Live Appreciation

Wed Apr 12, 10:35 PM by

I’ve never written a live music review and since I barely read any, I don’t even know where to start. But I am good at supporting live music and appreciating it for what it’s worth. I show up late, sing along to my favorite tunes, enjoy a few too many beers, despise the hipsters, laugh at the kids with their parents, shout the name of an obscure song and more often than not, have a great time with a fellow appreciator. I recently saw two bands and genuinely wanted to praise their respective performances, yet here I am weeks later, with nothing written and no recollection of what took place.

I had an epiphany walking home yesterday, trusted iPod by my side. I got thinking about my high school days and the days I obsessed over Dave Matthews Band. Their shows would go on for hours and were so large that Dave was the size of a dot, if you were lucky. One song always stood out to me: Drive In, Drive Out. Mention DIDO to any diehard Dave fan past or present, and they will probably tell you they hate this song. I’m no different, I always skipped it for Let You Down. Even so, DIDO was always a fixture at a Dave show in those days and I for one enjoyed it as much as the next song. Many of my friends didn’t want to hear it, but you’d still see them dancing, singing along. I’d go home, stick on DIDO, imagine the show and feel it come to life.

The point is, some songs are just crying out to be played live; they are just bigger in person than on the album. Just like some songs don’t work or lose their magic in a live setting. I mean, it’s hard to imagine Postal Service live isn’t it? No thank you. So why did I take you on this journey? I want to acknowledge the bands who bring something to a live show, who take their album to the next level, and I want to chastise the bands who offer very little or nothing at all. And maybe you’ll thank me for that.

Two Gallants (currently touring the US)
I was skeptical about seeing this band. I nearly pawned my tickets off to another fan the day of the show but changed my mind because it was at a venue I was dying to experience and my friends were there. Good thing, too.
Adam Stephens and Tyson Vogel produced a shattering sound above and beyond what you’d expect with Stephens looking so frail and kidlike on stage and Vogel sheltered by his drum kit. Often complemented by Vogel’s background wailing, Stephens’ raspy voice took center stage as chords seemed to roll off his guitar and fall into my ears with the grace of a ballerina, before the drums transported me along down a backcountry dirt path. Each song, filled with energy, was met with equal crowd enthusiasm and it was clear this was their homecoming show. Long Summer Day and Prodigal Son stood out as I waited on baited breath for Steady Rollin’, which I nearly missed thanks to my bladder. Mainly a showcase for What the Toll Tells, Two Gallants left me hungry for said recorded material. Though it won’t be the same without the image of sweat dripping off Stephens, a true sign of a passionate performance.

Art Brut (currently wrapping up US tour, on the road again in May)
As Eddie “don’t forget the moustache” Argos, lead singer extraordinaire, approached his mic, the rest of Art Brut kicked off the opening chords to Metallica’s Enter Sandman and I knew I was in for a treat. While part of me hoped to hear a full cover of the song, I was slightly relieved to hear Argos chant “Formed a band, we formed a band.” The show went on swimmingly from there. From My Little Brother and Emily Kane to new songs Blame It On The Trains and These Animal Menswear to a fantastic finale featuring Good Weekend, Art Brut were a joy to watch. Argos casually strolled the stage, singing as if we were former classmates at his high school reunion, encouraging us all to form a band. You couldn’t shut Argos up and you didn’t want to. His constant banter, his tailored lyrics, his rallying of Art Brut before each song, created an enthusiasm along the stage. He had us singing “Art Brut, Top of the Pops” before being done with us, the way it should be.

Briefly, here are three bands I’ve seen in the past who I will never willingly pass up next time they are in town, and neither should you.

The Futureheads (new album to drop, expect US tour late summer)
The best live act I’ve ever enjoyed. Full of joy, vigor, smiles. They are a good time band who aren’t afraid to sweat for their art. Literally. Pit stains, soaked hair, glasses in need of windscreen wipers, you’ll be anxiously awaiting your turn to participate when Hounds of Love is up and sweat a little too.

The National (just wrapped up US tour)
I discovered this band because of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. On the CYHSY bandwagon, I bought tickets to their show last year and gave The National a listen because I knew they were headlining the show. Sadly for half the crowd who left after CYHSY completed their set, they missed the better band on the night. The National were unfazed and unrepentant as they stole the show that belonged to them in the first place. It’s no surprise Alligator has received so much acclaim and Matt Berninger’s Ian Curtis-like performances are only like to garner them more attention.

Kings of Convenience
Who knew two Norwegians (Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe) could be so entertaining? I’ve probably never laughed more at a concert (but then again I haven’t seen Tenacious D perform) thanks to tales of flu bouts and life in Norway, which didn’t stunt the show but kept up the beat. Of course, Øye’s spontaneous dancing, the duo’s first on-stage collaboration with Feist (who sings on album versions of The Build Up and Know-How) and a range of performances from their entire catalog, means I will miss seeing them on the concert circuit until Glambek Bøe – whose first love isn’t music, it’s urban planning – finishes his studies.

Honorable Mentions: Wolf Parade, Decemberists, I Am Kloot

In contrast to the above groups, the following bands are great on CD but I’d skip the show.

The Strokes
Recipe: Take three Strokes’ albums, drop them in a playlist, hit shuffle, close your curtains, turn out the lights, pump up the volume and you got yourself a show. The best part is you don’t have to bother looking to see if they will move about or not. The same can be said of Interpol but I have more respect for them.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
It’s not their fault they are the new darlings of indie music, but I can blame them for their lifeless show. Lacking passion, they relied too much on the originality of their sound and forgot all about performing. Maybe it was down to nerves, but I wasn’t in any rush to get a closer view.

The Shins
This was a show I actually disliked. They told bad jokes. They were in too large a venue for their music. The lead singer was all the way to the right of the stage. They didn’t feel like a group. There was no life to their performance. I got in a lot of shit for canceling other plans to attend the show, and it really wasn’t worth it.

So you might be wondering, where did DIDO by Dave Matthews fit into all this? Answer: I don’t have a fucking clue, it took me hours to write this. I’ll just say: some of the best live bands have above average albums and some of the best albums come from above average live bands.

Previous Article: Act Like You Know: Barry Bonds is an Asshole.
Q: Anything New Here?
Next Article: Almost as Funny as Family Circus: Los Angeles Douchebag Pt.1