment. But they weren’t the ones standing tall up on that stage having vanquished a foe. Instead it was the band, and only the band that emerged victorious when it all finished. Like living vicariously through our favorite sports teams though, we’re left with unabashed pride and optimism when it’s all finished, overjoyed that the band we were all rooting for delivered either at or above our expectations. Sprinkle a little “Sprawl II: Mountains Beyond Mountains” on top, and serve it up with colorful ribbons and streamers. If you don’t walk away feeling exhilarated after a set like that, you’ve got some serious emotional issues. Weather and moods be damned, The Arcade Fire are your refuge and rock, and you’d be foolish to miss seeing them any chance you get.

The Arcade Fire – Wake Up

Buy The Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” from Amazon

The National – Set List
Anyone’s Ghost
Secret Meeting
Bloodbuzz Ohio
Slow Show
Squalor Victoria
Afraid of Everyone
Conversation 16
Apartment Story
Driver, Surprise Me
Fake Empire
Start A War (w/ Win Butler)
Mr. November
Terrible Love

The Arcade Fire – Set List
Ready to Start
Keep the Car Running
Haiti
Rococo
Empty Room
Suburban War
The Suburbs
Month of May
Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
No Cars Go
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
We Used to Wait
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)
\\**ENCORE**//
Intervention
Wake Up
Sprawl II: Mountains Beyond Mountains

Show Review: Godspeed You! Black Emperor [The Vic; Chicago; 3/28/11]

By Faronheit

On 03/29/2011

In music, show review

Upon announcing their impending return nearly a year ago, Godspeed You! Black Emperor laid out a plan that essentially involved touring around the world from December through the end of March and nothing more beyond that. They would not be considering any offers for interviews nor would they be booking any more tour dates beyond the pre-determined countries and cities until they had some serious time to think about it. Well, the band has done exactly as they said they would, save for the couple of Canadian tour dates that were added for the end of April. Those Canadian dates are all that’s left, save for the final U.S. date in Detroit this evening. But for the past three nights, GYBE has established a sold out residency in Chicago, playing at the historic Metro twice and The Vic Theatre last night. If you know anybody that attended all three of those Chicago shows, or multiple dates in a row in another city, you might want to check on them to make sure they’re okay. Seeing this band live puts a tremendous physical and mental strain on a person, and to do so over and over again can destroy the unprepared.

The stage setup is rather simple and unassuming upon looking at it with the lights up, but that’s kind of the point, as the focus is not to be directed towards the band members. Instead, when the lights do dim and the band members begin to emerge one by one on stage, they’re moving in the shadows and remain so for the duration of the show. Only minimal overhead lighting allows for them to see their instruments and one another as needed. The main visual part of the performance, nearly as important as the audio portion, is plastered onto a large screen behind the band via multiple film projectors. During the quieter moments, if you were standing in the right place, you could hear the clicking of the film and the whirring of the projectors as they presented stimulating and thought-provoking images as a companion to the songs. Speaking of quieter moments though, at a Godspeed You! Black Emperor show it is essential to show the utmost respect for the performance and hold your tongue for the duration and only applaud during the transitions between songs. Apparently some people at The Vic did not get that message, because between the two guys standing in front of me that insisted on talking much of the time and the drunk girl that kept yelling things at the band whenever the room fell silent, there were a few times when it was easy to get pulled out of the musical trance and back to the reality of being trapped in a large room with some idiots. As is their way, the band never actually uttered a word the entire time they were on stage, allowing their instrumental compositions and their visual counterparts do all the speaking for them.

One of the most fascinating things about Godspeed You! Black Emperor in general is just how they take the elements of traditional post-rock and turn them in many respects on their head. The way the violin and cello create this often sad symphonic side works in tandem with the ever-building guitar melodies until it all crescendos into a massive wave of punishing heavy metal is unparalleled today and a big reason why GYBE is such a revered collective. On its own, the band’s catalogue is best digested by yourself with headphones on and a dimly lit room free of distractions. Establishing the right atmosphere is key to opening your mind to the possibilities each track explores. Severe emotional states are also common when listening to the band, as one song may push your eyes to well up with tears and another might have you fearing for your own life. That’s a big part of the mental toll the music can take on you, and matched with the visual aspect of their live performance it gains even more power. The black and white footage of desolate country roads and empty buildings make you feel lonely even in a room filled with people. Billowing smoke and raging house fires help showcase the scary power that nature can play in our lives, though it may also have you wondering how you might be able to get out of the venue were a similar emergency suddenly emerge. Pages of the book “The Anatomy of Melancholy” slide past on one side of the screen, while on the other grainy strips of film are burnt, laying to waste captured images somebody undoubtedly hoped would remain permanent. No, the GYBE live show is not an exercise in fun or optimism, but then again neither is your average symphony or opera. The sweeping drama of it all and the way we relate to the elements at play determine what we get out of the experience.

The physical toll a Godspeed You! Black Emperor show has on you is also a comination of things. The most robust moments in any individual song can give your eardrums a heavy shaking both via headphones and at a concert venue, but when seen live that shaking hits your whole body. You get pummeled by a wall of sheer noise that only gets worse the closer in proximity you are to the stage. Adding to that is the general difficulty of standing in the same place for 2+ hours while experiencing this. In an ideal situation, GYBE would be playing in seated theatres or churches with pews. The Vic does have a couple of small seated sections, but everything else is standing room only, which is how most experienced the show on Monday night. I stood the entire time and by about mid-way through the set needed to lean on a railing next to me out of concern that I might collapse, the physical and mental exhaustion finally overtaking me. It may sound like an overreaction, but a number of people around me walked away at various points to seek out potential seats in a balcony area. The good news is that everybody seemed to weather the storm okay, though that’s not to say many weren’t shaken. And in the midst of the simply mesmerizing set, there was still a lot of excitement over both the general experience as well as hearing GYBE “classics” like “Gathering Storm”, “Sleep” and “World Police and Friendly Fire”. It was a night most if not everyone will not soon forget, a testament to the raw power of this band and the indelible mark their records have left on people that have heard them. If you’ve already seen them live, you understand what I’m talking about. If not, there’s but a few dates left for you to experience this before the band’s future once again falls into jeopardy. For the rest, live recordings and YouTube videos will have to suffice, of which many do a solid job showing off exactly what you missed. Godspeed You! Black Emperor start all of their shows with the song “Hope Drone”, during which the titular word “Hope” is projected onto the screen behind the band members as they each emerge onto the stage. As the show wraps up and things descend into white noise and visual static, and we walk away barely on our own two feet, that hope somehow still remains. Let’s try as hard as we can to keep it alive for as long as possible, that Godspeed will continue beyond their current expiration date of April 2011.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Yanqui U.X.O.

Buy “Yanqui U.X.O.” from Constellation Records
Buy “Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada” from Constellation Records
Buy “F#A#∞” from Concstellation Records

Show Review: Middle Brother + Dawes + Deer Tick [Metro; Chicago; 3-12-11]

By Faronheit

On 03/14/2011

In live music, mp3, music, photos, show review

Rare is the occasion when you can find a triple bill of bands touring together where all three deserve to headline every night. The trouble is, naturally, that only one band can truly headline. When two headliners share the stage for multiple dates together the decision on headliners is sometimes an evenly split rotation from night to night or occasionally a luck of the draw. When it’s three bands though, how does such a decision get made? In the case of Deer Tick, Dawes and Middle Brother, there are special circumstances that make the entire process easier. First and foremost, as members of both Deer Tick and Dawes are part of Middle Brother along with Delta Spirit’s Matt Vasquez, the supergroup takes precedence and closes out the evening because of the collection of talent. Secondly, Dawes have really made a name for themselves in the past few months by scoring a radio hit courtesy of their song “When My Time Comes”. Deer Tick, by contrast, have put out a couple albums and built a strong fan base but haven’t quite scored a genuine hit yet. They do have at least one high profile fan in the form of NBC Nightly News host Brian Williams though, who featured them on his inaugural edition of music-based interviews known as BriTunes. The thing about these three separate but equal bands playing together though is that they all really get along well with one another and are great friends. The dynamic of it, the way it’s all presented, matters less than simply going out, having fun and putting on a great show for people. Funny enough, that’s exactly what they did when their tour ran through Chicago on Saturday night, and you’d probably consider yourself foolish if you skipped even a minute of it.

Deer Tick have always been a force to be reckoned with live, and a venue like the Metro only enhances that intensity. They came flying out of the gate with their naturally playful energy that the crowd was more than happy to eat up. There was bouncing, there was swaying, there were saxophone solos, and there were covers. From the beginning, a number of people mentioned in just general crowd chatter that John McCauley’s vocals were placed too low in the mix because much of what he was saying seemed unintelligible. Considering that the Metro is one of the best-sounding concert venues in Chicago if not the world, they don’t really ever screw up mixing like that. In fact it was more McCauley’s voice with its rather nasal, Bob Dylan charm that made things a bit muddy. That’s no fault of his own, and such a thing should not have prevented most if not everyone from getting a little something out of Deer Tick’s set. They jumped all over their catalogue, from “Something to Brag About” to “Smith Hill” to “Choir of Angels” to “Ashamed” and the massive “Christ Jesus”. There were a handful of new songs too, leaving something to look forward to whenever they get around to putting out another record. The band also started what would become a theme throughout the night, which is the spirit of collaboration. Mid-set they brought out Delta Spirit’s Matt Vasquez to take the lead on a few songs, perhaps in part because the rest of his band was not on this tour. He sang a new song along with a pair of covers – Bruce Springsteen’s “Racing in the Streets” followed by Nirvana’s “Scentless Apprentice”. The transition from The Boss to Nirvana was jarring and weird, but hot damn does Vasquez do a great Kurt Cobain. Deer Tick is playing a set of Nirvana covers at SXSW this upcoming week under the name Deervana, and if Vasquez joins them (he likely will, among others), keep an eye out for some killer YouTube videos. On the whole, it was yet another excellent Deer Tick set in a long line of excellent Deer Tick sets, providing more proof that they’re one of the more engaging live acts around today.

Deer Tick – Piece By Piece and Frame By Frame

Buy Deer Tick’s “Black Dirt Sessions” from Amazon

After a brief break, Dawes came out to do their thing. It’s hard to believe that their debut album “North Hills” came out in 2009, but it’s taken this long for them to get really noticed. They’ve been paying their dues though, consistently touring and playing music festivals whether you’ve known it or not. After a couple quick songs from that first record, they played a new one about their hometown of Los Angeles. What’s moderately funny and also just a touch disappointing is that they’ve already written a couple songs about L.A. before and at some point it just becomes excessive. Still, despite the subject matter the song was good, as was their entire set. One of the best moments came courtesy of their new song “Fire Away”, as frontman Taylor Goldsmith tried something new and got the crowd to sing in divided-by-gender harmony. Not to boost some egos, but it sounded quite good. With just the one album and a couple new songs to play over the course of their hour-long set time, Dawes kept up with the collaborations by bringing their friend Jonny Corndawg out on stage to sing a few of his original country tunes. If you are unfamiliar with Jonny Corndawg, he can often be found wearing the traditional cowboy hat and boots, and he’s got a relatively large catalogue of songs that are both bizarre and heartfelt at the same time. You’d think the guy was a parody of country singers if he didn’t carry himself so earnestly. Yet there’s a sly, oddball sense of humor that permeates his lyrics and makes you sit up and notice what might otherwise be just a collection of country standards. Dawes loves the Corndawg, as does Deer Tick and one would assume Delta Spirit by proxy. They all share a lot of the same qualities, even if their approaches are a little different. After performing 5 of his songs with Dawes, a whole bunch of people rushed the stage, including Matt Vasquez and members of Deer Tick for a set-closing rendition of the Dawes hit “When My Time Comes”. Yeah, it was one massive sing-along where everyone on stage eventually turned their microphones out to the crowd to take over. The collective release of energy was something that had been building all night to that point, and when it finally happened there was such catharsis you knew it wouldn’t be topped.

Dawes – When My Time Comes

Buy Dawes’ “North Hills” from Amazon

Middle Brother began their set with “Blue Eyes” after yet another short break, and it was a smart choice over the beautiful but very slow opening track “Daydreaming” off their debut record. Most bands like to start their sets with the first track of their latest album, but in this case a bouncier and catchier song won out. Of course “Daydreaming” would pop up a few songs into the set anyways, mostly because Middle Brother played every song they’ve put out thus far. But McCauley did an exceptional job with hjs lead vocal on “Daydreaming”, making it one of the evening’s brightest spots. Highlights also included Taylor Goldsmith’s intense vocal performance on “Blood and Guts”, which was heartwrenching on record but even moreso live. The rollicking single “Me Me Me” has been getting a little bit of radio airplay in town, and probably went over best with the crowd during that particular set. The stage completely cleared out as Goldsmith took on “Wilderness” completely on his own, which was nice to have that short respite from the balances and imbalances that having such a collection of talent together at once. As for Matt Vasquez, he was great when sharply rocking out on guitar for most of the night, but also did a more than admirable job taking lead on “Theater” and “Someday”. If anybody was underused or underrepresented not just during Middle Brother’s set but all night it was Vasquez, but that also makes a bit of sense given that his main band Delta Spirit is significantly less alt-country/folk than Deer Tick and Dawes are. He’s an essential part of Middle Brother, no doubt about that, he’s just more of the quiet one that sits in the corner quietly blowing everyone away rather than sucking up the spotlight (not that McCauley or Goldsmith are begging for attention, they’re probably just more outgoing). Of course everyone came together at the very end of the night, including Jonny Corndawg and the guys from Deer Tick and Dawes to perform the song “Middle Brother” and then an encore that included their cover of The Replacements’ “Portland” and a supremely round-robin version of The Band’s “Down South in New Orleans”. That’s how the night ended, with about 15 people on stage and random band members grabbing the microphone and belting out verses in the most theatrical and spectacular ways possible. For a brief moment it felt like one massive gospel and blues show, with new surprises emerging at every turn.

The ability to not just pull one, but multiple rabbits out of a single hat is a big part of what makes a good show great, and by that count every band nailed it Saturday night. I had a great admiration for all three bands that were on the bill Saturday night, and even the one (Delta Spirit) that wasn’t, but I couldn’t honestly say that I loved any one of them. As a result of this show, every one of them has sharply risen in my esteem. The spirit of collaboration and friendship completely overflowed on stage, really bringing out the best in each act and helping to create great memories for everyone that was in the room. There wasn’t anything earth shattering or epic that happened, but sometimes it’s the little things, the personal connections and a love of good music that make for the best times.

Middle Brother – Me Me Me
Middle Brother – Middle Brother

Buy “Middle Brother” from Amazon

Click past the jump for more photos!

Hello, and welcome to Faronheit! I hope you enjoy your stay. Before you read onwards, let me quickly explain a couple things.

All mp3s hosted on this site are for sampling purposes only. If you are an artist or record label or somebody representing said artists or copyrights, I would appreciate it if you'd send me an email should you need me to remove any content.

If you would like to send me any music, links, press materials, and the like via the web, please email me with any attachments or links to where I can find out more. Please note that if you send me mp3 attachments as well as Bandcamp or YouTube links, I will not be able to post them on my site. I will still listen to the songs and watch the videos, just don't expect them to appear in a post. Soundcloud or direct download mp3 links only please and thank you,

Contact information: faronheit@gmail.com

Hello, and welcome to Faronheit! I hope you enjoy your stay. Before you read onwards, let me quickly explain a couple things.

Contact information: faronheit@gmail.com