I’ve been meaning to do a quick rundown of all the shows I’ve been to in the past few months, but I keep not having the time and I just keep seeing more and more shows and now it’s become quite a daunting task. But I'm going to do it anyway, if only so I can have some sort of record of what I've seen at the end of the year. Who knows what I'll remember and if it will be correct. But fabrication is the new accuracy, so let's just get on with it. Try to guess which of these shows I went to because I sorta had to, and which ones I went to because it was free, motherfucker! They should be pretty easy to figure out.
The Wedding Present
Last year’s show was my favorite of the year, and this year’s might have been even better. Really everything you could want in a live experience. A great selection of songs from all over the catalog (only a couple of repeats from last year, and we got “Corduroy,” “Suck,” “Click Click” and “Brassneck” (a revelation) among them). And David Gedge is certainly the most entertaining banterer around. I remember laughing very heartily. Not quite Michael/Ryan interaction heartily, but at least Michael/Toby interaction heartily.
The Cloud Room
It's always somewhat amusing to see a band play in front of a pretty sparse crowd (pity, but CYHSY were at the 9:30 Club the very same evening), but to still go through with all the rock star moves. That one song of theirs is pretty catchy, but I can't even remember the name of it right now. Oh, right, "Hey Now Now."
Metropolitan
Locals that I highly support. One of the few indie rock bands around here who actually knows what indie rock is. I don't wanna get bogged down in semantics, whatever those are, but ZR and I were having a bitch fest on IM this week about this. Anyway, go see Metropolitan at Fort Reno on June 19.
Silver Jews
Did I mention how I saw the Silver Jews a whole bunch of times? That was pretty awesome. Do I dare fly out to Portland to see that Joos/Malkmus show? That seems a bit much, doesn't it? We'll see.
Georgie James
Here's what I remember about this show. 1) Not watching a single second of the Joggers, but using some variation of the following joke about a dozen times over the course of the night -- "I didn't see any of the opening band. I believe they were called the Joggers, or Yoggers." Not a single person laughed. Except for me, of course. EVERY TIME!!! 2) Proudly wearing my totally awesome Silver Jews trucker hat out in public for the first time. Motherfucker cost me $20, you better believe I'm gonna wear it. 3) Thinking how hilarious it would be to shout a request for "5 1/2 Minute Hallway," but never doing it. 4) Thinking how Georgie James is gonna get really popular, really fast.
The Oranges Band/Swearing at Motorists/(The Sounds of) Kaleidoscope
(TSO)K were solid as always, getting louder and heavier by the day. Drummer Alex is a machine back there. As things get louder and heavier, was thinking how it might be nice if Doug would write/sing a song or two. Y'know, the Ropers and all that. Great band, why weren't people more into them? People, bah. Swearing at Motorists ... we just went through that less than two months earlier, so we sat that one out. Could still hear it and see it on those fancy Ottobar monitors, and it seemed more like I remembered them from back in the day, that sorta GBV on downers thing, and not proto-boogie rock on coke thing that we saw at the Hold Steady show.
This was TOB's fifth anniversary show, and it wasn't until recently that I realized we were actually at that first show. Not sure we actually saw them, but whatev. Anyway, it was surprisingly empty for a Saturday night "special occasion" show, but TOB brought it hardcore. Those dudes I talked about a while ago were there, bouncing around and generally acting like the idiots they are. Ottobar staff apparently had enough of them and bounced 'em right out. I felt bad for them actually, it was empty enough that they weren't really bothering anyone, unlike last time when their fat, sweaty asses kept bumping into me. But whatever. Anyway, it did sort of take everyone off edge and while I wouldn't exactly call it a dance party after, there was at least a little bit of getting down. They played incredible versions of just about every one of their best songs. Unlike that show I wrote about above, no half-assing "Success" or "OK Apartment" this time around. Full steam ahead! If this wasn't better than the Silver Jews Ottobar show, it's only because that was sort of a religious experience. Oh, here are some TOB live videos. Surprisingly excellent quality.
Destroyer
There are only a handful of current bands whose records I would rather listen to than those by Destroyer, but I guess it's time to accept the fact that they just aren't the most enthralling live band. Now Bejar is obviously not trying to be enthralling, and, y'know, I sorta respect that, but this was really like watching a band practice. Play solid version of song from most recent album that lacks some of the intracacies of the recorded version while standing there looking as disinterested as possible, finish song, silently retune for a minute or two, repeat. A while ago he had some different people backing him (I think?) and that was a more lively crew and suited him better. I'm all for him being as aloof and distant, he's earned it, but it's just sort of a drag when the whole band's like that. Highlight of the evening was probably walking to dinner earlier in the evening and seeing a posse in front of us that looked like, well, an indie rock band from Vancouver and sure enough it was. As we walked past I asked, "Any chance of 'Bad Arts' tonight?" Bejar, sans emotion: "No chance." What a guy.
Art Brut
About what I expected. Solid B. Maybe even B+. Nah, we'll stick with B. I don't remember too many particulars. That makes sense, right? They're a very "of the moment" band. Won't really linger. Which is good in that there's no bad aftertaste, but in the same regard, nothing to savor. I don't like that metaphor. Highlight of this show was probably watching someone who basically runs one of the most high-traffic blogs on the whole Internet act like a giant, giant fool. No, I will not name names. Unless you gimme a dollar, in which case I will.
Arab Strap
It's a good thing I wrote all of these down because I totally forgot I even went to this show. Why did I go to this show again? I dunno. When it takes you one playing of "1 2 X U" to drive to a club, I guess it makes it easier to just go to a random show. We saw these guys last century and I remember it being better. They've sorta changed their sound up a bit, less Mumbly Joe over plodding music, more Kinda Singy Joe over more elaborate arrangements. It was still OK, but if there was ever a 45-minute band, one album's all you need band, it's these guys right here.
Wolf Parade
I guess I can see why people who think they like cool, cutting edge music but really like kinda safe and predictable music would dig these guys. They have some pretty alright songs, but it was just a bit too much of that "We're Canadian and we're gonna make a lot of noise on these noisy instruments and you're going to interpret it as cathartic because we're Canadian, OK, hosers" sorta thing. I do really dig that "This Heart's on Fire" song, but other than that, meh.
The Events/Antelope/Joe Lally
The most unlikely show I've ever attended? Quite possibly, especially considering I never once saw Fugazi. But I kinda dig that Evens album and wanted to see if I could manage a double dip. Joe Lally ... well, he introduced one song with something like, "High school was a really tough time for me." That was probably the most notable aspect of the performance. MZ says that should be an emo song title. It would fit in with the current "phrase as song" trend there. Antelope was good in that not-catchy-at-all Dischord way. Which is to say that I enjoyed them but after 25 minutes I was like, "It's only been 25 minutes?!" Since I never saw Fugazi, I had never enjoyed a MacKaye lecture before, so it was about time for that. Punk rock is not just about volume, you know. Solid performance; kind of like a less catchy, less funny Beat Happening. That really sounds like a ringing endorsement, doesn't it?
Georgie James/Soft Complex
That above one was an early show at a church right near the Black Cat, so when it was over I hustled down to the BC to catch the second D.C. appearance of GJ, first one on the big stage. It was pretty much like the first one, but without the Silver Jews hat and Anchorman joke. So an ever so slight downgrade. Soft Complex is a local new wave-ish (very -ish) band, who I'll have a soft spot for because the lead singer used to be in Trixie Delicious and the Lot Lizards, where he was the cross-dressing lead singer of that alt-country band. Sounds good, right? We happened to catch them when we went down to Richmond back in college because there was nothing better to do and Britt Daniel was playing a solo show in the VCU student union (this was pre-Merge) with some other band that I just can't remember right now. Anyway, in retrospect we probably should have spent more time watching Trixie and less time playing that stupid Simpsons video game, but oh well.
Kittykawk
My new favorite local band, and not just because Terrapin Sexpress alum AW plays bass. We've been really digging Cass McCombs over here at SD lately, at that's the vibe Kittyhawk brings, which is most excellent because it's not something that lots of people are doing. Y'know, kinda fragile, repetitive folky stuff that makes you want to close your eyes and smile. Or something like that. Anyway, you should go see them. And if you had to pick one specific time to see them, may I suggest July 10 at DC9.
The Strokes
Now this was fun. Granted, the circumstances had a lot to do with it. I've seen the Strokes just about every time they've come to town since that first record came out -- 9:30 Club, Nation, UMBC Fieldhouse, Constitution Hall -- because goddamnit, those first two records are still awesome. But I was surely going to take a pass this time since it was back at Consitution Hall, that new record is just plain not good, and I still haven't forgiven them for bringing us the worst combination of opening acts in the history of the world last time they were in town -- the Mooney Suzuki and Jimmy Fallon. Nightmares, to this day. But I can't turn down a free ticket (OK, you didn't have to guess for that one), and to get there and have third row seats right at stage center ... not bad at all. And then for the band to get the new stuff out of the way early and proceed to play spectacularly tight versions of 10 of the 11 songs from Is This It? Awesome.
That new stuff, though, is still really, really bad (except for "You Only Live Once"). The songs from those first two records were just so fucking precise. Nothing unnecessary, everything interlocking perfectly. Those new ones just go on too long and Nick Valensi does a Slash impression on all of them and yeah, not good. Also not good was when Sean Tillman -- who delivered an enjoyable opening set as Sean Na Na to complete indifference to the text messaging masses (he gave the best song intro ever: "Check this shit out") -- came out and dueted with Julian on "Under Control" in complete Har Mar mode. But that was all forgotten when we got to witness one of those true rock 'n' roll moments, even if it was a bit contrived. During set closer "Reptilia," Julian went out into the audience, walking on top of seats to get into the middle of his adoring fans. All you could see what camera phones galore. It was sorta touching. The best thing about going to see the Strokes is seeing the kids really get into it. I mean, there's a lot worse shit the kids could be listening to, right? Anyway, all eyes were on Julian, so I made sure to stay watching the stage, where bassist Nikolai slinked off to the back corner, basically offstage and was just casually chatting with Har Mar while playing his bass line. Funny stuff.
(The Sounds of) Kaleidoscope/The Oranges Band/Meredith Bragg
Hey, didn't I just see this show? Yes, basically. Meredith Bragg replaced Swearing at Motorists, which is a solid move. Perhaps a little too Death Cab-y, but, y'know, whatev. K'Scope continued the trend of pummeling volume. Damien had more pedals than they played songs, which is perhaps dangerous territory to get into. You hear me, ZR? As for TOB, it was wonderful to finally see them in D.C. again, after almost two years. It was actually their third D.C. performance in the past couple months, but due to the worthlessness of the staff at Nation and some unfortunate booking, this was the only time I got to see them. As always, it was very wonderful, even without the inclusion of all-time favorites "Success" and "OK Apartment." TOB is one of those bands that I always want to listen to. There are very few bands like that. I mean, even the Silver Jews, there are certain times when I'm just not in a Silver Jews mood. Not so with TOB. I have this 12-song "Best of TOB" playlist that is my go-to option whenever I don't know what to listen to. For this performance, there was that usual invisible force field about 7-8 feet in front of the stage that nobody dare cross, but you know what? I fuckin' crossed it. I was standing right up there, front and center, and then the wonderful Terry Banks joined me and then some other folks did as well. And then Terry shouted "My Street!" and Roman nodded and they played "My Street" and goddamn if for those three minutes everything in the world wasn't perfect.
Hockey Night
Another one of those, "It's at Iota, not much else is going on, why not?" I like these guys, but they are in that weird position where they'd probably be better if they cut down on all those double lead guitar things that go on for a little too long, but that's what gives them their unique sound. If you're looking for a good song to put on a mix, the first two songs of their last album, "Get Real" and "For Guys Eyes Only" are wonderful options. Also, there's a chance I may be telling you to go see them when they come to D.C. in the fall.
The Walkmen/Mazarin/Nethers
I've seen Nethers a whole bunch of times, and this wasn't one of the best, but I blame the conditions. First off, there were only four of them this time and I seem to remember there being five of them almost all the other times. Secondly, playing to a rather empty 9:30 Club, when most of the people there are St. Albans kids who think they are actually at the Bait Shop and are talking over the performance is not the most ideal situation. Next up was Mazarin and it was a whole lot better than last time I saw them. They started off with "For Energy Infinite" and "The New American Apathy," the two best songs from their quite good album We're Already There, and it was a rockin' good time from there on out. The word I always use to describe them is propulsive; the songs are just always chugging along at a steady clip. Reminds me of a cross between the Flaming Lips and Built to Spill when both were still good, but that might just be due to the lead singer's beard. In any case, it was the best set of the night.
The Walkmen ... I like them fine, but for me, they will always live in the shadow of Jonathan Fire*Eater and that's just the way it is. Speaking of which, has anyone heard anything from the Child Ballads lately? Their Web site is gone, it seems they have just fallen off the face of the earth, and knowing who's involved, that is not a good sign. The Walkmen's new album isn't as good as the last couple, but the songs come off pretty well live, if only because Hamilton's vocals are more subdued so he's not screaming like a fucking madman all the time. That first single, "Louisiana," is pretty nifty, trumpet solo and all. It's no "The Rat" or "Little House of Savages," but those are some mighty fine songs. Anyway, the main attraction of the Walkmen is Mighty Matt Barrick, drummer extraordinaire. Definitely one of the top five most fun people to watch in music today. So little, so powerful. Worth the price of admission alone. Especially when that price is zero.
Georgie James
What? These guys again? I'm not obsessed, really. See, it was the same night as that show above, one block away, so I figured I'd head on down to catch the last few songs in that sweatlodge that was DC9. Lucky for me, I caught all my favorites. "More Lights," man, that song is just all kinds of wonderful. Almost as good as "Ten Thousand Leagues." Ha! No, it's more like ten thousand times better. Anyway, GJ is hitting the road with Camera Obscura in July, which is not a bad gig to get for a band with no album and no label. So you should catch them when they come to your town. But when you should really catch them is August 3 at Fort Reno. I've heard very, very good things about those other bands, especially one of those other bands. Were those good things said by the parents of people in those bands or by people who said band paid for such services as mixing and mastering? Perhaps. But I trust the objectivity of those folks and so should you!
Pearl Jam
It had been just about 11 and a half years since I saw Pearl Jam proper. I'm pretty sure I saw them at the Tibetan Freedom Concert thing, but that doesn't really count. Both times I saw them were pretty special occasions. First time was the day Kurt Cobain's body was discovered, second time was during that period when Pearl Jam wasn't playing any shows because of the whole Ticketmaster thing but they played two shows at Constitution Hall with Neil Young (and, er, L7) as some Rock for Choice benefit. Those were great shows, but I was 13 and 14 at the times. Anyway, this wasn't a great show. It started off pretty good, with that old favorite "Release," and all the audience members throwing their hands up on cue, like good cult members. The next few songs included some of the more rockin' new ones, my #1 favorite PJ song ("Corduroy"), "Animal" and the underrated "Given to Fly." That was seven songs about 40-45 minutes in and I was having a good time. But that's about my limit these days. From there it was three long, slow new ones that killed the momentum and made me realize we weren't even half way through, and that I'd be spending almost another couple hours with 20,000 mostly dudes shouting "Edd-ie!" It wasn't like this was an especially bad rock spectacle -- no huge monitor, no pyrotechnics, minimal lasers. But when the norm is 40 people in a smoky club, even that has a way of seeming very over the top.
In retrospect a key mistake was not going for $7 beer #2 earlier on. I thought I found the perfect cue -- when Vedder said "This song was written by Mike McCready" -- but by then it was too late. Beer sales had been cut off and there was still a whooooole lot of Pearl Jam left. Speaking of McCready, that guy is a fool, with all of his jumping and pointing and soloing and wireless set up. That wireless set up really bothered me all night. Very distracting. The set finally ended with a lackluster, drawn-out version of "Rearviewmirror," a song I totally loved in 8th grade. This was basically the halfway point. A five-song encore followed, which included "Masters of War," which was cool, but it's always a dangerous move to cover Dylan, especially when you follow it with "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter with Osteoperosis." Encore two included another lackluster version of a Vs. fave ("Leash"), and the predictable political rant of the night before going into Neil Young's "Fuckin' Up," dedicated to Dick Cheney. I left in the middle of the last song, the quite painful "Yellow Ledbetter." The worst Metro trip ever followed. I don't think I'll be going to see Pearl Jam again any time soon, and I really don't want to see a band play for two and a half hours again any time soon.
Alcian Blue
Not to take anything away from Alcian's performance, which was great and full of visual wonders. But here's what I will remember from that evening. Sitting on that bench in the backstage area during the performance when ZR spills his beer. Slowly, the beer takes on a life of its own and starts slitering across the room. After about two minutes it traveled a few feet and it looked like it would stop then. But in a Terminator 2-like re-generation sequence, that beer puddle kept growing and snaking its way across the room, inch by inch. About seven mintues after the initial spillage, the beer traveled all the way across the room, approximately 15-20 feet. Anyway, did that wonderful shoegaze/goth/noise thing they always do, and you'd be a smart person to get a hold of their new CD.
Pink Mountaintops/Catfish Haven
Yes, this was good stuff for a Sunday night. First was Catfish Haven, a rocking three-piece indie rock bar band. Not one of them "clever" bands, like the Hold Steady. This was just power chord bashing, foot stompin' catchy stuff. Not sure how well it comes off on record, but in person it was good fun for half an hour. Pink Mountaintops are one of those bands that's right up my alley. I certainly prefer them to Black Mountain, who I like, but they can be too heavy, weird, whatever at times. Pink Mountaintops just sort of do one thing, do it well and do it over and over again. Nothing wrong with that. One guitar playing a nice, heavy riff repeatedly a la Velvets/Spacemen (perhaps just a hint of Stones thrown in there), lots of tambourines and percussion and female backing vocals and you've got yourself a nice little band. Druggy without being self-consciously druggy and somewhat stupid like, say, the Warlocks. Toronto and Montreal are the problem areas in Canada, not Vancouver.
--DM--
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