Concert Review

My friend Nick and I went to the Lucero show the other night at the new Bottom Lounge in Chicago. I say new because the first time I saw Lucero was at the old Bottom Lounge years ago.  The new digs are way better (read: you don’t have to wipe your feet off before you go outside). The acoustics are surprising given the high ceiling and the stage is rather large for a venue of its size, which is a good thing because these days Lucero weigh in at roughly ten people counting horns, keys and the obligatory roadie who fetches beer and shots for the band.

I have seen Lucero several times in Chicago, as well as a few shows in Austin and a set in LA, and they’ve really been all over the map: from scintillating to shitty…depending on their sobriety (or lack thereof). I’ve seen John pass-out mid song, Ben forget lyrics, Brian nearly fall over and Roy get so pissed at his drum set he kicked it over, but I’ve never seen anything like this show.

On Saturday night, Lucero was tight. Their music was noticeably different. And it wasn’t just the horn section. During the first song I thought to myself, wow this is really good; and when the song ended I turned to Nick and asked what he thought. He said, “It seems like they’re actually trying.” So many times in the past it’s felt like they were just up there to have fun, but on this night they came to play music (granted, by the end of the show they were all ass-hammered but so was everyone).

The band was energized. The set list ping-ponged between tracks from their infectious new album and old staples. Highlights included “That Much Further West,” “Smoke,” and “Hey Darling Do You Gamble.” Ben even threw in “The Last Pale Light in the West” off his solo EP of the same name. The horn section really brought new songs to life in a whole new manner and—surprisingly—added a fullness to the old chestnuts. The one downside seemed to be the couple times the horns were searching for a sense of purpose and wound up aping a guitar riff note for note. Aside from that I have no complaints.

The boys didn’t take the stage ‘til 11:30 and didn’t relinquish it until nearly 2:00 on the AM dial. Needless to say everyone got what they came for. For those of you out there questioning the band’s new approach music, I say go check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Video: Lucero – Darken My Door (fan created)

Not really a pic from Wilco’s show at Mountain Winery, but a nice image of the venue.

Wilco made a tour stop at the amazing Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA last night. The show had everything you’d look for in a concert – a great opening act, an amazing set list, a gorgeous venue, short beer lines with Sierra Nevada on tap and a dash of drama between Tweedy and a pesky fan to entertain between songs. It might be the best concert I’ve ever seen.

Led by a fully bearded Will Sheff, Okkervil River opened just before nightfall with a brief 30-minute set as people trickled to their seats. The crowd? Mostly 35 and over professional Silicon Valley types. The folks seated around us hadn’t heard of Okkervil River, but the band slowly won the audience over and sealed it with “Lost Coastlines.” They walked off to a standing ovation.

Wilco took the stage as the sun was setting and played through my favorites, as if I’d picked the set list. I’ve been to several Wilco shows but have never been so fully satisfied with the song choices. The biggest highlight for me was an acoustic “Remember The Mountain Bed” while others included “Forget The Flowers,” “Jesus, Etc,” “Impossible Germany,” “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” and “California Stars.” The night was clear and the moon and stars created a tapestry over the Paul Masson winery and adjacent rolling vineyards. A stunning scene to say the least.

Throughout the show, however, Tweedy and a front row corner stage fan engaged in some banter that the rest of the crowd thoroughly enjoyed. Apparently the fan was upset with Wilco because the vocals weren’t up loud enough. Tweedy’s response was something like: “I’m sorry you can’t hear, but I’m not the sound tech. Do you go to a Who concert and tell them to get new monitors? By the way, I am equating us with The Who right now.”

Another song later, it continued.

Tweedy: “That’s what happens when you come to shows in a place as beautiful as this. There are neighbors and we can’t play as loud as usual. Maybe you could hear better if you would stand up!” The crowd applauds, then Tweedy continues: “When I saw the tour schedule, this was not the stop where I thought I’d lose control.”

You’re getting the picture. It continues throughout the concert and it is awesome.

Tweedy: “Dude, how are you complaining?! Your seat is 5 feet from Nels Cline! You should be happy!”

The guy actually approached the stage at one point and Jeff leaned down to hear what he had to say. Tweedy then jumped back to the mic and said “Whoa, whoa. Don’t blame your wife. LAME!”

Kudos to Tweedy and Wilco for keeping a great sense of humor throughout the dialogue and for continuing to perform like pros. I can understand the fan’s frustration. I’m sure they thought they lucked out with the corner stage seats, but most concert goers know that there’s a good chance the show will sound like shit from that location. I was further back, center stage and found the sound to be damn-near perfect.

All in all, it was truly special night. I was able to enjoy a California summer night with my lady, listening to two of my favorite bands playing my favorite songs, all while drinking my favorite brand of beer. What more can you ask for?

Fan Video: Wilco – Hummingbird, Live at The Mountain Winery. Notice the stage antics.

Here’s a full set list courtesy of The San Jose Mercury News.

Wilco (the Song) / I Am Trying to Break Your Heart / Bull Black Nova / Remember the Mountain Bed / One Wing / Muzzle of Bees / Shot in the Arm / At Least That’s What You Said / Impossible Germany / Forget the Flowers / California Stars / Jesus, Etc. / Handshake Drugs / You Never Know / Hate It Here / Walken / I’m the Man Who Loves You // Ashes of American Flags / Heavy Metal Drummer / Hummingbird // The Late Greats / I’m a Wheel

Image courtesy of BeauHoward.com.

Last month, I again found myself in Atlanta and made it to a great venue called The Tabernacle. One of my favorite bands, Blind Pilot, was opening for The Decemberists and rental car trouble started things off on the wrong foot. My front bumper dropped off the car on the interstate and dragged along the ground all the way through downtown, past throngs of on-lookers with no inhibitions about pointing and laughing.

I stepped inside the The Tabernacle, an old church cathedral with pews still visible in some areas, to see Blind Pilot starting things off. They had a great crowd, but as I listened to side conversations at the back bar, I soon realized that many people had never heard of them. You’d hear comments like “This is Blind who?” during “Go On, Say It” and then “Shit, these guys are good. Who are they?” around the time “One Red Thread” was kicking into gear. I then understood the importance of pairing up with the right headliner if you’re just getting your start. I’m sure this tour will grow Blind Pilot’s audience in big ways.

Between sets, National Car Rental was nice enough to drop off a new car with all parts intact.

Then The Decemberists took the stage. Their latest album, Hazards of Love, was still sinking in with me but the live performance pushed a couple songs up to the top of my playlists, most notably “The Rake’s Song” and “The Wanting Comes In Waves.” I noticed five drum kits set up on stage prior to “The Rake’s Song” and I was intrigued. Then Colin Meloy played first acoustic guitar chords and the lights went dim. Only his face was lit up until the thunderous drums started kicking in from all five locations on the stage. Lights flashed and chills were sent down my spine. The entire venue (me excluded) knew every word and the Tabernacle walls were echoing with the shouts of fans. The fan video below will give you a taste:

Video: The Decemberists – The Rake’s Song (Live in Atlanta)

Another highlight of the night was “The Wanting Comes In Waves” which I’d seen on Letterman a few weeks earlier. In my post about the Letterman performance, a reader pointed out my indie ignorance by explaining that Shara Worden from My Brightest Diamond/Sufjan Stevens is performing with The Decemberists. Well Shara stole the show. She has the best voice I’ve ever heard in person and a stage presence to match. A second video clip from the same fan.

Video: The Decemberists – “The Wanting Comes In Waves” (Live in Atlanta)

The Tabernacle’s temperature got up to about 108 degrees with 200% humidity so I left. I could taste the sweat of others around me.  Despite the rental car and clammy venue, the night was great.  I was always on the fence with Colin Meloy and friends, but after this night, it’s safe to say that I’m officially a fan of The Decemberists.

Photo courtesy of Chart Attack.

The National kicked off a summer tour last Thursday rolling through Toronto’s unfortunately named Kool Haus, a rather antiseptic venue, part warehouse and part hipster club.  This is a band that is definitely bringing it’s A-game right now coming off of two consecutive outstanding albums and contributing significantly to the Dark Was The Night benefit record.   Since this will be one of the headlining acts at the much-anticipated Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, I took one for the team and headed up to one of the great cities in North America to review one of the great indie bands of the day.

On this evening, the band was nicely accented by a small horn section that figured prominently on certain of those Boxer songs, most notably “Fake Empire,” bringing a pounding wall of sound.  But for the most part, it was just solid guitar rock, great drums and the manic energy of lead vocalist Matt Berninger. He dressed in suit and skinny tie and exhibited a slight hunch in his posture, probably from carrying the weight of those wrecked relationships of which he so often sings.   Speaking of his lyrics, Berninger has been criticized for lyrics that border on being obtuse.  Personally, I fail to see it, although at times find myself amused by a curious choice of words.  You have to love lines like the following from “All the Wine” off Alligator. “I’m put together beautifully/big wet bottle in my fist/big wet rose in my teeth/I’m a perfect piece of ass.”

Berninger moves like a taller version of a spastic Thom Yorke and on this night he carried on a perpetual battle with a microphone stand that eventually succumbed to Berninger’s ingenuity. There is uneasy electricity that charges The National’s music and at times reminds me of a less-goth version of Joy Division.  Perhaps it is that pounding rhythm section, courtesy of the hugely talented Bryan Devendorf, or possibly Berninger’s Curtis-like baritone.  I’m not entirely sure, but it translates well to the stage and should make for a great spectacle under the Chicago summer skies.  Remember, this band is well practiced having opened for R.E.M last year in large arena settings and has an extensive catalogue to keep an audience tuned in for the entirety of a show.  It all showed up nicely on this evening.

If you’re going to be in the crowd at Pitchfork, you’re fortunate.  I can’t wait. And of all the great bands that have signed up to perform that July weekend, The National remains at the top of my list.

The National – So Far Around The Bend

After a long frigid weekend, I ventured downtown to Schubas to catch quite a trifecta of acts. While the other lineups at Schuba’s Tomorrow Never Knows series didn’t inspire me, it was quite convenient for them to line up the three bands I wanted to see on the same night – Tulsa, The Donkeys and Bishop Allen

First up was Tulsa led by Carter Tanton. Their last EP, I Was Submerged, has been in steady rotation for quite some time. They have been busy recording the debut LP in Chicago and I was hoping to hear some new tunes sprinkled with some of old favorites. Other than “Breathe Thin,” the rest of the set was all new stuff and it did nothing to defuse my anticipation for the upcoming release. Unfortunately it isn’t coming out until August, but we’re working on getting the band in for a session sometime soon.

Next up were San Diego’s The Donkeys. I picked up their Dead Oceans debut last year and that album has become quite the creeper. At first I thought it to be a good listen; solid but unspectacular. I’ve since found myself consistently reaching for it and it’ll be the perfect album for my trip to Cabo this week. In spite of having a drummer that sings (its an unfair prejudice, but I am up front about it), it was good set.

Finally, it was Bishop Allen who made barely made it after a 12 hour trek from Toronto. Due to the late arrival, the transition was a bit delayed and led to me leaving before the end of the set. I’m old. It was a school night. Before I split, they banged out “Castanets,” “Click and Monitor”and several new tunes that immediately shot their new LP high up on my ‘09 anticipated releases.

Tulsa – #2

The Donkeys – Walk Through a Cloud

The Donkeys – Nice Train

Bishop Allen – Rain

Bishop Allen – Click Click Click

I first listened to Frightened Rabbit’s 2008 release, Midnight Organ Fight, in the summer and was struck by the immediacy and lack of pretension in their music. Raw with threadbare emotion, the lyrical themes seemingly hold meaning in these tumultuous times, with topics centering on relationship and human warmth, literally and metaphorically.

The Glasgow, Scotland lads made a Saturday stop at the Empty Bottle in Chicago for two, back-to-back, sold-out shows. The band, whose inception dates to 2004 when drummer Grant Hutchinson joined lead vocalist and brother Scott, is capturing well-deserved critical acclaim for Midnight Organ Fight. The album is produced by Peter Katis (Spoon and National) and the similarities are certainly evident—Spoon for its stripped-down-to-the-essentials sound and National for muscular, driving drums; nice additions for sure, but that Scottish folk-rock foundation that FR became known for after releasing its debut, Sing the Greys, is still abundant throughout their latest.

As strong as these songs are when coming at you through the headphones, they seem made for the stage and FR sweat them out with such heart-on-the-sleeve emotional energy, that they almost will them to perfection. The band displayed so much passion and connected with the audience at such a high level, that I left the Bottle, following the early show, wondering how these guys could possibly rally for a second show. No, these guys don’t just mail it in, they bring it all to the stage and leave nothing in reserve.

The band’s management and label recognized this and leveraged the appeal by taking the rather audacious step of releasing a live album in late ’08. Yes, a live record for a band with a catalogue consisting of two albums. Yet, after witnessing the band perform, you almost come to understand the strategy. Saturday’s set-list kicked off with the band’s most popular track, a pulsating rendition of Modern Leper, giving everyone the clear sense that they were in for a treat. When performed live, Modern Leper builds to a crescendo with a loud/quiet/louder evolution, a style that worked quite well for Nirvana’s roaring anthems of the ‘90s. It also leaves you with the sense that this band’s anthemic qualities could translate well to larger venues as awareness of their music grows.

There were plenty of highlights including Scott’s solo acoustic version of Floating in the Forth, which he strummed while standing off-stage and sang without the use of amplification. For me however, the third song in the set, Old Old Fashioned stood out. Aside from a the charmingly ragged Scottish kick, the theme seems perfectly set for 2009–getting back to the basics and taking account of what’s important in life. Well, my list of what’s important now includes seeing these guys perform whenever I get the chance. Your’s should too.

Frightened Rabbit – The Modern Leper

Frightened Rabbit, Live and Acoustic on LiveDaily Sessions

Watch the video of Frightened Rabbit at LiveDaily.

For me Vampire Weekend represents something of a guilty indulgence.  You know the story of the Brooklyn band that generated online buzz with songs referencing the colors of Benetton, Louis Vuitton and the landscape of Cape Cod; not exactly gritty indie topic matter.  Yet, it’s hard to deny their infectious, “happy” Afro-pop melodies that seem to be equal parts Graceland-era Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel and fellow New Yorkers, the Strokes.

I had the opportunity to see the band on 12/3 on the victory lap of a tour following its critically acclaimed and popular self-titled 2008 release.   My previous experience with the band was at the Pitchfork Music Festival last summer–not the right venue for the band as they were sandwiched between indie darlings Fleet Foxes, !!!, and The Hold Steady.  Furthermore, it seemed most of that crowd was merely waiting around for Animal Collective’s clean-up act.  In summary, the Pitchfork show failed to impress.

Wednesday’s show fared much better as the close confines and superior acoustics of the Westside Manhattan location, Terminal 5, and adoring hometown crowd that mouthed every lyric from opening number “Mansard Roof” to the “Walcott” encore, combined to create a rewarding, energized experience.  The band was influenced by the atmosphere, as evidenced by their ramped-up tempo.  The set list featured the entirety of a modest but strong catalogue, sprinkling in the syrupy Fleetwood Mac cover “Everywhere” and newer material “Ottoman.”  However, the most interesting and flavorful touch was the small string section that accompanied the band for a brief period onstage.

Vampire Weekend was in its full glory on this evening, interacting seamlessly with its fellow New Yorkers and casually referencing local landmarks. I’m eager to see how the future unfolds for these guys as they attempt to fend off the dreaded “sophomore slump” that’s taken down many bands coming off fresh, similarly hyped debuts (please see Tapes N Tapes).  That will all be determined in good time for on this evening, the band rocked a revering local crowd.

Vampire Weekend – Oxford Comma

Here’s a sneak peek of “Ottoman”