Hello Viewers of the internet, it's been a long while. School is taking up a lot of my time so I have not been updating this as much as I should. So, as an act of apology, here's the last three shows I've been to, and a review of an amazing track on an amazing compilation.
ROUND ONE!
Live Performance Review
Grizzly Bear w/ Beach House Live at The Orpheum 10-08-09
This was an amazing show for so many reasons. I got there with time to catch the opening act; usually I try to see them because it is important to support opening acts, and I was interested in Beach House. A nice trio sound playing occasionally with backing tracks. Good stuff. I'm not the biggest fan of people playing with backing tracks, but it worked well for what was going in the sound. The thing that intrigued me the most with these guys was Victoria's singing voice. It's raspy quality, and middle range for a female vocal was an object of interest. Their set was punctuated with attempts to talk with the crowd, which was awkwardly humorous because no one really talked back. Overall, a good opening act with a couple gems interspersed within the set (i.e. "Wedding Bell" etc).
Then Grizzly Bear took the stage. An amazing set of incredible music proceeded to ensue. A great rendition of "Ready, Able" as well as an explosive version of "I Live With You" which personally made my night. Many of the songs were with dedications of Boston landmarks or people who came to the show who were friends and family of the band. Victoria was brought out again for her backup vocals on "Two Weeks" which is just as infectious live as on the album. The interesting thing about this show excluding the music was the lights, which were electrical cords in a jar with light bulbs inside to give the firefly effect in different patterns, but also the audience reaction to the bands; the last time I went to the Orpheum (to see Built to Spill, Dino. Jr. and the Meat Puppets) the crowd was really into it, not sitting, and really digging it. This show, everyone sat until the final song by Grizzly Bear, a chilling rendition of "He Hit Me" which even though I would not pick as an encore, worked for the night and gave a surreal texture to the rest of the night.
9/10 (7/10 for the audience[you lazy lethargic people you])
...ROUND TWO!
Live Review
Mount Eerie w/Tara Jane O'Neil, No Kids, and Manners at the Pozen Center, Mass Art 10-28-09
I will begin this review with a statement about Phil Elverum, who is Mount Eerie. He is a creative genius and one of the best living songwriters of our time. He embodies an older age in his styles and recordings, but still is just a person. When I entered the Pozen Center, the first thing I noticed was, GONG (Phil Elverum would bring a gong, I thought). There were no chairs, just open floor. Everyone sat down on the floor and waited. I looked at all of the merchandise at the tables, and was shocked to see that Phil Elverum's stuff was cheaper at the show then for sale at a store, a phenomenon which I have never come across before (I took the opportunity later to purchase Dawn on LP, and a t-shirt, all for $23). Manners, a JP based band went onto the stage and played probably 4-5 songs. The crowd was great at the show, very receptive, or, as receptive as a bunch of artsy hip adolescents can be to bands like these. Manners were pretty good, however, being a bass performance major at a conservatory, I had personal quarrels with the bass players technique, as it was atrocious; they chugged through their quasi-set, and moved out real fast. then came the waiting portion of the show, as No Kids was the second act, but didn't show up until Tara Jane O'Neil showed up and took their spot 20 minutes after Manners finished. during this waiting time as well as before, Phil Elverum was running around in a t-shirt he designed himself, bleach-stained jeans, and barefoot, fiddling with the mixers, selling his merchandise, and drinking his naked juice drink (yellow machine I believe). Tara Jane O'Neil next up; she came on with one of the drummers from Mount Eerie, played one song with the drummer, which he rocked out on the 3 piece drum set complete with huge and minuscule gong, and one ride cymbal. TGO did a good job of getting the audience involved with passing out sundry percussion, showing them rhythms to shake to while she set up complex loops of guitar as well as nice vocals. A good set overall, though off putting with the delay. No Kids then took the stage for a nice set where Phil Elverum plays drums (not at the gong set, though occasionally he would hit the mini-gong), just another thing he does for this show. He (Elverum) spent a good part of this set running back and forth to the mixer to fix a problem that Nick Krgovich was having with his monitor, which disturbed several songs, but overall it was an ok set.
Then something amazing happened. A culmination of the night, No Kids, Tara Jane O'Neil, the two drummers and Phil Elverum formed together to create Mount Eerie. Now, anyone who knows Mount Eerie should know The Microphones, the earlier name for Elverum's solo project, this music, as well as early Mount Eerie is lo-fi 1-4 person recordings of stripped-down and raw songs. Mount Eerie's newest record, even with some of this older idea also has the most intense sections of loud, black metal, that anyone who had not heard the new album was in for a surprise when both drummers go in full tilt with TGO and Elverum pumping out guitar volumes, and Nick Krgovich and Julia Chirka of No Kids with their synths. Phil's voice creeps in over this cacophony and creates the most sincere and intense thing I personally have ever heard. The set was punctuated with Phil asking feedback from the audience, whether things were too loud or soft, or if he could do anything to improve the experience. All of the songs played were exclusively from Wind's Poem (a great record, go buy it), and great songs were "Lost Wisdom Pt. 2" "My Heart Is Not At Peace" "Wind Speaks" and "Between Two Mysteries" overall, an amazing performance which converged with all of the bands coming together in a reenactment of Wind's Poem, though not all of the songs, and not in the right order.
10/10
and finally . . . ROUND THREE!!!
Live Review
Pinback w/Ho-Ag at Paradise Rock Club 10-31-09
As there was a delay going to this show (dinner needed to be had) I missed the beginning of the opening act Ho-Ag, which in my opinion, was not a dissapointment. I really found nothing of interest in their sound; they did do some interesting time signature reductions, but that doesn't save the overall performance. Also, as a person who has lost his fair share of hearing, they were to goddamn loud. Then Pinback took the stage, and all of the (metaphorical) crap the Ho-Ag slew over it. As it was Halloween, the group, save Mr. Armistead Burwell Smith IV. Rob Crow was in a onesie with bunny slippers, he made a joke about how his pedals were very hard to push with said slippers on, which was quite humorous. Highlights of this show were definitely "Penelope" "Loro" and "Non-Photo Blue" a great time was had by all.
7.7/10
BONUS TRACK REVIEW!
Service Bell - Grizzly Bear with Feist (Dark Was The Night)
This song has been in a lot of playlists of mine recently. With its sneaky intro, reverse synth effect, 6-bar phrases, or what have you, it embodies the season of fall to a perfection. The Drum beat with the timbre of the brushes, and Feist's high-pitched voice singing " I keep a service bell by my bed for you" it is chilling in the tone she sings it in. then Grizzly Bear does what they do best, vocal effects, the song build to a climax which is never really reached, and the song goes out in the same way it came in, such a mysterious fashion. It is one of those songs which is perfect in its interpretation; it could not be done any better. Dark Was The Night has many songs like this but this is by far the pinnacle of this particular emotion. Also, go buy this compilation too. Every song is a gem, and the benefits go to fighting AIDS.
9.7/10
I hope this will tide you over until the text time.
Until then, internet.
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