Archive for the ‘reviews’ Category
Friday, November 20th, 2009
The Dig/Locksley/SAADI - Mercury Lounge - November 19, 2009
Ever hear someone boast about how they once saw a now-great band in a small venue? Last night’s show at Mercury Lounge was one of those shows on three different levels. One of the opening bands, SAADI, which had only played a handful of shows together, stunned the early crowd with a tightly executed mix of poppy vocals and ambient guitar. A great rhythm section in Marcus Farrar on drums and AJ Lambert on bass backed lead singer Boshra AlSaadi’s quirky stage presence. SAADI’s exceptionally well-written music showed promise that will certainly pay off for them as an up-and-coming band.
Locksley, heavily featured on MTV, played second. With a sound that straddled the border of the Strokes and the Beatles, they traded lead vocals and executed perfect harmonies. (They even already have an established throng of female fans swooning in the crowd). That they were in the middle of a billing at Mercury Lounge was a bit of a surprise, but they played like it was Shea Stadium, somehow fitting 13 songs into a 40-minute set.
The Dig, a New York City group that is far less known than Locksley but carries just as much promise, however, stole the show. The band was the most powerful of the night, using heavy bass from Emile Mosseri in every song. David Baldwin’s guitar contributed to the strange mix of straight rock sound and fuzzy shoegaze, the latter complemented by Erick Eiser’s wickedly sweet keyboards. Baldwin and Mosseri traded lead vocals from song to song, but Mosseri’s voice was the standout, uniquely sharp and incredibly magnetic (at it’s best on “Penitentiary,” a song so catchy it begs to be licensed and heard everywhere). The Dig wrapped their set with “She’s Going to Kill That Boy,” a brash rocker akin to Cold War Kids, leaving the crowd listening to a band that sounded like they’d already made it big. —Sean O’Kane
Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com
Tags: Locksley, Mercury Lounge, SAADI, the Dig
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Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Lynyrd Skynyrd - The Wellmont Theatre - November 18, 2009
(Photo: Sean O’Kane)
After more than 30 years in music, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Lynyrd Skynyrd has earned the right to have a boisterous stage setup. Before their set even started, the stage boasted two acoustic guitars, three keyboards, a piano, two drum sets worth of drums, four flat-screen televisions and a logo that spanned about 20 feet. When all nine touring members took the stage last night at The Wellmont Theatre, they proved just why they’ve earned it by unleashing a set of megahits during a loud and thrilling set lasting longer than an hour.
They played every hit, from the honky-tonk “Gimme Three Steps” to the sweeping ballad “Tuesday’s Gone” (during which raised lighters actually outnumbered cell phones) to the darker grit of “That Smell.” With hardly any material the band has released in the last decade, the night was dedicated to the biggest and best of Lynyrd Skynyrd. All three guitarists constantly rotated solos in practically every song, often dueling back-to-back. Vocalist Johnny Van Zant roamed the stage while belting out each song, either laughing with his bandmates or engaging the crowd by reaching his microphone stand (adorned with a Confederate flag for half the set) over the seats.
As the first few plucky notes of “Sweet Home Alabama” signaled the beginning of the end, the crowd (a mix of people in cowboy hats, American-flag-branded clothing and, of course, Derek Jeter jerseys) roared with delight. When the band finished, they turned their collective attention to one thing, and for the first time ever at The Wellmont Theatre, the crowd actually yelled for “Free Bird” in the correct setting. —Sean O’Kane
Tags: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Review, The Wellmont Theatre
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Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Times New Viking - Mercury Lounge - November 18, 2009
(Photo: Listen Missy)
Whatever you do, don’t call them lo-fi. Immediate? Yes. Recorded with whatever’s on hand as quickly as possible without concern for microphone placement or levels? Yes. But their albums aren’t a reaction against over-produced commercial pop, like the pinnacle of lo-fi pioneers Sebadoh or Guided by Voices in the late ’90s, as much as they are about their process: making the method of capturing the sound another instrument to be played. Instead of bringing this hazy distortion to their live show, Times New Viking plays at a volume that your ears will interpret as in the red. The trio’s particular brand of overblown hiss on their recordings is turned into punk energy live, with Adam Elliott on drums creating surprisingly melodic harmonies with Beth Murphy on keys. The frantic momentum never lasts longer than a minute or two before Elliott calls out the next song on the set list and asks the audience for another beer.
Their attempt at pure spontaneity, to capture a particular moment, is evident even in guitarist Jared Phillips’ approach to the instrument. What’s a left-handed player to do in a right-handed guitar world? Play it upside down. Adapt. The drum kit is stripped down to the bare essentials. Elliott plays hunched over, nearly hitting himself in the head, taking the direction of each melody on his shoulders. It was almost shocking to hear Rip It Off when it was released on Matador Records last year—the sleeve art reflecting the cut-up, barely passable aesthetic of the group’s sonic endgame, which happily continues on their latest, Born Again Revisited. It’s a mistake to get bogged down with sonic textures because at the core they are melodic, catchy songs that sound even better played with the unrestrained force Times New Viking inflicts on a live audience. —Jason Dean
Tags: Born Again Revisited, Mercury Lounge, Times New Viking
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Friday, November 13th, 2009
White Denim/Brazos - Music Hall of Williamsburg - November 12, 2009
White Denim
In my opinion, Austin, Texas, is one of the truly great American cities, seamlessly patching together disparate archetypes into one coherent, unique population. Last night, two Austin bands rocked Music Hall of Williamsburg with music that carried on the mash-up spirit of their hometown. Ostensibly, the only thing they had in common was that both are guitar-bass-drum trios from the same city, but, taking a step back, you could see how each tied together a wide range of sounds and influences that became their own distinct music. You could break down each bit if you wanted to, but that would defeat the purpose.
The headliner was White Denim. Guitarist-vocalist James Petralli began by setting up several overlapping loops with his guitar to immediately densify the sound. I was not expecting that. Over 20 minutes, a broken guitar string and plenty of awe-inspiring face-melt rock later, they finally took their first pause before quickly diving back into it. They repeated this routine thrice—was it three 20-minute songs or 20 three-minute songs strung together with virtuoso segue and genre-defying sound? Doesn’t matter. The music expertly flip-flopped through styles until all influences were invisible. In true power-trio form, each musician seemed to add more than one-third of the sound, amplifying the music to an awesome better-than-its-parts level. Their new release, Fits, while highly recommended, is a coy hint of the live show’s intensity.
The opener, Brazos, was the stripped-down, dreamy groove-pop version of the same blind-influence mash. Keep an eye on these guys. Highlighted by a greased-pig bass that surprised me with its slipperiness, the trio got quite a bit of bounce out of its sound. After their too-short set, the crowd gave a hearty applause befitting a headliner. —A. Stein
Tags: Brazos, Fits, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Review, White Denim
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Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Dan Auerbach - Webster Hall - November 11, 2009
Just as Jack White has done work outside of the White Stripes, first with the Raconteurs and now the Dead Weather, Dan Auerbach, one half of the power-blues machine that is the Black Keys, also fronts a second band with a bigger sound. His backing band, the Fast Five, is made up of the San Antonio rock group Hacienda—Antonio Abraham Villanueva on keys, Dante Schwebel on guitar, Jaime Villanueva on drums and Rene Villanueva on bass—plus My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan on drums and percussion. (Hallahan, eyes closed and mouth open, played the maracas and the triangle with the unrestrained mirth of a small child.)
Last night at a crowded Webster Hall, Auerbach and Co. made their way through Auerbach’s solo album, Keep It Hid, released in February, plus a few other songs, including a cover of Rocking Horse’s “Oh Carol.” The show began with some relatively quiet harmonizing before kicking into a higher, louder gear. They played more than an hour of a winning combo of gritty blues and dirty rock and roll, including “My Last Mistake,” “Money and Trouble” and “When the Night Comes.”
The encore began with Rene Villanueva, whose bass thumped ferociously all night, laying down a dancing bassline. As the audience enthusiastically clapped along, the band shifted into a tight blues riff that blew up into raging mayhem. When the song ended, just Auerbach remained onstage. “Thank you for coming out tonight,” he said before launching into the last song, “Goin’ Home.” The line “be thankful for all you got” drew cheers and applause. And then he finished with “So long/ I’m going/ I’m going home,” and then the crowd went wild and the stage went dark. —R. Zizmor
Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com
Tags: Dan Auerbach, Hacienda, Keep It Hid, My Morning Jacket, the Black Keys
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Thursday, November 12th, 2009
The XX/Jon Hopkins - The Bowery Ballroom - November 11, 2009
(Photo: Mina K)
The XX show that sold out Mercury Lounge last night, and then subsequently The Bowery Ballroom, was one for the pretty people. It was a scene, but it was all the better thanks to the eye candy! Pretty people have good taste in music, too. Anyhow, Jon Hopkins, the opener, definitely deserves a mention because his fantastic mixing of melodies and crazy beats was unassuming, yet it totally entranced the jaded hipsters (some of whom even danced!) waiting for the headliners.
It was my first time seeing the XX live, in spite of the number of shows they have played in NYC over the last few months. At the start of their set I thought they sounded a bit forced, almost metronomic, and I kept wanting them to slip up. This distance, however, seems to be a calculated effort. Their seductive vocals are perfectly counterbalanced by the bass and synth beats, so seeing them live is, in the words of a friend, much like a first date—the initial impression is great, but the future potential is all in your imagination. This dynamic creates a very interesting energetic suspension, particularly on songs like “Basic Space,” and their closer, “Stars.” Listeners are drawn to the songs but slightly rebuffed before they can get inside them. Overall, the appeal of a band like the XX is much like the promise of a kiss (or more) at the end of the night—always something to look forward to, whether or not it actually happens. —Anna Loosli
(Jon Hopkins opens for the Asteroids Galaxy Tour tonight at Mercury Lounge.)
Tags: Bowery Ballroom, Jon Hopkins, Review, the XX
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Monday, November 9th, 2009
Alberta Cross - Mercury Lounge - November 6, 2009
A surprisingly large crowd made the post-work trek to the early show at Mercury Lounge on Friday to see the ethereal blues-rockers Alberta Cross. As a reward, the band put on a remarkable performance for an early billing. Alberta Cross is multifaceted to say the least. Swedish frontman Petter Stakee’s earnest vocals contrasted lead guitarist Sam Kearney’s violently melodic style and captivated the crowd. Behind them, the rhythm section of Terry Wolfers, Alec Higgins and Austin Beede helped the band jump from their more Southern rock-style jams to their lighter, more melody-driven tunes.
The band featured a heavy dose of their full-length debut, Broken Side of Time (released in September), and highlighted tunes like “Song Three Blues,” a slow-burning blues ballad. Stakee’s thin frame swayed back and forth when not glued to the microphone, dishing out his own dose of erratic guitar lines. Alberta Cross displayed incredible aural control, matching four-part vocals and wild instrumental breaks without letting their sound get too muddy and loud. Stakee’s voice rang the loudest, exceptionally showcased on “Taking Control,” on which he wailed in a strikingly high register. The band wound down with “Rise from the Shadows” (a song Stakee described as “gospel”), involving the crowd with the simple chorus and all sorts of clapping, and ended their early set all to quickly. —Sean O’Kane
Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com
Tags: Alberta Cross, Mercury Lounge, photos, Review
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Monday, November 9th, 2009
Girls/Real Estate - The Bowery Ballroom - November 6, 2009
Expectations invariably follow Girls. From their emergence on the indie-music scene, San Francisco natives Christopher Owens and JR White have captured imagination and awe. Perhaps it is Owens’s tortured lyrics paired with Girls’ ’60s pop-rock sound, an enigmatic combination to outsiders, but a magnetic force for fans. Or perhaps it is the steady stream of media plaudits for the group’s debut album, Album. Regardless, on Friday at The Bowery Ballroom, a sold-out crowd teemed around the stage to witness the band behind the story.
Real Estate, out of Ridgewood, N.J., opened the show. The quartet delivered washed-out guitar riffs with a cool, breezy feel. Songs like “Black Lake” highlighted the band’s use of muffled melodies to communicate laid-back ease. For their brief yet highly danceable tune “Green River,” Girls’ Owens lent a hand on tambourine. Real Estate has yet to release an LP, but their music is available on two 7-inch records, Fake Blues and Suburban Beverage.
As Girls took to the stage, the crowd immediately requested songs. “Lust for Life!” someone near me shouted. While this kind of heckling may throw off some bands, Owens and Girls never appeared fazed. The band played most of Album’s singles, including a mellowed-out version of “Hellhole Ratrace,” “Lauren Marie” and, yes, even “Lust for Life.” Owens switched between a vintage-style Rickenbacker electric guitar and an acoustic one throughout the show. White, solid and steady on the bass, and the rest of the newly revamped touring band ably backed Owens. Girls gave a solid performance for arguably the most-hyped band around. Owens, in somewhat of an acknowledgement to this fact, responded to an audience member asking, “Are you cold?” with: “I’m smoking hot.” —Jared Levy
Photos courtesy of Jared Levy
Tags: Bowery Ballroom, Girls, photos, Real Estate, Review
Posted in house list, photos, reviews | 1 Comment »
Friday, November 6th, 2009
Islands - The Bowery Ballroom - November 5, 2009
The Unicorns were a surprising mix of indie-pop experimentation. They broke all kinds of rules, all while crafting funny, ridiculous, hypertwee adolescent pop. Their first album was a critical success, so they immediately disbanded to reform as th’ Corn Gangg, briefly playing hip-hop covers of Unicorns songs. Following another break up, they returned as Islands, which, as Nick Thorburn constantly reminds interviewers, are forever. Two members remain at the core of all of these projects: Thorburn and Jamie Thompson, whose tumultuous relationship has spawned some of the most endearing and innovative pop songs over the past 10 years.
Islands, known for their onstage theatrics, didn’t disappoint. Dressed in all white, almost Greek-influenced robes with head wreaths, Thorburn headed the forum with a James Brown-inspired, diamond-studded cape. Comfortable onstage, all through “Vapours” he stared down at fans, baptizing them with a push of his hand, swiping their beer or even picking up a notebook left on the edge of the stage and writing the owner a note. There’s an inherent sense of humor to their music that still comes from that experimental place of unorthodox instrumentation and clever lyrics. Who else could passionately deliver “Uncross my arms/To disarm the car bomb/It’s taking too long/Something must be wrong”? Islands are taking their playful formula further and further with each album, becoming more polished, and reintroducing synth and dance rhythms in pursuit of that perfect pop sound. Saving the best for last, they indulged the crowd with “Rough Gem,” which launched the Bowery crowd into a final frenzy of indie-rock proportions. —Jason Dean
Photos courtesy of Mina K
Tags: Bowery Ballroom, Islands, photos, Review
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Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
Noah and the Whale - Mercury Lounge - November 3, 2009
It’s hard to say what this crowd came to see. Charlie Fink, lead singer of Noah and the Whale, sort of shuffled to the stage with his five-piece band fully intent on playing large swatches of their new album, First Rites of Spring, ostensibly a love note and a gigantic fuck you to Fink’s ex-girlfriend and former bandmate, Laura Marling. The record is a gut-wrenching exegesis on breaking up, and Fink is more than intent to play it the way a mechanic can stare into the bowels of your car and tell you, quite simply, your engine doesn’t work. Except that it’s Fink who is broken, which is exactly what the crowd has shown up to see. The band opened with “Blue Skies,” arguably the most uplifting of Fink’s tragic masterwork. Of course, this would be like saying The Old Guitarist was the most uplifting painting of Picasso’s Blue Period.
There are aspects of schadenfreude at work here. You couldn’t say Fink looked sickly or drunk or morose or any of the other signifiers that usually typify modern human breakups, and yet the music told a different story. Playing “Our Window,” which vividly describes the night of their separation, Fink was either completely satisfied with his documentation of this event or he’s still actively hurt by it. Either way, we’ve all stopped to watch his emotional car accident, beautifully scored as it may be. What’s that say about us, members of the nearly sold-out crowd, who came to witness this? Were we hoping to be healed in this fire? As the band ripped through the end of “First Rites of Spring,” you felt Fink connect for the first time with this catharsis we’ve come to be a part of. It was the last song of their main set and then they moved into “Shape of My Heart,” from their first album. It had a different tone but given the circumstances, whatever the shape of Fink’s heart, it was almost certainly still broken. —Geoff Nelson
Tags: First Rites of Spring, Mercury Lounge, Noah and the Whale, Review
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Monday, November 2nd, 2009
The Get Up Kids - Music Hall of Williamsburg - November 1, 2009
While bands like KISS have devalued the real significance of reunion tours, there are still acts like the Get Up Kids willing to prove that not all reunion tours are half-assed attempts at moneygrubbing. Taking the stage to the tongue-in-cheek intro music of Prince’s “1999,” the Get Up Kids wrapped up a three-night stay in New York City with a sold-out show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Following a now commonly brilliant set from hometown boy Kevin Devine, the Get Up Kids made, surprisingly, their first-ever appearance in Brooklyn. More than just a trip down memory lane, the show was filled with energy not normally seen on reunion tours.
Mixing in everything from the ubiquitous “Holiday” to B-side “Anne Arbour,” the band played for more than an hour to the delight of the raucous crowd. Lead singer Matt Pryor’s voice sounded remarkably similar to the recordings on the band’s watershed album, Something to Write Home About, released a decade ago. But the group also had to tread new ground during the set (thanks to guitarist Jim Suptic’s allergic reaction to his Tin Man costume from their Halloween show). Left voiceless, Suptic’s vocals were picked up by keyboard player James Dewees, who jokingly apologized about how his low range would make his new parts sound “too screamo.”
After a stage-dive-inducing performance of “I’m a Loner Dottie, a Rebel…” during the encore, Pryor asked if the audience wanted a “slow song or a rock song.” When the crowd screamed for the latter, one more vocal substitution was needed. Pryor grinned his way through “Ten Minutes,” normally sung by Suptic, and admitted he had never sung it before. —Sean O’Kane
Tags: Kevin Devine, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Review, the Get Up Kids
Posted in house list, reviews | 1 Comment »
Friday, October 30th, 2009
Justice - Webster Hall - October 29, 2009
(Photo: Jared Levy)
I watched the trailer for Justice’s documentary, A Cross the Universe, before last night’s show at Webster Hall. Wedged between scenes of the French DJ duo’s hedonistic road trip are equally wild images of their high-energy performances. Scantily clad fans gyrate and bellow. Lights flash in unison with electronic house beats. An illuminated cross looms over an ironically sacrilegious scene. The 90-second teaser gave a glimpse of the intensely debaucherous concert to come.
You could feel the music walking through the venue. The distortion-saturated melodies and bass-heavy rhythms compelled dance rather than inspired it. Making my way through the throngs, the first song I recognized was “DVNO,” from Justice’s debut album, †. Their performance featured a deft mix of familiar hits and pulsating electronic numbers. For this show, their trademark cross was digital rather than physical, which detracted little from Justice’s stage presence. The two DJs raged along with their selections, chain-smoking cigarettes and occasionally flashing the gesture of a cross. They guided the music with an assured cool though they were just as capable of erratically raving with the crowd.
In some ways, it’s useless to recount the songs I deciphered. Of course I recognized when the duo played their Grammy-nominated single, “D.A.N.C.E.,” and songs by the Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk. But the show was a holistic experience rather than a collection of songs—a continuous thought transitioned sometimes subtly and sometimes blatantly. As the crowd roared at 3 a.m. with a passion equal to earlier in the night, Justice closed with a combination of “We Are Your Friends,” their remix of Simian’s “Never Be Alone,” and War’s “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” I was drenched in sweat with my ears ringing as I left just a few hours before sunrise, feeling drained and energized. Few DJs are capable of creating a show with passion and force equal to Justice. —Jared Levy
Tags: Justice, Review, Webster Hall
Posted in house list, reviews | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
Florence and the Machine - The Bowery Ballroom - October 27, 2009
Watching Florence Welch sing is like watching any number of acts, absurd in their direction, scope and control. She is a dunk from the foul line, a release of water held furtively behind a dam, the climactic scene of Scent of a Woman. She is mind-blowing. In fact, she may directly oppose every visual metaphor in this paragraph. She is like the Grand Canyon: You’ve either seen it up close, or you haven’t.
Dressed in flowing white, Welch spilled to the stage with her black-clad band, the Machine. Opening with “Two Lungs,” Welch exploded into the chorus. She didn’t need all of the considerable orchestra, including the harp, to vibrate the floor of a completely packed Bowery Ballroom. With the Island Records crew stuffed into the balcony, Welch flitted around the stage, pushing her elbows back and popping her chest out like some mechanical and delicate bird. She repeatedly pointed at us, directly, to emphasize elements of her story, only to cover a smile with her hand. She is emphatic and wilting, if these two things are possible at once.
Welch referring to herself as “Flo,” sang almost every song on her album, Lungs. “Drumming Song” was predictably tribal and elevating, making you think this is the 20-years-later incarnation of Kate Bush. “Cosmic Love” was the best song of the night and closed the set before the encore. Her voice pushed us back in our seats, grabbing the visual to zoom and pan. As much as you try, she is not like anything else. —Geoff Nelson
Tags: Bowery Ballroom, Florence and the Machine, Review
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Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
Far - Mercury Lounge - October 26, 2009
The drunk chatter in the crowd as fans eagerly anticipated Far taking the Mercury Lounge stage pretty much revolved around one thing: excitement. “I’ve been waiting 10 years to see this band,” said one 26-year-old crammed into a nook directly in front of the stage. The band hit stride while playing “Water & Solutions,” “Man Overboard” and “Bury White,” three songs off the 1998 fan favorite and emo-heavy album, Water & Solutions. (Also the last disc before the band’s split the following year.)
A couple of songs later, frontman Jonah Montranga explained that he wanted to be in the audience, dancing and sweaty with them—but not crowd-surfing (as a few fans had previously done and tried to help him do). And, as a long segue into “Nestle,” he discussed growing up and having kids, and how parenthood is scary, but also amazing, like when he saw his friend’s young daughter dancing at the previous night’s soundcheck. “Really Here,” another song off Water & Solutions, received a mass crowd sing-along and pit fury similar to that which greeted the earlier songs from that album.
Far then left the stage after one more song, but returned to play another four. Montranga asked the crowd if they still had it in them, and, boy, did they. “Mother Mary” received the most raucous response of all. At one point toward the end of the set, Montranga commented, “We know some of our best ‘New York’ shows have been in New Jersey. And, some of our best ‘New York’ shows have been in Long Island.” But, as he went on to explain, they were in the city now, and this was truly one of their best New York shows. —Kirsten Housel
Photos courtesy of Kirsten Housel
Tags: Far, Mercury Lounge, photos, Review
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Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
Tegan and Sara’s newest album, Sainthood, is out today. And to celebrate, they’re playing two sold-out shows in New York City before heading to Europe for November. But even if you weren’t able to score tickets, you can still try to Grow a Pair to this Friday’s Town Hall show from The House List. Just fill out the form below. List your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Tegan and Sara, 10/30) and a brief message telling us your favorite thing about twins. Eddie Bruiser, who’s already thinking about triplets, will notify the winner by noon on Friday, October 30th. Good luck.
Tags: Eddie Bruiser, Grow a Pair, Sainthood, Tegan and Sara, Town Hall
Posted in house list, promotions, reviews, ticket give away | No Comments »
Monday, October 26th, 2009
Thursday/Far/Midnight Masses - The Bowery Ballroom - October 25, 2009
Last night’s Bowery Ballroom show boasted an impressive lineup: Thursday, Far and Midnight Masses. The latter is known as a collective of musicians from bands like …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and Santogold, while Far is known for its highly influential sound and cult following that formed in the ’90s. But the band of the night was definitely Thursday, out of New Brunswick, N.J.
When Thursday played The Bowery just a month ago, they announced that last night’s show would have them playing their entire 2001 Victory Records debut, Full Collapse, the album that took them from playing dingy basements to headlining large tours. From the first chords of the disc’s opener—and unexpected hit single—“Understanding in a Car Crash,” The Bowery Ballroom’s floor was alive with action from the fans. Onstage, singer Geoff Rickly danced around, arms flailing in his perfectly calculated and characteristic way. While it’s a spectacular genre-defining album in its own right, it’s only when played live that the band’s fury is really showcased. “Autobiography of a Nation” and “Cross Out the Eyes” contained blood-curdling yelps and screams that starkly contrasted with the smooth tones of Rickly’s singing voice.
After completing the 42-minute Full Collapse and leaving the stage, Thursday returned to play a handful of songs, including “The Other Side of the Crash/Over and Out (Of Control),” off 2006’s A City by the Light Divided, and “Friends in Armed Forces,” from their most recent release, this year’s Common Existence. Thursday finished by releasing a dozen large black balloons into the air and playing fan favorite “Jet Black New Year.” —Kirsten Housel
(Far plays tonight at Mercury Lounge.)
Photos courtesy of Kirsten Housel
Tags: A City by the Light Divided, Bowery Ballroom, Far, Midnight Masses, photos, Review, Thursday
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Monday, October 26th, 2009
Portugal. The Man - The Bowery Ballroom - October 23, 2009
(Photo: Emily Ibarra)
Following a set of ebullient guitar rock by the Temper Trap, the oddly punctuated Portugal. The Man took the stage as Friday’s headliner at The Bowery Ballroom. The band is led by perhaps the second most well known denizen of Wasilla, Alaska, John Gourley, who plays a big-bodied guitar and sings in a high-pitched voice that could be the love child of Neil Young’s pipes and those of Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay.
Sometimes Miles Davis would perform with his back to the audience. And like a lazy Miles Davis, frontman Gourley oddly spent most of the show with his side to the crowd. Fortunately, like with Davis, it didn’t affect his performance in the slightest. Portugal. The Man’s albums all have different sounds, but their fourth studio effort, The Satanic Satanist, out last July, has earned the band plenty of well-deserved attention. So it was no surprise that much of their set highlighted songs from that disc, including “People Say” (with the crowd singing along), “The Sun,” “Do You” and “Mornings.”
Portugal. The Man—at times accompanied by Judy the fiddler— played plenty of upbeat songs, but they can just as easily go darker. Backed by trippy lights, the band turned jammy and ethereal, with their instrumentals delving into the wide psychedelic swath between the Doors’ moodiness and the liveliness of Santana. They seem like the kind of band you could see two nights in a row and it wouldn’t feel like the same show. And that’s a good thing. —R. Zizmor
Tags: Bowery Ballroom, CMJ Music Marathon, Portugal. The Man, Review, The Temper Trap
Posted in house list, reviews | No Comments »
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