Posts Tagged ‘NYC’
Posted by xneverwherex on April 7, 2011
Weekend
Little Girls
Mercury Lounge
4/6/11
Weekend apparently is one of the new buzz-worthy/blog-worthy bands. It was hard to figure out if everyone there was seeing them because they loved the band – or if it was just the new band to check out. It was packed by the time they hit the stage. A friend commented – they had a review on their new album in Sports Illustrated. With their album titled – Sports – it indeed got a review – and a good one at that.
I commented to my friends – I know they should be loud – but really its only 3 guys. Well those 3 guys from San Francisco proved that they could be beyond loud. The lead singer/bassist had really great vocals that worked well with the loudness of the bass. At times the vocals seemed almost muted but it was very apparent that the vocals had their own place. The guitarist never seemed to be able to stay still and was moving non-stop – getting more and more into each song. He’d be kneeling on the stage and playing his heart out – in between sips of water. The drummer is equally loud and keeps the band moving at a great pace.
Their post-punk influences are easy to be seen. At times feeling like they could be Joy Division – dark but not nearly as gloomy. And the heavy guitars are oh so reminiscent of Jesus & Mary Chain. While their album material is great – the crowd seemed very into their newer songs that they had just written. As they introduced their song ‘Little Girls’ they cheekily noted – no its not for the band its the name of the song. It was a great solid set and their 40 minutes seemed to fly by.
Openers Little Girls from Toronto were interesting. They mentioned casually about them having to use Weekend’s gear and something to do with visas. That they probably would rather not have mentioned. We’ll leave it at that. While some of their songs were really great and had a dance-edge/pop sound – musically it was like they hadnt yet figured out what direction they were heading. So you never knew quite what you were going to get. The guitarist seemed to be having consistent problems with the sound/feedback and just couldnt seem to get on with it. After nearly every song it seemed there was a new problem.
Perhaps theres a bit of potential in them, but at this point, Im not sure I can totally see it.
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Friends, Live Music, Random Ramblings | Tagged: 4/7/11, concert, indie, Little Girls, Live Music, Mercury Lounge, NYC, post-punk, rock, San Francisco, Sports, Toronto, Weekend | Leave a Comment »
Posted by xneverwherex on March 30, 2011
LCD Soundsystem
w/Liquid Liquid
Terminal 5
3/29/11
If youre calling it a day its best to go out at a) the top of your game and b) on your own terms. LCD Soundsystem is doing just that.
At first I was skeptical when I learned that there were new shows added prior to the farewell show this coming Saturday night (April 2). But of course, like so many others, I had to see what LCD Soundsystem would do at Terminal 5. And I have to say, if I didnt have a ticket on Saturday night, I would be ok (better than ok – just great). Their show at Terminal 5 was AWESOME!
I didnt read much about the prior nights show as I wanted some surprises, but I did know they opened with ‘Dance Yrself Clean’. And what a way to open. The following night they kept to somewhat of a similar setlist, but the changes they made were to my benefit.
‘Dance Yrself Clean’ is a brilliant way to start a set. I could almost see Kermit sitting on a rooftop singing and envisioned the rest of the Muppets on stage. Unfortunately, James Murphy doesnt quite resemble a green frog – but his vocals – oh yes! At the start of the set we get a lone James Murphy dressed in white & black, a spotlight just on him, and him singing. Then the band comes on stage along with a choir and other instruments. It was awesome! And it should be noted that everyone on the stage was in white (maybe some black)?
From the balcony I had a great view of the entire stage and the crowd. The audience was starting to dance and jump around and really getting into it. By the time the song picks up, everyone was dancing and moving. From there it was straight into ‘Drunk Girls’ and the dancing continued.
The setlist was mostly a blur and just lots of fun all around. It seemed the first set of the night just flew. Clocking in at 3 hours with 24 songs, plus a 2 song encore was unreal. The light show was amazing with laser lights for parts of it and a wall of LEDs. The disco ball was good fun as well. The second half, which was heavy on 45:33 and included Reggie Watts for a song, was the biggest drag. It just felt like an extended remix that just kept going and going. But it was also a good time to get a bit of a breather and people watch.
Thankfully part 3 was even more awesome than the beginning. After reading the setlist Im not sure thats possible. I mean seriously – at that point we even had ‘Daft Punk is Playing At My House’. I wasnt sure much could top it, but by the end I was wishing I was in shorts and a tanktop. It was a sweaty, fun, dancing mess of a time. Us vs Them was a great way to start it out and North American Scum! Also included ‘Tribulations’, ‘Yeah’ and ‘Losing My Edge’.
My only regret was ‘All My Friends’ was the last song of the first set. The lyrics alone would have been perfect to end the night with. And with friends like the drummer from TV on the Radio and Aziz Ansari (of Parks & Recreation) dancing and having a great time, I think you cant ask for much more.
James Murphy is truly a great frontman. It was great to see band members coming and going during the different songs. He made a point to announce some of them – their original guitarist. He thanked everyone profusely (us and the performers). Sang Happy Birthday to his sis during the encore and was just genuinely happy. Its hard to ask for more than that. Plus, he gave us 3 hours and a setlist that left me incredibly happy. And anyone who acknowledges the world we live in – the one where everyone wants to record every minute of a set – he told us ‘maybe just be here’.
So really, what can Saturday bring?
Liquid Liquid played a pretty short 30 minute opening set. They were pretty good and seemed to be playing some classic songs (Im not even sure if I knew they were their songs). They were fun and dance-y and you could definitely see the influences that they had on LCD SS.
Setlist
Set 1
Dance Yrself Clean (with male choir)
Drunk Girls
I Can Change
Time to Get Away
Get Innocuous (with male choir)
Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
Too Much Love
All My Friends
Set 2
45:33 Part One
45:33 Part Two (with Reggie Watts)
Sound of Silver
45:33 Part Four
45:33 Part Five
45:33 Part Six
Set 3
Us Vs Them (with male choir)
Freak Out/Starry Eyes
North American Scum
You Wanted A Hit
Tribulations
Movement
Yeah
Someone Great
Losing My Edge
Home (with male choir)
Encore:
All I Want
New York I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Friends, Live Music, Random Ramblings | Tagged: 3/29/11, Brooklyn, concert, DFA, electro-dance, Hells Kitchen, indie, James Murphy, last show, LCD Soundsystem, LCD SS, LCDSS, Liquid Liquid, NYC, T5, Terminal 5 | Leave a Comment »
Posted by xneverwherex on March 27, 2011
Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour
March 23, 2011
Le Poisson Rouge
What happens when a huge group of guys (and gal) come together for just a few nights?? Well you get something quite special and extraordinary.
The Elephant 6 Collective has spawned so many bands over time and more still seem to arise. From Olivia Tremor Control to Neutral Milk Hotel to The Apples in Stereo and more recently Of Montreal and Hawk and a Hacksaw it seems to be ever going.
The night seemed like it could have been one gigantic circus and we were the captive audience. Julian Koster was great fun listening to his stories about his Romanian Circus Family and disappearing cities.
The show got even more creative when it had audience members using a wind up snowman arm to aim balls at the ‘moon’. Whoever got the ball through the moon would get to choose the band’s next song. (Of any song in the entire world).
From what I saw of the 2+ hours, it was phenomenal. Everyone in the band sounded great. Different people singing on the songs were quite fun (depending on which song was being performed). The OTC songs were great and Elf Power songs were really catchy. It was great to see BP Helium singing so many songs (I cant ever recall if he sings with Of Montreal).
Overall it was a great night – even if I missed another hour. Even knowing so few of the songs (if any), it was still an awesome night and probably one that I wont see again. Its not too often that you can see so many different band members come together to play music from so many prior bands. It just doesnt happen (unless youre seeing Broken Social Scene – but then its still only BSS music for the most part).
The highlight by far was the snowman song. Was truly awesome seeing the band rock out to “Sweet Leaf” by Black Sabbath. Will I ever see that again… Id guess that’s a negative.
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Live Music, Random Ramblings | Tagged: 3/23/11, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Apples in Stereo, Bill Doss, BP Helium, Bryan Poole, Circulatory System, concert, Elephant 6, Elephant 6 Collective, Elf Power, indie, Jeff Mangum, Julian Koster, Le Poisson Rouge, live, M Coast, Neutral Milk Hotel, NYC, Of Montreal, Olivia Tremor Control, orchestra, OTC, The Gerbils, Village, Will Cullen Hart | Leave a Comment »
Posted by xneverwherex on March 23, 2011
The Lines
Polock
Ravens & Chimes
Pianos
3/22/11
SXSW always proves to be a great time of year, regardless if you actually make it to Austin and provided you live in NYC. Most the bands will make an appearance here at some point either on the way home or before. Not bad.
The Lines from Wolverhampton, Midlands, should be all over NME and the UK press. Its a bit crazy that they didnt explode in the likes of The Arctic Monkeys. Perhaps its better so that most of us will get to see them in a small club. The Lines are reminiscent of all things 90s. They have the power of the Stone Roses and at times have an Oasis vibe. Haircuts could have been seen on Tim Burgess. Alex Ohm’s soaring vocals at times are spot on for Bono. And some of the intros with the heavy guitars could have been heard on a Ride album. Its not a bad mish-mash of bands to be compared to. The Lines played for a crowd of maybe 30 people and you would have never guessed it. Alex was all over the stage working it as if it were a big club. He commented on the (small) stage and how there was nowhere for him to move with all the wires.
The band sounded incredibly tight. The band members have unbelievable chemistry. It was a great way to end the set with Alex in the audience and 2 drums waiting for him to play. He was able to move around like no tomorrow and really put an end to the show. When they come around next time, do not miss them! Their songs on album do not do them justice for what they do live!
Following The Lines, came the Strokes-esque Polock. Hailing from Valencia, Spain, the boys announced it was their first time in NYC. They seemed quite excited to be here, if not a wee bit tired. Their manager was as excited as they were and took a bunch of photos of her drinking as Polock played.
Polock has the same sorta vibe and at times sounds like The Strokes, but they’re probably closer sounding to Phoenix. The lead singer could easily be mistaken (vocals-wise) for Thomas Mars. Their pop sensibilities give them that same fun sound, that has everyone dancing and singing along. The guys have great harmonies and complement each other well.
They finished the set with their single ‘Fireworks’ which might be one of the catchiest new songs Ive heard in a long time. After a listen or two, you feel like you know the song and are singing along with them. They were definitely a great way to end the night.
The first band on the set was locals Ravens & Chimes. At this time there were maybe 20 of us (if we’re lucky) there to see the band. Considering that most everyone was in the other bands – it was basically a show for me and 3 friends. Its hard to complain about that.
The band seemed a bit lackluster and you could tell SXSW had hit them hard. They had just gotten back and will actually be headed out on tour straight-away. They were pretty subdued on stage with very little banter. It seemed the keyboardist didnt even want to be there, but they did their best to get through their set. At best their boy/girl harmonies could be likened to the playfulness of Stars. And those were great pop songs. Their real problem is their music is all over the place. It feels like they hadnt yet figured out which direction they will be going in, and their music reflects that.
Some really great songs, mixed in with some not-so-great songs made their show hit-or-miss. They wouldnt be a bad opener per se, but Id probably not go to a show *just* to see them. BUT, the lead singer was very cool and came up to me and started talking to me right away. Perhaps it was me taking photos of him, or maybe I looked like a nice face. He was friendly, told me about their upcoming tour and SXSW. Which means, I definitely wouldnt miss them if they were opening for another band I was seeing!
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Friends, Live Music, Random Ramblings | Tagged: 3/22/11, 90s, Espana, indie, Midlands, NYC, Pianos, Polock, Ravens & Chimes, rock, Spain, SXSW, The Lines, UK, Valencia, Wolverhampton | Leave a Comment »
Posted by xneverwherex on March 19, 2011
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Kurt Wagner
Church of St. Paul The Apostle
3/17/11
Words are indescribable for this concert. It might have been one of the best shows Ive ever seen. In a darkened church with several candlelights overhead and just a stream of projections that had minimal images – it was just us and a band. A band that you could barely make out – but the sound was overpowering. It echoed off the walls – the acoustics are amazing in there!
And with that – here is what I wrote during the show. I have no clue what song was what – and if these were distinct different songs – but here were my thoughts (solely based on imagery and the music).
1 – Hope Hopelessness Despair war desert dry sad
2 – happiness flowers hope hopefulness uplifting sky crescendo
3 – cat animal nature dark moonlight peace ocean road tree wind gray cold water nowhere heavy thunder rain bird warning leave get out impending doom
4 – the anatomy of melancholy solemn tired weary forward new life future awakening rebirth alive crawling screams falling disaster
5 – strength up pushing escape running faster locomotive tracks end racing too fast taut black death fear agony ‘why dont you just fucking kill me’
6 – exodus leaving odyssey ‘weve arrived’ new trip oceanliner titanic massive lonely seas ‘not going to make it’ calm solemn ‘at peace’ hope a rescue ‘save us’ ‘so close’
7 – beauty desert longing burning eternal engulfing sucking air ‘no breath’ finality overpowering
8 – bombers overhead chills destruction emptiness gone
9 – ‘a slow wakeup’ red haunting homeless decay apocalypse ‘there but not here’ media 2.4 hrs ‘Wall Street’ ‘fall of economy’ clashes anarchy ‘fall of society’
Setlist:
hope drone
gathering storm
monheim
albanian
moya
09-15-00 outro
chart #3
world police and friendly fire
the cowboy
the sad mafioso
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Friends, Live Music | Tagged: 3/17/11, Canada, Church of St. Paul the Apostle, concert, Godspeed, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, GY!BE, Kurt Wagner, live show, music, NYC, UWS | Leave a Comment »
Posted by xneverwherex on February 14, 2011
2/13/11
Wild Nothing
Abe Vigoda
Minks
Bowery Ballroom
Bowery Ballroom was a crowded hot mess last night. Once Abe Vigoda finished (how did people decide not to check them out?), a huge crowd of model-types storm the front of the stage. They push and shove like they’ve been there all night, angling to get to the front middle of the stage. Its rough and the room gets hot instantaneously. About this time, I decide I have to get some water so I dont pass out. Being short in a room full of tall people, as they suck the air out is a nightmare.
As I angle my way back to my spot in the front, I get people yelling at me about its not fair that Im there. Yes, they just showed up and would have known I had been there for every band that night. But I digress, lets talk about Wild Nothing.
For one thing, I try and never miss Wild Nothing when they play. Its always a great time for shoe-gazey dance pop. Jack Tatum doesn’t have much to say but does comment on the crowd being so silent that its creepy for him. He works through his songs with his hazy vocals on most songs with the beautiful guitars accompanying him. The crowd seems to love the music and everyone dances along in unison. Favorites like “Chinatown” and “Live in Dreams” gets lots of cheers. The crowd truly adores them. The show is all going smoothly until the guy next to me starts to rock back and forth with his eyes closed. Two seconds later and he’s fallen backwards and is passed out. A huge crowd forms, security is nowhere to be found and the band is shocked. No one quite knows what to do – Jack tenatively continues the song only to comment after he finishes ‘I hope he’s ok’ and then adds a quip of how he hopes his music didnt make him pass out.
It was a great set. Their Primal Scream cover was pretty awesome even thought it was one of the shortest songs of the night. Its a shame Cloudbusting hasnt made an appearance in quite some time. Kate Bush would be proud. Then again, so would Primal Scream.
Abe Vigoda (not to be confused with the actor) played a great set before them. Hailing from LA, these boys have surfer/skater hair cuts and sound like California guys. “You people are soooooo nice”. They were humbled and geniunely happy to be playing with Wild Nothing. They mentioned it was one of their favorite bands and it was great to see bands who genuinely liked each other.
Abe Vigoda from what I learned totally changed their sound from their first album to the second. This show was focused on mostly songs from their new album Crush. With some synth beats and influences from the gothic/cold post-punk rock leanings of Joy Division, they make it work. Some songs are quite catchy and more dance-y but most are guitar heavy with some beats thrown in. It works and is really likeable and grows on you quickly. The guys seem to be so happy and friendly and enjoying themselves so much, its hard not to like them.
Brooklyn’s Minks started out the night. Unfortunately for the band, the 2 female members have no stage presence. One girl didnt look up once from her keyboards the whole set while the other seemed to not even realize there was a crowd in front of her. Thankfully for the band, they had added a guitarist and bassist who at least seemed to want to be there. With an 80’s sound, not far behind Wild Nothing and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, they could be a really awesome shoegaze band. And I did find when I was staring at my shoes, dancing along, not paying attention to the fact there was a live band, their music surprisingly worked.
All in all – 3 great bands that came together very well. It was a great fit musically with everyone complementing each other.
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Live Music, Random Ramblings | Tagged: 2/13/11, Abe Vigoda, Bowery Ballroom, Brooklyn, concert, indie, indiepop, LA, live, Minks, music, NYC, rock, shoegaze, Wild Nothing | Leave a Comment »
Posted by xneverwherex on February 8, 2011
Friendly Fires
The Hundred in the Hands
Bowery Ballroom
2/7/11
Friendly Fires has once again crossed the pond to bring the dance party to New York. Their shows are always a good time and its one of the new shows that can get nearly an entire place to move. A lot of the audience in the front tried out their new best dance moves. Im not sure it works in a sold-out venue, but its hard not to move.
Their setlist was still largely based on their first album with a spattering of new songs in between. One of the changes with their new material is it doesnt have that same catchiness upon first hearing as something like ‘Paris’ or ‘Jump In The Pool’. At times a song or two reminded me of ‘Odessa’ from Caribou with the same beats and other instruments brought into the music. It still has a dance-y feel, but it almost feels like youre transported into a jungle. Perhaps it happened when they played with a Brasilian samba school as you now get the samba and calypso vibe.
Needless to say, it seems the new tunes might take some getting used to and lots of play. Ed perfected his dance moves which is now even more undulations, gyrations and is starting to look more stripper-esque. There is no denying he can work those hips, and those slow moves had the girls in front swooning. But he still is amazing to watch – esp when he gets really into it and he just starts working the stage. Ending with an extended version of ‘Kiss of Life’ that just kept Ed going and going was a great way to end the set.
I do miss some of the songs that hopefully have not yet been retired. Sad to no longer hear ‘Strobe’ and ‘In The Hospital’, but hopefully the new songs catch on.
The Hundred in the Hands were a nice surprise. Their music is really great live. With a catchy retro 80’s feel (think Pat Benatar/Belinda Carlisle), this Brooklyn duo has made the 80’s seem relevant. Electro-dance-pop at its finest, by the time you add some guitars and keyboards it will be hard to not be tapping your foot, shaking your head. They were the perfect opener for Friendly Fires getting the crowd warmed up (too bad most the crowd didnt seem to appreciate them) 😦
Friendly Fires Set List:
Blue Cassette
True Love
On Board
Running Away
Chimes
Skeleton Boy
Hurting
Jump in the Pool
Pull Me Back To Earth
Show Me Lights
Paris
*********
Love Sick
Kiss of Life
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Live Music, Random Ramblings | Tagged: 2/7/11, 80's, Bowery Ballroom, Brooklyn, concert, dance, Ed McFarlane, electro-dance, electronic, Friendly Fires, indie, Live Music, NYC, The Hundred in the Hands, UK | Leave a Comment »
Posted by xneverwherex on February 4, 2011
Does It Offend You, Yeah
Deluka
Infernal Devices
The Bell House
2/3/11
Nu-metal… wtf? Nu-rave… oh hell no. The conversation went something like that when discussing DIOYY. DIOYY made a pit stop in Brooklyn while being on tour with Linkin Park. Yes, seriously youre not misreading that last sentence. I said the same thing when they announced they were playing MSG. I wondered what kind of sick joke it was, but surprisingly with their new material Im not all that surprised. They would make a great opener. (and this is not a bad thing)
Their set was raucous and absolute insanity at its finest. From the moment James walked on stage – he wanted the crowd jumping and moving. At one moment he wanted us all hanging from the chandelier. The crowd mostly obliged and during some songs all you could feel was everyone jumping. Their new music sounds mostly the same with the same-ish beats. And then James started throwing/dropping his keyboards – keys flying all over the place. The rest of the band took over duties with James jumping around, moving, singing his heart out.
By the time someone lit up – and the haze of the smoke covered the stage – the guitarist seemed to be asking everyone around him for some pot. It was quite amusing – and no clue if he ever scored. I dont think so – as he looked so disappointed.
Their encore began with “Dawn of the Dead” which was completely stripped down turning into a much slower version with the crowd singing most the vocals. By the time they were playing their final song “We Are Rockstars”, it was just a mess of a keyboard all over the place. Being slammed against the floor, against the drums, a bass flying, no clue what happened with the guitar – but it was pure insanity. The band members were all jumping and crashing into one another. They definitely worked up the crowd to the point that when the set ended people were clamoring for any memory from the show. Friends fighting over drumsticks in the bathroom – where a conversation went something like – “Im going to steal that from you when you sleep at night”. Wow! I didnt know their fans were so obsessive and I couldnt figure out if it was endearing or just damn right creepy.
Deluka was one of the openers. I could have sworn I had seen them with Viva City, but it turns out they didnt even make that show. I was surprised when 4 people showed up and clearly had an English accent. This great band from Birmingham were really great. The lead singer was very charismatic with a great voice. With her super tight skirt and her really tight shiny leggings and boots, she reminded me of Liela Moss of The Duke Spirit complete with the same attitude.
They have this really great electronic sound with great catchy lyrics. Their music is quite dance-y with really great beats. Their bassist is really great, aside from the fact that by about the 2nd song he broke a string on his bass. So naturally he borrowed Chloe’s bass (of DIOYY) and naturally – he breaks a string. With a great spirit, explaining he was completely jet lagged, he fixed the string on his bass and carried on. They seemed so appreciative to be playing in New York and the crowd seemed to really like them. And it seems they’re now listing Brooklyn as one of their homes – so its about time you got out there and saw them.
Lastly, the show could not have been complete without Williamsburg’s own Infernal Devices consisting of Mark and Andy. I met them after the first time I saw Viva City and theyre just great guys. But I was sad to see they retired their ‘time machine/tesla coil’ as my friend and I called it. But their new equipment is pretty f’ing cool with all these awesome lights and wires.
Their music is beyond catchy electronic beats that will have your toe tapping and body moving from the opening beats. The almost breathless vocals of Mark fill the room. He fills the stage moving from side to side working like no tomorrow to get the crowd moving. Each song has a unique slightly dark sound, so they dont all sound the same. Seriously – its a tough sell – as unfortunately DIOYY’s fans are not quite the same.
Highly recommend the beyond catchy “Fast Enough”. Once youre addicted to it as much as I am make sure to come see them. They do not disappoint. Im highly hoping that theyre put on as an opener for someone like White Lies which might be a great pairing.
All in all – an interesting night of music. The bands were all super nice and friendly and chatty.
For a great interview with James and Matty of DIOYY- check out the boys talking about their line of underwear – complete with skidmarks. Hell I cant even make this stuff up. The intervierw with ID is also great – talking about their own line of jackets! Count me in whenever they start designing them!
http://wp.me/p13HuN-fM
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Friends, Live Music, Random Ramblings | Tagged: 2/3/11, alternative, Birmingham, Brooklyn, Deluka, DIOYY, Does It Offend You, electro, electronic, Gowanus, ID, indie, Infernal Devices, live, live show, London, music, NYC, The Bell House, UK, Williamsburg, Yeah | 1 Comment »
Posted by xneverwherex on January 30, 2011
Mister Heavenly
Sun Airway
Little Shalimar
Bowery Ballroom
1/16/10
Close your eyes. You can hear it around you – stars sparkling, a night that makes noise. It envelopes you – takes you somewhere. The only clue you have that youre not dreaming is your standing in front of a stage at Bowery Ballroom. The soft haunting vocals evoke a dream-like state. Everytime I hear Sun Airway – that is the feeling that overcomes me. Im not quite here, I’m floating off somewhere.
And then their music becomes a bit more pop-sounding – at times evoking Chris Martin (Coldplay) vocals and a big sound. Its only fitting that the wall behind them shows images of lights swirling, different colors, adding to the space-y feeling.
By now Ive seen Sun Airway quite a few times. Im barely able to count the times on one hand as they seem to be popping up everywhere in New York. Its not a complaint – I cant get enough of them and theyre the draw for a bunch of other bands – that I might not check out.
When they opened for Mister Heavenly – one of those new “super bands” – I saw their name on the bill and of course it was a much easier yes. Mister Heavenly surprisingly works quite well with Honus Honus of Man Man, Nick Thorburn of Montreal’s Islands and Joe Plummer of Modest Mouse. Theyve also recently added Michael Cera on bass. Yeah – one and the same – the actor who plays bass in Nick and Nora’s Infinite Wedding and the even more likeable Scott Pilgrim vs The World.
The band sounded excellent. Nick was quite talkative telling stories about being at airports, some anecdote about Chili’s and it being chilly, something about street corners in NYC (or maybe Brooklyn), etc. He seemed at ease and having a great time. He had amazing chemistry with Honus Honus who the crowd was going nuts for. I cant figure out if it was his birthday or not – but there was a bottle of Maker’s Mark on the stage and he was drinking it up and sharing with the band members. The 2 guys alternated on vocals and each sounded great. Having not been familiar with their music, aside for one or two songs, it was all a surprise for me.
I did know that Michael Cera might be making an appearance, but that wasnt even a certainty. He plays with a certain aloofness, never quite interacting with the audience and for the most part playing with his back to us. Nick tried to bring him out, leaning against him, playing their guitars facing each other. Either way – its Michael Cera and hes pretty damn cool.
Their music is very catchy and very pop-friendly. They’ve described their music as ‘doom wop’ which is oh so fitting. With lots of doo-wops of the 60’s sounds but lyrics about doomed love songs – theyre creating their own niche. Ill be expecting for them to blow up sometime very soon (regardless of if Mr Cera plays with the band).
Pics coming soon.
Setlist:
Mister Heavenly
I am Hologram
Hold My Hand
Harm You
Reggae Pie
Charlyne
Diddy Eyes
Hybrid
Pineapple Girl
Bronx Sniper
Yer Girl
Doom Wop
Wise Men
-Encore-
Tumbling
Bad Men
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Live Music, Random Ramblings | Tagged: 1/16/10, Bowery Ballrooom, concert, indie, Islands, LES, live, Man Man, Michael Cera, Mister Heavenly, music, NYC, PA, Sun Airway, supergroup | Leave a Comment »
Posted by xneverwherex on January 15, 2011
Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals)
Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces)
Rockwood Music Hall
1/13/11
Its a new year which of course means lots of new shows. And its easy to judge a year seeing how the first show was.
Well, aside for the fact that I am not a fan of Rockwood Music Hall (for various reasons), it is a great place to see shows. Its small and intimate and seeing a show with maybe 100 other fans is pretty special.
Gruff Rhys definitely does not disappoint live. On stage was just him, a table and a chair. The tables were covered with records and a tiny keyboard along with a few other things. One of the great things about seeing him live is that he really works with the music. He changes things up and makes it interesting if not becoming totally bizarre.
The first song started out with him just putting on a record which he said was Birds from Finland. And sure enough, it was just birds chirping along. He slips on his guitar and starts with the slower songs. As he said, he needed to get these out of the way. “Science & Fiction” was pretty beautiful with just his vocals, a guitar and birds chirping.
Each song was a bit different with other things he’d add to it. He’d wind up a metronome to keep time and you would just hear the click click as it went back and forth before he’d start a song. He always had some funny things to say and was quite funny. He also played a few songs in Welsh, telling us so kindly what he was singing about.
“Candylion” was a definite highlight to the show. As he told a story about a missing CD, which was also on a broken computer, which led to him playing the song with his own 12″ record. With all things crazy, only the first 15 secs of the song had just the drum beats. So he’d start the song on record, sing his vocals, and then he’d have to lift up the needle and go back to the beginning. It was confusing at best, hilarious as hell, and was creative as all get up.
His use of a kids keyboard that lit up when the keys were touched was quite cool. He tried to originally create a song with ‘Gangstas Paradise’ (one of the pre-programmed beats), but ended up using a different beat. His use of playing with sounds, looping his vocals, changing them up and adding his own things to each – really made his music stand out. If anything, Gruff proved to be a hilarious and humble guy and was just having a great time.
Gruff brought along with him Eleanor Friedberger of Fiery Furnaces, a band from NYC that the Super Furries had previously gone on tour with. I knew nothing of them (aside for the fact she used? to date Alex of Franz Ferdinand). Her music was quite good – it was just her and a guitar. She seemed a bit nervous at first but then quickly warmed up to the crowd. She was totally humble and self-deprecating – telling the crowd how she knew we only wanted Gruff. She played some songs of Fiery Furnaces and then some new song she wrote. It was a really short set – maybe 20 mins, but quite enjoyable. Her songs did have the problem in that they werent very distinguishable. Regardless, she was awesome to watch and had a great voice.
All in all – 2 great people – and 1 great night.
Btw – leaving the venue to finding about 20 police surrounding the building and not letting people out of the other doors was pretty crazy. Still trying to figure out if a drug-bust was going down or will it be another LES venue that has doors temporarily shuttered?
Setlist:
Science & Fiction
Sophie Softly
Shark Ridden Waters
Cryndod Yn Dy Lais (Super Furry Animals B-side)
Lonesome Words
If We Were Words (We Would Rhyme)
The Court of King Arthur
Candylion
Gyrru Gyrru Gyrru
Sensations in the Dark
Cycle of Violence
Rubble Rubble
Gwi Mi Wn
Shark Ridden Waters
Gruff Rhys @ Rockwood Music Hall
Posted in Adventures in the Big City, Live Music | Tagged: 1/13/11, concert, Eleanor Friedberger, Fiery Furnaces, Gruff Rhys, indie-rock, LES, live, music, NYC, Rockwood Music Hall, Super Furry Animals, Wales, Welsh | 1 Comment »
Ramblings of a Redhead Music Snob 