The last time I got to see The Fiery Furnaces in concert it was the first time. It was a balmy Austin night at SXSW '06, and they were a few weeks away from releasing the recently leaked Bitter Tea, probably my second favorite album of theirs (behind Blueberry Boat and Gallowsbird's Bark - wait a minute, I can't do math.) Their performance had let me down; the band known for their somewhat zany live performing walked on stage sans the one thing that makes them sound so crazy in the first place: Matt Friedberger's keyboards. Instead he stayed on the guitar all night and just a made a bunch of squakking noises with his six string, while they played sped up version of songs from Rehearsing My Choir, the album that featured the grandmother of Matt and sister/lead singe Eleanor on vocals. No, Grandma FF was not there nor was it really that good.
The Fiery Furnaces were the first band I got in to in the blog age, so they will always and forever hold a specal place in my heart and that's why I had to give them another chance 3+ years later. On the heels of their eighth album, I'm Going Away, the band scheduled a few dates wherein the band would play the new album in its entierity - and they did - just not in sequencial order, which I thought was interesting but worked at the same time. Just a few hours before the show, I was given my copy of Away and, as said fan listed at the start of this paragraph, I put it on immediately but tuned it out halfway through on purpose. Why you ask? I guess it's kind of like I didn't want to read the book before seeing the play or vice versa, didn't want the night spoiled for me.
Matt again left the keyboards at home, but it seems that this time it worked for the better - his guitar sounding much cleaner and direct as opposed to the sound of it having a seizure or something. After opening with a few classics, including an awesome rendition of Bark fave "Leaky Tunnel," the Away party commenced. Opening with the lead track, Elenaor found herself quipping ahead and out of sync of the band at times, but that's just a trademark of the band that their fans should know by now. "Charmaine Champagne" was a highlight of the evening, not only because noted as Elenaor's favorite but also mine. The core outside of the Friedberger duo, Sebadoh bassist Jason Lowenstein and drummer Bob D'Amico, have been with the band almost long enough at this point they might as well be called members of the group. They gave life and showed their presence in new numbers like "Ray Bouiver" and "Staring At The Steeple", while helping to fine tune older numbers like the epically spazztic "Chris Michaels" and pompous rocker "Single Again."
And after the show and I let it digest for a day, I listened to I'm Going Away very intently. Surprisingly, I was happy with the live performance this time around; although the album is filled with scales of piano and left and right, the band did just find to interpret it as a four piece rock band will nothing more than one guitar, a drum, a bass, and that person up in front who kept blowing their whistle all night.
Set List: Here Comes The Summer / Leaky Tunnel / Chris Michaels / I'm Going Away / The End Is Near / Charmaine Champagne / Cut The Cake / Ray Bouvier / Staring At The Steeple / Even In The Rain / Keep Me In The Dark / Lost At Sea / Cups And Punches / Take Me 'Round Again / Drive To Dallas / Duplexes of The Dead / Ex-Guru // Single Again
After many listens to Living Thing, I was rather excited to seePeter Bjorn & John live once again. There was all this criticism, how their many performances at SXSW were universally panned due to technical glitches and a rather apathetic appearance from the Swedish trio. I still went in to the Paradise with my head on my shoulders and no opinion formulated; like when I heard for years about how Yo La Tengo's live performances were a total crapshoot between deafeningly awesome just god awful, I was going in as a fan and someone who's already seen them enough who just wants to see how these interestingly put together new songs can be performed in a live setting.
We discussed it at the office this morning and I had made up my mind: they pulled it off. I will admit at first I was nervous; the awkwardly arranged first half of the set opened with the quiet and nimble "Just The Past" into the ultimately brooding when performed live "Start to Melt", followed by "Beats Me Everytime", a song Peter introduced as on oldie that no one knew. When he used the term oldie they probably thought 1960s; it came out this decade.
But then things picked up a bit. The mid-section was chock full of Thing's tunes: the title track was executed perfectly with Bjorn's deadpan expression delivering the line "it's a living thing" as Peter, dressed in a suit that even made him look like Paul Simon, noodled away on his guitar. "Lay It Down" was different in that the key was slightly different, but a fun bouncy number the crowd seemed to enjoy. Bjorn even continued dancing doing the robot and mimicking handclaps during "It Don't Move Me".
After the set ended with the 1-2 punch of "Young Folks" and "Objects of My Affection" from the stellar Writer's Block, the encore was where it had to be. Not for the heavier rendition of new single "Nothing to Worry About" but for the 14 minute (I am not kidding) rendition of "Up Against The Wall". Peter and Bjorn careened across the stage, almost dropping instruments and their own bodies on myself many a time, while John wailed away on the drums where he stood - not sat - all night. Oh and Peter was wearing shorts during the encore with dress shoes and argyle socks - what a European. Well done, boys.
This clip is from what some called a disastrous headlining set at Emo's during SXSW. This is their cover of the Weepies "Fa Ci La". I wish they would have played it last night. Oh well!
Set List: Just The Past / Start To Melt / Beats Me Everytime / Chills / Lay It Down / It Don't Move Me / Living Thing / Let's Call It Off / Young Folks / Objects of My Affection // Stay This Way / Nothing To Worry About / Up Against The Wall
I have seen Elvis Perkins in Dearland five times now. Last night was easily the best set yet. Granted the past four times have included all of the live favorites that are now committed to tape on their eponymous new album, but they now seem like a well oiled machine. The three men who make up what is In Dearland have never complimented Perkins any better.
We were sitting in the front row and Elvis strutted out with this new look. Gone was the short, semi-spikey and coke-rimmed glasses. Now apparent was a long mop of hair and a pair of tinted prescription glasses, giving a look of more of a dweller of the Haight-Ashbury scene circa 1968 as opposed to a singing troubadour preaching around Max's Kansas City. What was normally saved for the end of the night was what started the night as Perkins played a solo rendition of "123 Goodbye," keep it in the key they normally play it in live as opposed to the more dramatic feel of the album version which I am not a fan of. From there, they transitioned to a rollicking version of "Send My Fond Regards to Lonelyville," another song that showed the band already morphing songs from an album but five weeks old to new versions live. Rather than sounding all ragtime with a break down featuring a bunch of horns and other assorted things, it strolled more like a rockabilly number. This isn't just because drummer Nicolas Kinsey was wearing prescription Rayban's (that was because he left his glasses at home he assured the sold out crowd).
From there, the set featured predominately material from their new album and a few tracks from Perkins' breakthrough Ash Wednesday. They also managed to fit in covers (the sister song to "Weeping Pilgrim" that was "Weeping Mary") and iTunes bonus tracks ("Stay Zombie"). The encore was a solid and swift two songs: after a solo rendition of "All The Night Without Love", we were wisked back in to Dearland with the always amazing "Doomsday".
Being front and center made it such a great show as you were right in the middle of the energy that Dearland gave off. During the more upbeat tunes like "Hey" and "Doomsday" which are famous for Kinsey running around on stage beating his indian drum, he along with bassist Brigham Brough and and multi-instrumental guy Wyndham Boylan-Garnett hoop'd and holler'd so to speak, getting the crowd out of their seats to clap and sing along. And all the while Elvis just stood there. Was he just being a shut in, perhaps a closed off indie celeb? No, probably not. Maybe he doesn't like to be the center of attention, but it would be nice if he could find some more energy, but I guess with such emotion coming from his songs and voice, you have to leave it to Dearland to bring the crowd to their feet.
Elvis Perkins in Dearland Set List 123 Goodbye / Send My Fond Regards to Lonelyville / Hey / Emile's Vietnam in The Sky / Chains, Chains, Chains / Heard Your Voice in The Dresden / Ash Wednesday / Weeping Mary / Stay Zombie / Shampoo / Stop Drop Rock & Roll / Hour's Last Stand / While You Were Sleeping // All The Night Without Love / Doomsday
It seems that ever since 2005, I see Bloc Party on a semi-annual basis in March. The first was at SXSW on the evening of their stellar debut, Silent Alarm. Two years later it was here at the Orpheum in Boston. Two other times occurred when they did a one-off opening for some Pixies band at Merriweather Post Pavilion, and the last time was in August along with 70,000 others or something before Radiohead at Lollapalooza.
So for the fifth time, in support of their latest album, Intimacy, which is quite awesome and much better than A Weekend In The City, they started off some US dates at the recently opened House of Blues by that baseball field. Since seeing them at Lolla, "Mercury" has grown on me. During said song was highly entertaining: lead singer Kele Okereke was having a stage hand remove the mic stand for him, when suddenly he became tangled around him. He danced around the guy a bit, and finally with a barrel roll, successfully became untangled and at stage right reaching out to shake some fans hands. I have video. It's on my phone. Someday I will upload it to the internet and share with you.
And while they played all the fan favorites and classics ("This Modern Love", "Hunting For Witches", "The Prayer", so forth and so on) for me the second encore proved to be perfect. The two song finale of Intimacy opener "Ares" in to Alarm opener "Like Eating Glass" was like a perfect portrait of where the band is now and where they've come from. The huge drum 'n bass Chemical Brothers freak out of "Ares" and the whole just perfect song in "Glass" it was simply the evening's highlight.
Longwave started up a leg of dates with the Party on this night. Focusing most on songs from last year's Secrets Are Sinister (no "Devil & The Liar" though - tsk tsk), the band also were able to play a few tracks from both There's A Fire and The Strangest Things. Lead singer Steve Schiltz even got a chance to make a shout out to his friends in The Sheila Devine in the middle of one song; it was awkard yet refreshing to know that bands still give shout outs to bands when they are in their territory. I also found out that the band recently joined the ultimately hip as they now have a Twitter account and are giving away a download of Secrets import bonus track "Sideways Sideways Rain". Cool, huh?
Bloc Party Set List One Month Off / Trojan Horse / Hunting For Witches / Positive Tension / Biko / Waiting For The 7.18 / Song For Clay (Disappear Here) / Banquet / Better Than Heaven / Blue Light / Mercury / This Modern Love / The Prayer /// Halo / Price of Gasoline / Flux / Helicopter // Ares / Like Eating Glass
It was the coldest it had been in quite some time in the Boston area this past weekend, but nothing would keep me from seeing The Rosebuds for the seventh time. There could be a blizzard, and so long as Kelly and Ivan Rosebud, along with whoever filled in behind the kit and bass that night would be in a room in my locale, I would be there, too. They are the band you take all of their songs to heart - they are life changers. They are the band you can apply to that old saying about breaking out of jail to see them.
They stepped out on stage past 11:30, minutes later than they were due to. As "Hello Darlin'," the whistling-dixie instrumental from Life Like played over the PA of the Middle East, Ivan took stage first. Kelly would eventually walk out in such a striking number of white dress and was it - leg warmers or just really high white socks - waving to us all like the beauty pageant winner she is. She gave some of us, myself included, a welcoming high five. The only other thing she could have done was blow the crowd kisses.
And where she didn't blow said smooches, the band did with their songs. While "Blue Bird" calmly opened the night, they would eventually launch into the 1-2 punch of "Life Like" and "Cape Fear". Midway through was the sing-along portion of the evening; anyone who has seen the Rosebuds before knows the band utilizes their encore to have a makeshift campfire sing-along. They usually hop off stage, bring their acoustics, and together we sing songs like "Shake Our Tree" and "Nice Fox" together, using our collective voices as one. This night, they just stayed on stage - let's just chalk it up to the Christmas lights strung all around. As people from openers The Love Language were welcomed onstage with a pack of girls from the audience to dance the "Bow To The Middle", Kelly would make up the sans-campfire moment by dancing with us down in front during "Get Up Get Out".
The encore was when they finally dug back, back to 2004, to a time when I first met a young Kelly and Ivan had a dive place blocks from Baltimore's Inner Harbor. "Back To Boston" was obviously welcomed with many a cheer, while Kelly got seductive next to Ivan for "I'd Better Run". They tore up a racous version of Make Out classic "Drunkards Worst Nightmare" before ending the night the same way it started - with another calm number from Birds Make Good Neighbors. After the hyper activity of "Drunkards", it was rather appropriate to segue in to the sedate "Wild Cat" to end the evening.
Kelly was eventually by the merch table. "Oh, you bought one of those!" pointing to my hand where Fun Book #2, their ridiculous Tour EP, was grasped. "I think you're really going to like it." She introduced herself to a friend of mine, and we were quickly cut off by another fan. And that was fine - I've had better nights with the 'Buds anyway, outside of being up front singing along every last syllable of every last song played.
Set List: Blue Bird / Life Like / Cape Fear / Cemetery Lawn / Hold Hands And Fight / Leaves Do Fall / Shake Our Tree / Nice Fox / Border Guards / In The Backyard / Bow To The Middle / Get Up Get Out / Boxcar // Back To Boston / I'd Better Run / Drunkards Worst Nightmare / Wildcat
I was on stage. Daniel Lorca on the bass, pointed at me with his fingers, not his dreads, to get up their during the closing number. Along with a few others we danced and we screamed "Oh, fuck it!" And before I knew it, some pleasantries were exchanged and the night was over. My fourth time seeing Nada Surf was in the books.
They came out in the same 1-2 punch as in April when they were at the Paradise, the Let Go pairing of "Hi-Speed Soul" into "Happy Kid". But then, a curve ball was thrown. Matthew Caws of lead singer and guitar duties informed the crowd that they were going to be playing old songs, more older songs than normal that night. They then launched in to "Treehouse" for the first time in 10 years or something. I was impressed.
Songs about living in treehouses would not be the only surprise of the night. Later in the set they would break out "Telescope" from their first EP, Karmic, and even so a song on their first ever 7" put out in 1995. They also played "Neither Heaven Nor Space" in the encore. It was also around this time that Ira Elliot, drummer guy, played a beat on his electronic drum pad a new song for the fans called "Monkey Bitch". "Why you gotta be such a monkey bitch" was the only line of the song. He said there was a big chorus but that was all he had for now. He may or may not have mentioned the word epic to describe it as well.
What surprises me still looking back after the show is that not one song from The Proximity Effect made their set. No "Hyperspace". No "Bacardi". There wasn't even "80 Windows" and that was probably the only Effect song they played in April. Why phase out songs from such a landmark album in your career? Oh well, the night ended with "Blankest Year" and I was on stage and it was just so fitting to be able to yell "Oh fuck it" along with fans and friends and a band I've enjoyed since I was 12.
Set List Hi-Speed Soul / Happy Kid / Treehouse / Whose Authority / Weightless / I Like What You Say / Killian's Red / Fruit Fly / Inside Of Love / Beautiful Beat / The Fox / Ice On The Wing / Telescope / See These Bones / Treading Water / Your Legs Grow / Way You Wear Your Head /// Blizzard of '77 / Neither Heaven Nor Space / Do It Again / Blonde On Blonde / Always Love / Blankest Year
The Wilbur Theatre is located in the Theatre District in Downtown Boston, a block away from the Boston Commons. It's very glitzy on the inside; the carpeted floors and regal looking balcony and mezzanine would better house a traveling production of Annie Get Your Gun than a rock concert. But then, The Dandy Warhols, they came to town, and they transformed it from playhouse to rockhouse (or Monkeyhouse, if you wish to insert the word from their 2003 album, Welcome to the Monkeyhouse). And although, the soundsystem was very lack with only a row of speakers on each side of the stage, the Warhols seemed to make due for their two hour set.
Spanning almot their entire career, save for anything off of their 1995 debut, Dandys Rule OK?, the quartet surprised me when five songs in they performed "The Beast Of All Saints" from this year's magnum opus, ...Earth To The Dandy Warhols... T'was an interesting choice for a slowed up sonic rocker so early in the set, but people would soon get what they wanted. Gears were shifted quickly, though, as die hard fans and those only familiar with their larger hits were then treated to a one-two punch of "Bohemian Like You" and "Get Off" from 2000's breakthrough Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia. Head Warhol Courtney Taylor-Taylor had then taken a moment to greet the crowd, once again commenting on the lack of speakers, saying their sound man had said it would be a great place for banjos. "Love Song" would be played later, but without Taylor squared's diatribe about how Steve Martin wouldn't playng the twangy instrument, leaving them with Mike Campbell and Mark Knopfler instead.
It was halfway through when the funniest moment (at least to me, standing up in the front) had occured. Key bassist, keyboardist, and sexiest Warhol since 1994 Zia McCabe stepped off stage for a moment along with drummer Bret DeBoer while guitarist Pete Holmstrom held that sustained note that begins "Godless". And right when the song should've launched in, from sustained notes to guitar strums and tambourines, DeBoer was still missing, and a few chuckles came from the crowd and the band as the one known as Fathead, now complete with handlebar mustache, returned to the stage.
When the heavy rocking, seizure-inducing-from-strobe-lights-strobing "Wasp In The Lotus" was played, it was a fury. Heavy guitar licks melted and mixed perfectly with the harmonies of singing cousins DeBoer and Taylor-Taylor. And when they played that song, the one that made me the fan that I am and one they apparently 'had not played in a really long time' noted Taylor-Taylor ("Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth"), I just had a moment. McCabe and I made eye contact and she just smiled at me as I snapped a picture of her. They would then launch in to "Boys Better" before the we-don't-leave-the-stage encore of "Country Leaver" that was just the come down for the night. After two hours, the band was done and they left the stage, and we were left with memories.
As I left and headed back out in to the theatre district, I ran in to the band as they were talking to other fans. DeBoer talking about the sound, Taylor-Taylor snapping photos with fans, checking their cameras to make sure they were good enough to have, or he would just have to pose again. I ran in to Zia, and she declared "I smiled at you, yes! You just seemed so familiar. Had a good time?" Good time, I believe, was an understatement.
Set List: Mohammed / We Used To Be Friends / Welcome To The Third World / Mission Control / The Beast Of All Saints / You Were The Last High / All The Money or The Simple Life Honey / Bohemian Like You / Get Off / Love Song / Godless / The New Country / And Them I Dreamt Of Yes / You Come In Burned / Good Morning / Now You Love Me / Wasp In The Lotus / The Last Of The Outlaw Truckers / Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth / Pete International Airport>Boys Better / Country Leaver
For 7:30 on a Monday evening in Cambridge, I was surprised to see there was already a line of 20, maybe 30 people outside the Middle East. There they all stood, smoking cigarettes, tickets grasped in their hands, as they awaited for the doors to open at the top of the hour. Man, people really want to see No Age, don't they, I thought to myself.
Once I was in the club and I had taken the last spot along stage right, I started to take notice to something. As I looked around the group of individuals surrounding me and took notice to their hands, it was all big black X's abound. No wonder there was already a crowd formed - they were all kids. Usually, I lump in with my age bracket of one slightly older than the people inside the venue already, and I show up with some time to spare to catch the band I want to see. But this night, I was there to see the earlier bands, the bands supporting who everyone else was really there to see. Though feeling like the oldest one there, and because there was next to no one really hanging out in the 21+ section (a first I had never seen at the Middle East since moving here over a year and a half ago,) deep down I was happy. The underage Rusty of yore was elated that night, knowing that the youth was still coming out seeing bands who weren't on the map quite yet, who weren't right above the underground.
After an opening set from local sampler / No Age sound man Palm, they walked on stage, they of Abe Vigoda. They looked sleepy at moments: Michael Vidal tuned his guitar, alfalfa standing up in the back. Juan Velasquez in an oversized Jesus & Mary Chain shirt that wasn't ironic nor unfashionable. Within 10 minutes of Palm ending, the AV had started their set. "Live Long" signaled the start of something I had been waiting for since Skeleton came in to my life like angel from the skies a few weeks back. "Animal Ghosts" would find Vidal singing and shuffling, thrashing on his guitar while Velasquez would play like a light swtich, going from sway to stifle. Reggie Guerrero, the oldest Vigodan at 22, played with precision and pep, clanging on the cowbell when appropriate. Of the nine songs played that night, seven were from the tour de force Skeleton, the others were brand new. The final number, listed on the piece of envelope set list as "Jammer," was the most brutal and abrasive thing I've heard from them, yet beneath it all was one of the catchiest melodies I've heard in awhile. Juan ended the set just clamoring about his side of the stage, before resting his guitar appropriately on his amp. When Michael kept yelling his name at the end, it was overpowered by the feedback erupting. "I like broke my string I play that song on, I had made up the entire song," I heard him say. Improvising never sounded more well rehearsed. Oh, and "Skeleton" was epic as well to see that in the flesh.Abe Vigoda Set List: Live Long / Animal Ghosts / The Garden / Don't Die / Lantern Lights / Bear Face / Cranes / Skeleton / Jammer
Afterwards, the duo of High Placesplugged in for their set. Showcasing breakbeats, exotic noises and Mary Pearson's sweet vocals, Robert Barber cooked up a sweat as he turned knobs and playing his drum pad. While her vocals were buried in the mix earlier in the set, they would soon become as prominent as the beats and loops that pulsated through my body for their entire set. While playing what I hope are already underground club hits outside of their native Brooklyn from their 03.07-09.07 singles comp, they also previewed new material from their upcoming self-titled full length and that amazing contribution of their's on that split single with Xiu Xiu. Did the crowd prove Pearson wrong on her welcoming claim that Boston was nothing but prudes when it came to shaking money makers and getting the groove thing on, or other assorted cliche phrases described to dance? She exclaimed at the end of the set that we weren't prudes after all. The crowd's reception was very warm to High Places for their first night ever in Boston. I could only predict big things for them as the year goes on.High Places Set List: Sandy Feat / The Storm / Golden / Oceanus / The Tree / Namer / Head Spins / From Stardust to Sentience / New Grace / Gold Coin / Vision's The First / Freaked Flight
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The last time I got to see The Fiery Furnaces in concert it was the first time. It was a balmy Austin night at SXSW '06, and they were a few weeks away from releasing the recently leaked Bitter Tea, probably my second favorite album of theirs (behind Blueberry Boat and Gallowsbird's Bark - wait a minute, I can't do math.) Their performance had let me down; the band known for their somewhat zany live performing walked on stage sans the one thing that makes them sound so crazy in the first place: Matt Friedberger's keyboards. Instead he stayed on the guitar all night and just a made a bunch of squakking noises with his six string, while they played sped up version of songs from Rehearsing My Choir, the album that featured the grandmother of Matt and sister/lead singe Eleanor on vocals. No, Grandma FF was not there nor was it really that good.
