These bands made me wistfully sentimental of the ’80s, but not being what I’ll call a music scholar, this was purely an emotional response. White Lies brought to mind bands I really liked – Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division/New Order, The Cure. Friendly Fires’ territory I’m less familiar with. While not opposed to European-style dance music (or even, in some cases, what was once called “house music” and “dub” but I’m pretty certain isn’t anymore), I know nothing of this genre or the multi-splintered sub-genres this mutated into throughout the late ’80s up until now. So I figured I’d better do a little research so I didn’t feel like a complete idiot.
Harry McVeigh and Jack Lawrence-Brown of White Lies
So I pulled up an NME review from back in August 2008, of Friendly Fires’ debut release. I figured this would be especially insightful, since this show was an “NME Presents” production, meaning these are bands that they’re hoping to break over here. First off, I realize now how little of European music filters through to the average U.S. music fan. And I had an epiphany. I now know how to approach these sorts of reviews. You have to read the thing as if you’re reading a work of fiction; a short story. Enjoy it on that level. You may or may not gleen any information about the band in question, depending upon if you’re in the 1% of people who actually know what the heck they’re talking about. The Boston kids last night (I’ll say kids because most seemed in the 18-20 range) would probably read a line like “Instead of becoming Turin Brakes #2 they got turned on to Chicago house, Kompakt records and getting sweaty in a Berlin tenement at 6am” and answer with a resounding “huh??”, but they do love to dance, and in the end, that’s all that really matters.
White Lies (Harry McVeigh – lead vocals, guitar), Charles Cave (bass guitar and backing vocals), and Jack Lawrence-Brown (drums). They’ve been compared to Joy Division and Echo & The Bunnymen, and claim Talking Heads as an influence – none of which are bad things. I’d have to sit down with lyric sheets to tell you if the songwriting matches the emotional passion of the music (yes, so it seems – see the lyrics posted on their official site – thanks so much, guys). I found them to be very hypnotic and engaging, and it was clear they already have a sizable following, as many people were singing along. Thinking back on the show now, I have to say what a great pairing these two made. Whereas White Lies were a more “dreamy” sort of dance music, Friendly Fires was an over-the-top party, which I think blended together nicely and made for a perfect build-up to the festivities. I’m reading now that White Lies lead singer Harry McVeigh had throat problems two days before in New York, which I wouldn’t have realized at all by the way he belted out their tunes. A lovely voice, and a very nice performance by all.
As I came to the show completely unfamiliar with their music, I can’t speak to specific songs, but the setlist from NYC (Boston’s was probably the same or similar) was: Farewell to the Fairgrounds, To Lose My Life, E.S.T., A Place To Hide, Unfinished Business, Fifty On Foreheads, From The Stars, The Price Of Love, Death.
Friendly Fires. No buildup or tentative start here. These guys came out and immediately launched into a hyperkinetic infectious 80’s style synth-pop dance groove mixed with tribal percussion and throbbing bass. Quite nice. The problem I had with dance music back in the day was not the keyboard synthesizers, but the synthesized percussion. Personal preference, but I could never get emotionally involved in that fake drum sound, and certainly not to the level where I’d have to leap around. Highlighting the driving force and focus of this band, the drummer (Jack Savidge) was set up right at the front of the stage, and it was around him and bassist/percussionist Rob Lee that the other two feverishly swirled like drunken mystics.
Lead singer Ed MacFarlane is a wildman possessed, and you’re immediately drawn into his orbit. Writhing and contorting wherever the music took him, it took him into some strange and magical places, including into the steamy, frenzied audience at one point, where he sang virtually the entire song. Guitarist Edd Gibson ventured out into the crowd as well, to sanctify the visceral connection that had been forged.
Again, the setlist from NYC was as follows: Lovesick, Jump In The Pool, Skeleton Boy, In The Hospital (this I definitely remember – fantastic), White Diamonds, Strobe, On Board, Paris, Ex Lover.
I should also say that San Diego band The Soft Pack was also on the bill, but I unfortunately missed them, as I’m still trying to figure out this whole “North Shore to Boston club” concept.
We walk in the glass house. It was real small and old, it reminded me of the old shows that I used to go to. Nice intimate venue.
Rademacher opens with an amazing set. The crowd was pretty good, all were nice because I was up front and I walked in and out of the building twice and still was allowed to go back up front :]
The Henry Clay people were simply amazing. Interacting with the crowd, talking about concerts that they have been to at The Glass House. The last song was amazing because The Henry Clay People Invited Rademacher and The Airborne Toxic Event to jam with them for one last song. It was cool to see everyone on that stage smiling, laughing and have a great time with one another.
Mikel and Joey Siara belting it out at the end of The Henry Clay People's set. All photos by Henry Ruiz.
The Airborne Toxic Event take the stage at 10pm. They open up with a little snippet of ‘Something New’ Then go into ‘Wishing Well’. The Glass House was real hot *at least 70 something degrees, that’s how hot it felt* Their stage presence was amazing like always. Next song ‘Papillon’ *I have video of this* Mikel’s voice sounds a whole lot stronger. Anna was dancing, Steven Smiling, Noah rocking it, and Daren jamming with a smile.
I believe the next song was ‘Gasoline’, crowd was dancing and enjoying themselves. Next song was ‘Happiness Is Overrated’ followed by ‘Echo Park and ‘Letters To Georgia’. Next Song was ‘This Losing’ followed by ‘This Is Nowhere’. ‘Goodbye horses’ Followed by ‘Sometime Around Midnight’ followed by there “last song” ‘Innocence’ they play the ‘heaven version’. There was no crowd surfing due to NBC filming I think…I don’t know haha. [NBC filmed part of the show for airing on the Carson Daly show sometime in early April]
They walk off the stage after ‘Innocence’ three minutes later Daren hops back on the stage and gets on the make “Pomona!” He asked everyone to clap. This rest of the band come on stage and Mikel says “Were gonna play two more songs”…’Does This Mean You’re Moving On?’ Was Next. Amazing, Amazing, Amazing! Mikel climbed up on the speakers, Anna was not crowd surfing but she was dancing and hopping about, she then makes her way to the floor and walks across the barricade and I see her coming my way, I was jumping around, smiling and having a good time. Next thing you know she is right in front of me looking and smiling like crazy at me and she reaches in and gives me a lovely warm sweaty hug so I hug her in return! Next song was ‘Missy’, before they played it Mikel gives a little speech, wish I recorded it, “You only live this much *extending his index finger and thumb slightly* and You die this much *Extending his arms wide* Make the most of it, enjoy yourself and live”.
Few more comments about the NYC Bowery Ballroom show 3/11
(and Carlos, if you’re out there – I’d love to see some of those photos!)
“I loved the concert, Julie. I watched you all evening from the balcony. I was sitting with the people who worked for Airborne. At first someone came over to me and asked, “Do you have a pass for the reserved table? I answered, “I thought these chairs were reserved for senior citizens.” He laughed and took off… The couple who worked for Airborne offered me a drink….it was fun and I stayed to the end. I liked all the songs. The violins in the 1st number was great; like sitting at the philharmonic. So glad I was able to stay to the end. Where will they be next? Tate is great. Wish I could have gone to the after party…Next time.” - Gloria, NYC.
[Not only was this her first TATE concert - it was her first rock concert. Not too shabby for a first-timer!]
“TATE, they have energy, no doubt, but part of the power of their performance is that they have SYNERGY. You had already mentioned in your review about how well they work with each other on stage. This added dimension to their live performance takes them to another level altogether. As a result, I think they are even better live than they are on their studio album. This is the reason I snapped up tickets to see them again after my first live TATE experience in December – they have the ability to get the whole crowd into IT. It is far more than I ever expected after listening to their album. I wonder if this energy can be captured in a live recording? I will definitely look to see them again whenever they return to the New York area.” - Linda R.
Tour Update
The Airborne Toxic Event have added European shows and finally an Ireland date to their travels – great news for all those fans I’ve seen posting and begging for shows in their hometowns. New places for the band include Berlin, Hamburg, Belgium, Koln Germany, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Dublin (sponsored by Jameson, perhaps? or at least unofficially). Also, pretty cool stuff, they’ll be supporting Razorlight at the O2 Arena in London and the Manchester Evening News Arena (both 20,000+ capacity venues). full tour schedule here
I’ve been terribly remiss in announcing my buddy Victor’s wonderful Expanding Awareness shows on WZBC 90.3 FM (Boston College Radio). He presents interviews (with audience callers) every Saturday morning from 10-11am, on paranormal, holistic heath, environmental and sometimes animal rights topics. Before which he plays really good ambient, world, and New Age music (from 7am – 10am). He also has an astrology report for the week ahead from Dietrich Pessin at 9:30.
I’m about to announce a show that already aired, which may sound rather stupid, but happily WZBC is now streaming them for the past two weeks. So you can listen to his shows after the fact (as well as other shows on WZBC).
This week his guest was Peter Kubaska, a Past President of the Theosophical Society of Boston, speaking about The Mental Plane. He’ll be presenting a program at the TS in Arlington, MA on Friday, April 24. Here’s the official blurb from the TS site:
“The Mental Plane is called the largest of all the planes by HP Blavatsky, since it is the plane of intermediation among all the others. Manas, or Mind, expresses differently on all the solar (or systemic) planes. It is structured differently on all the mental subplanes which include the inherited mental unit and the soul or causal body. Mind expresses predominantly through Rays 1, 4, and 5. We will examine types of logic and of illusion, as well as how memory, the faculty of imagination, and the power of visualization interact. Donation: $10/$5 TS members.”
“Peter Kubaska, Past President TS Boston 1993-98, is interested in making Alice Bailey’s Esoteric Astrology and cosmology more accessible to astrologers and students of esoteric studies.”
Here are some bands who are not at SXSW. Instead, they’re playing at various clubs around the Boston area. I have to work tonight, so I can’t even go out and see ‘em perform, say hello, buy their stuff, and show my support. But what I can do is write up brief profiles and give links so you can learn more about them. So that’s what I’m doing.
“Psychedelic / 2-step / indie”. Nice stuff. Songs include “Been a Drill”, “Shree”, “Spiders and Lightning”, and “A guide to the outdoors”. Currently touring in New England. Band website
“Funk / Soul / R&B”. Very funky; seven band members listed, including trumpet and sax. A dance party, to be sure. Cool live version of “Sex Machine”. Check ‘em out. Band website
“Folk / Acoustic / Indie”. Singer-songwriter; pretty vocals. Influences include Ani DiFranco, Bob Dylan, old German folksongs, Dar Williams, Leonard Cohen, Cat Stevens, Ellis Paul, John Prine… Currently touring across the U.S. Her recently released CD, “The Near Demise of the High Wire Dancer”, was produced by Richard Shindell and features John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky and Victor Krauss. Band website
Club Passim, (Harvard Square) Cambridge, with Lucy Wainwright and Roche.
“Classic Rock / Roots Music / Jam Band”. They describe themselves as “an American rock and roll band featuring a big sound made possible only with driving, dual guitars, a real Hammond B-3 organ, and a heavy dose of low-end.” Currently touring in New England. SonicBids page
“Indie / Rock / Country”. Influences listed include: Exile on Main Street, London Calling, Redheaded Stranger, Live from San Qinten, Satan is Real, Howl, Pet Sounds, Abbey Road, Zep III, The Wild the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle, Blood on the Tracks, Astral Weeks, Fold Your Hands Child you Walk like a Peasant, Marquee Moon, Honkytonk Heros, Hunky Dory, Electric Mudd, Everybody Knows this is Nowhere, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. If all that isn’t too scary (the list is actually about 4x longer than that), have a listen. band website
“Pop / Rock / Indie”. Their influences include: REM, Johnny Cash, Alice in Chains, Gram Parsons, Buddy Holly, Chris Isaak, Third Eye Blind, Blind Melon, Lemonheads. They have an upcoming show on May 7 in NYC at Crash Mansion.
Church, Boston, with Inner City Surfers (from Canada) and Forest Henderson.
Tom Bianchi (”Somerville/Cambridge/Boston/My Van”, MA)
“Folk Rock / Funk / Comedy”. Love his influences: The Who, Led Zepplin, Hendrix… Elvis Costello, The Pretenders, Fugazi… Steve Martin. He’s like a cross between Charles Mingus and Tom Lehrer. His “StreeT SignS in BostoN SucK” is truly inspired.
He has a March residency at Toad in Cambridge (this sounds very impressive, but if you’ve actually been *inside of* Toad, you’ll know how funny this is. Just joking, it’s cozy, and a nice little room.). He’s also playing at a few other places in MA (Framingham, Mashpee, Passim & Lizard Lounge).
“Shoegaze / Punk / Hawaiian”. From their MySpace page: “Vs the Robot existed before you were born, assuming you’re 3 years old. Otherwise, you might remember us. I, Matt, couldn’t sing, Charlie couldn’t play bass, and James couldn’t play anything. But now, all that’s changed. The songs might sound familiar, but they will be completly different.” Ok, well they actually sound really good. Will have to catch them sometime, but I don’t see any shows listed beyond this one tonight.
PA’s Lounge, Somerville, with Girl On Top and The Enthusiasts.
“Rock / Psychedelic / Indie”. Draws inspiration from riff-heavy psychedelic hard rock of the 60s and 70s. Nice sound. Performing around New England (and in Philadelphia) through May 9.
Great band name, terrific abbreviation & logo (D.o.T.v.). That would be enough, but the music seems interesting as well. Influences: “alcoholic beverages, heartbreak, and the glorious awesomeness of an “A” chord!”
“I catch a cab outside on 7th Street and the cars fly by through the Bowery…”
The Bowery & Delancey Street, New York City
The Bowery Ballroom
I knew this would be a special evening, even without the full moon.
The Bowery Ballroom is a fantastic venue. It’s kind of an unusual setup. They first let you in down some steps from street level to a small, cozy lounge with comfortable couches and a mellow ambiance. When that space gets filled with drinking, happy people, they open the double doors and let everyone in upstairs to the ballroom (including an upper level balcony), which is just big enough to fit the 550 capacity, yet small enough to feel intimate. Not sure what the building was originally used for, though it was built just before the 1929 Stock Market Crash; converted into a music venue in 1997. It’s a lovely space with great acoustics.
The Henry Clay People came on to, as lead singer Joey Siara noted, about a 30% capacity crowd. Such is the fate of an opening act in New York City, where people don’t start their evenings until 10pm. But they were good sports about it, and in quick order, they won the hearts and minds of those who were there. Those guys are just so much fun, no matter what your mood is that day or how cool and detached you think you are, you can’t help but get sucked in to their three ring circus. If they can get a bunch of jaded New Yorkers pumping their fists in the air and dancing along to songs they don’t know, then they can tackle anything.
Alex from Alberta Cross joined them for a few songs, and sounded really good, adding keyboards to the mix. I’m slowly getting more familiar with their music, so I’ll have an attempt at the set list: The Good Ones, Taste of the Tasteless, (no idea – anyone?), End of an Empire, (not sure, but included the line “there were happier times”), and Something in the Water. Which was then followed by what’s known as their “classic rock medley” which tonight was a rather wacky trip through Take a Walk on the Wild Side (very appropriate!), Sometime Around Midnight (kinda, I think?), and You Can’t Always Get What You Want. They finished with Digital Kid and Working Part Time. They were joined onstage by a good friend of theirs on guitar. Ok, so was I hallucinating, or was this Malcolm Sosa of Rademacher? Unless I heard (and saw) incorrectly, good heavens how cool, but man, what a tease, as I would have loved to see them playing these East Coast shows. The audience seemed to enjoy their set and – as Joey noted from the stage – yes, I was most certainly rocking out.
Did I really come this close to seeing Rademacher on this bill?? Curse living on the East Coast!!
I really likedAlberta Cross tonight. Not sure what happened here in New York that didn’t happen in Boston. Maybe it was a better sound mix; perhaps it was just playing before their hometown audience (they’re based in Brooklyn). I don’t know. But they sounded wonderful, and much more as I fondly remembered from what I heard of their music on MySpace and their “Thief & The Heartbreaker” CD. Standout tracks for me were the title track from the CD, Low Man, and this gorgeous gospel song they did. I’m not sure about the title, but it was quite beautiful. I do find I prefer their softer, more bluesy tracks. Personal preference maybe, but it’s in those slower numbers where I feel they truly shine.
As the stage is set for TATE, excitement builds. The lights go down. To swelling music which has become the opening introduction, the Calder Quartet walks out first, followed by the band, to loud cheering which fills every corner of the rather intimate and cozy ballroom. A quick look around confirms that the place is now packed to the back of the room, with people lining the rails of the upstairs balcony. Just a beautiful sight and feeling; one of those perfect rock ‘n roll moments. Actually more than that, because the sight of the Calder Quartet, for me, adds a layer of sophistication to the scene. This is the first time I’m seeing them perform with Airborne, so it’s an emotional moment. With everyone in place, the music slowly fades down, and Mikel announces, “this is a true story,” which then leads into the familiar opening notes of Wishing Well. This has now become a set piece, giving their performance, from the very start, a kind of “rock opera” feel, magnified 1,000 times this evening by the magnificent Calder Quartet, who provides a gorgeous string accompaniment to the song. Just beautiful.
As in Boston the Saturday before, the crowd sang along to every song. Their debut album, 7-1/2 months after its U.S. release, has become the soundtrack to quite a few people’s lives. This feeling of connection between Airborne and their audience is what makes this band so special, and it builds on itself, creating that cathartic environment that TATE fans find themselves going to repeat performances to experience. In addition to the wonderful music, heartfelt lyrics and powerful delivery, it’s this feeling of connection and shared experience that makes their shows so meaningful for so many.
Mikel’s voice is continuing to improve from his laryngitis difficulties. I’m guessing that having several dates along the East Coast has made for a bit less travel between places and more time for him (and everyone else) to rest a bit. Echo Park got a little NYC-inspired lyric change – “I tried to make a brand new start with her that night in Central Park”, and they’ve given it a smoother, less abrupt ending. It sounded fantastic, as did the gorgeous Letter To Georgia, both of which get me very excited about their next album, if those two songs are any indication of what’s to come. Goodbye Horses is a wonderful first cover song, and has become a crowd favorite. I was also glad to hear them perform This Losing, as I really love that one.
Lush, sweeping versions of “Sometime Around Midnight” and “Innocence” (the achingly beautiful extended “Heaven” version) just envelop you, thanks to the beautiful string accompaniment provided by Anna’s viola, Noah’s bass, and the absolutely wonderful Calder Quartet. Anna and Noah’s string arrangements always add a touch of elegance to these songs, but with the Calder Quartet adding their magic to the proceedings, the musical maelstrom was breathtaking. Anna’s viola playing was especially lovely tonight. It must be pretty awesome for her to play alongside her brother (he’s the second violinist in the Quartet).
Does This Mean You’re Moving On? was introduced by Mikel as “a New York song”… quite moving to hear everyone singing along to this one, especially. And Missy… raucous as always, with the Henry Clay and Alberta Cross guys – plus the Calder Quartet and a few audience members, up on stage.
From my first live experience of TATE at that crazy ‘FNX pajama party show at Jose McIntyre’s in Boston on July 30 of last year, to my 7th time seeing them, here at the Bowery Ballroom, in those 8+ months of constant touring, their live show has gone through amazing development. It has matured into this dramatic, flowing performance with a quality you don’t usually see except for a small handful of bands that have been together for many years. There’s a tightness of their sound, a way they play off each other, and a familiarity they have with each other’s styles of playing, to the point where it seems they’re of one mind.
Some may miss the casual barroom scrappiness of their earlier club gigs, but if TATE are to move to the next level (and I’m pretty sure we all want them to), they need to expand their music and personality to fill much larger venues and connect with vast audiences the same way they have connected with each person in every club and theatre they’ve played in up until now. They need to be more than an amazing, kick-ass, bursting-at-the-seams bar band. And with this first headlining tour, they’ve been building on their sound and stage performance, expanding and stretching it out for ever-increasing audiences. If the rumors now circulating are true, we will soon see the magnificence I witnessed in these recent shows translated to a very large stage and a sea of people, many of whom will be seeing them for the first time. Wicked exciting times.
Wishing Well
Papillon
Gasoline
Happiness Is Overrated
Echo Park
Letter To Georgia
This Losing
Goodbye Horses
This Is Nowhere
Sometime Around Midnight
Innocence
(encore)
Does This Mean You’re Moving On?
Missy
[Please forgive me if the set list order isn't quite right. Something happened midway through the show; not sure what. Well yes, of course I know what - I was swept away to some magical place far away, and came back to my little crib sheet where I number the songs, only to find I had two number 6's, an 8 and a 9, and nothing after that.]
No, not an outtake from Fellini's "La Dolce Vita", but rather the final notes of "Missy"
This wonderful evening was capped off by an after party at Santos Party House, where the bands and their friends kicked back, celebrated, and danced their asses off. Steven, Mikel, Noah, Daren & Anna took turns playing DJ, with inspired choices such as Mikel faves Bowie, The Cure, Brian Eno and Iggy Pop; to MGMT and MIA; to the Clash and James Brown’s classic “Sex Machine”; to Prince and of all things, “Popcorn”, which I haven’t heard since… never mind. Crazy fun.
I’m not sure if it was because it’s been such a long, cold, snowy and icy winter; or because things have been rather stressful for me lately and I desperately needed to tear loose; or because The Airborne Toxic Event are the best band in the world… but in my not-so-objective opinion, Saturday night’s show at the Paradise Rock Club was transcendental. Bands have good nights and not-so-good nights, TATE being no exception I’m sure, but ultimately, I think, it’s up to the audience whether or not a particular performance reaches the level of religious experience. And this audience was off the charts. On only a few occasions during my concert-going lifetime has the vibe of a place been so high that it’s given me chills, and this was one of those times.
But before the actual show was the “special acoustic performance.” Originally scheduled for earlier in the afternoon at the Hard Rock Cafe, it was moved to 6:30 p.m. at the Paradise, and turned out to be more of a extended soundcheck, which was just as cool, and in many ways, cooler.
I arrived about an hour before to check things out, and met some new friends – mother and son, and huge Airborne fans (big “shout out” to Sharon and Ethan!). They had driven down from New Hampshire for the show (as did a lot of folks there). Ethan, in fact, was the winner of the Sandbox Spelling Bee mentioned in my ‘FNX contest saga. And speaking of which, as a rather fitting postscript to that contest madness, I almost didn’t get in, as they didn’t have my name on the list! Fortunately, 1) they changed the time and place for the show, 2) ‘FNX called my cell phone to tell me of this change, 3) I didn’t have my phone with me, so they left a message, and 4) I did have my phone with me at the show. So yes, I held up the phone to the guy’s ear, and was let in.
But bizareness turned into bliss when the 70 or so of us walked into the empty Paradise to TATE on stage, casually doing their soundcheck. It was pretty funny; people sort of stood around in a reverant semi-circle, not believing their good fortune. Absolutely awesome. When I walked in, they were in the midst of “Goodbye Horses” – that beautiful cover of the Q. Lazzarus song.
They went on to play Gasoline, Happiness Is Overrated, Wishing Well, Sometime Around Midnight, Does This Mean You’re Moving On? (with ‘FNX’s Fletcher on guest vocals, and he was pretty good!), and Missy – with the band working out sound issues, having fun and messing around, and Mikel chatting to the small, enraptured audience between songs.
So great to see them like this, to get a feel of what it’s like for them to work out songs and stage sound, etc. You really get a taste of their camaraderie and how much they love what they’re doing (which, come to think of it, isn’t all that different from an actual show). It was a lovely time, and kudos to WFNX and the band (and their management) for setting this up.
check out the sign behind Anna - you just can't plan for shots like this (someone better tell her)
The show that evening was incredibly special. When the previous two shows, Ottawa and Montreal, were cancelled due to Mikel’s laryngitis recovery (and a 102 degree fever in Toronto), I wasn’t even sure it would happen. But Boston is a special place, not just because Anna hails from here (and I’m sure her family and friends were in attendance), but because of the support WFNX has given the band, from the very start. I wasn’t aware they had been playing them for that long, but Mikel mentioned something about them giving the band airplay as early as 2006 [did I hear this correctly? Were they really playing the early mp3s?].
The Henry Clay People - spare no expense for the effect boxes holding case. Simple, functional, done.
The Henry Clay People came on first, and man, were they great! L.A. blogger Classical Geek Theatre joined them for some midwest dates, and listed some shows that the band felt were their strongest – I’m betting that Boston gets added to that list. A successful performance depends upon audience participation, especially with a band like Henry Clay, given their fun onstage antics and engaging ways – and the audience last night was definitely up for it. I think their straightahead yet playful classic rock with a quirky indie tinge is a perfect fit for a raucous Boston (and New Hampshire) audience. Something just jelled, and it jelled in a major way. And this is with most people, I’m sure, completely unfamiliar with their music.
Brothers Joey and Andy Siera messed around on stage, with Mike Hopkins and Jonathan Price on drums and bass; sloppy loose fun with a really tight sound. I’m still getting familiar with their music, so if there’s any big HCP fans who were there, please let me know the exact set list.
From previous shows, I’m guessing it included “I Was Half Asleep” and “Something In The Water,” from their new album “For Cheap Or For Free.” Definitely “Working Part Time,” from the same album, with Steven joining them on guitar (fantastic!), and Joey venturing out into the audience. Probably “End of an Empire” and “Digital Kid”.
And most definitely a seriously kick-ass version of the Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women” which the crowd loved and sang along to, joined by blistering guitar work from Steven and also Noah. Yes, that’s right, Noah on guitar and not bass, and I have pictures to prove it. So convincing was Noah, especially; I’m almost inclined to say he’s in the wrong band!
They left the stage to big cheers from the crowd, and I heard a few people around me say how they were going to pick up their CD, so I’m guessing they did pretty well with merchandise sales that night.
Alberta Cross (from Brooklyn, NY) were on next. They were less successful, I thought, which is strange because I really like their CD (”The Thief & The Heartbreaker”). One major reason for this is they were just too damn loud. I’ve complained about this before, and especially when you’re a band playing for a new audience, this sort of thing is really important. The other two bands’ sound was perfect, so I can only guess that Alberta Cross just wanted it that way. I mean, they are excellent musicians, the lead singer has a distinctive, unique voice, and as I said, I enjoyed what I heard of their music beforehand, but this sounded very different. I think others must have felt the same way, because you could feel the energy level drop considerably. Some of this may have been due to HCP putting everyone in a rollicking party mood, and then Alberta Cross being more of a psychedelic, bluesy, jamming kind of band… but still, guys, just a tad lower next time (the Paradise isn’t a huge place), so the nuances of your music come through and we can distinctly hear the vocals.
Lead singer & guitarist of Alberta Cross, Petter Ericson Stakee
But then TATE was up next. As Daren made last minute adjustments to his drumset and Blake (their driver/guitar tech, who made his video debut during their “30 shows in 30 days” tour diary) set up some wiring, excitement rapidly built again. I caught a glimpse (and a photo) of their setlist and the key changes, and was really excited to hear those new songs.
Mikel’s apparently feeling better, and his voice seems stronger than what I heard in some of the videos of other shows. In fact, and I think it was for “Sometime Around Midnight,” he sang a few upper register lines that he hadn’t been able to do in the last few shows. But he’s still not 100%, and he’s still singing lower for many of the songs, with the others (and the audience) singing backing vocals. Which, I have to say after experiencing this live, actually gives the show an even closer, more intimate feel. I don’t know if other people feel this way, and obviously we would have preferred that Mikel not get laryngitis (most of all, him!), but the result has created an interesting dynamic. A shared experience, perhaps? At this point, the entire audience knows the lyrics to all the songs, everyone is there to see them now, and the sing-a-long in Boston Saturday night was breathtaking. I also want to say how astonishing it is to me what they have been able to do on this tour, with the daily assessment of Mikel’s voice and constant key changes in the songs to accomodate and allow for his slowly improving condition. As an amateur guitarist (very amateur), I can’t imagine the level of musicianship that is required to meet a challenge such as this one. Amazing job, guys.
The lights go down, the audience cheers, the band comes on in darkness from the back of the stage…
Wishing Well. Starting with a wall of beautiful sound with Mikel on keyboards, before sliding into those familiar beginning notes. It occurs to me how ideal this song is to begin their show. The first chapter of the story, “standing on a bus stop feeling your head pop out, in the night on the kind of night…”, and also being the first song Mikel ever wrote. Perfect.
Papillon. What can I say about Papillon? An old friend. After buying those first four songs off iTunes early last year, transferring them to my cell phone, and that was the soundtrack of my commute to and from my job in Boston from the North Shore. Shouting out lines to the seagulls along the waterfront; punching my fist in the air at the Aquarium station, waiting for the train. Startling T passengers on more than one occasion, I’m sure, when I forgot where I was, immersed in the music, and belting out “Oh yeah, I’ve been just fine!”
Gasoline. Wonderful musical buildup, and as performed live, this has become a crowd favorite, enthusiastically sung along to. With the great “boys vs. girls” guitar and viola interplay between Steven and Anna, the two joining together with Daren and Noah mixing in, to build to those frenzied last verses.. “I was only twenty-one, I wasn’t having any fun..”
Happiness Is Overrated. This one has given Mikel the most trouble, with the “laryngitis-inspired key changes” (and is the one song of theirs I’ve had trouble with trying to teach myself on guitar). But being the consummate professionals they are, they’ve managed to turn this liability into a strength, and on this tour, Mikel’s turned his struggle into an audience participation moment, which really delighted the crowd. After starting to sing in the wrong key, Steven strummed the chord again, and Mikel asked the audience for the correct note. We failed miserably the first time, to much merriment and laughter, but did better on the second attempt, after which he found the correct pitch and the song proceeded beautifully.
It’s probably no accident that these first four songs are exactly how the album begins. For those people seeing them for the first time after listening to CD on eternal repeat, this must be like their musical oddysey come to life in a wonderful, magical way.
Echo Park. From the moment I first saw this performed at the L.A. show (via YouTube), I loved this new song, and it’s quite a departure in sound and style to anything on their debut album. My friend Victor and I were laughing about this, with respect to the list of bands TATE have been compared to in the press (my current count just topped 50; I’ll need to do a blog update) – he reckons we can now add Frankie Valli to that list (I think I said Beach Boys, we’ll add that one too). Also I believe it’s their only other song, apart from The Winning Side, with a chorus – ?
Girls In Their Summer Dresses. A new song for most people, this is actually one of their earliest ones, no doubt played in the L.A. clubs, and making its appearance on the first version of their EP that they sold at shows prior to the album release. A lovely little story about a married man’s wandering eye and his wife’s chagrin, based on the Irwin Shaw short story.
Letter To Georgia. Achingly beautiful, this instantly becomes one of my all-time favorite songs of theirs. A gut-wrenching, heartfelt delivery from Mikel with a lovely quiet simplicity to the music that carries the lyrics perfectly. Also very different from anything else I’ve heard of theirs, and hopefully on the next album. Special request to Mikel, if he’s reading this: lyrics for the new songs online somewhere, please? Especially this one.
Goodbye Horses. Wonderful cover of the Q. Lazzarus song, probably best-known to people for its appeararance in The Silence of the Lambs. I wasn’t so familiar with it (heard it first at the Knott’s Berry Farm show, when they played it during their soundcheck), but it’s quite nice and got big applause in Boston. Well, everything did of course! But this is one that people are not going to be too familiar with.
Sometime Around Midnight. On one of the YouTube videos (can’t recall now – Columbus?) the guy filming says, “hey, I know this song…” It must have been this one where Mikel sang a few of the higher octave lines as he usually does, and I thought, “oh man, he’s getting better, thank god!” A shivery, tearful moment, to suddenly be enveloped in the sound and feel of hundreds of people singing along. Soon it will be thousands. Yeah, I know, we won’t discuss that now. But just think how totally cool that will be…
Innocence – the “Heaven” version. Achingly beautiful, with gorgeous string accompaniment from Anna and Noah. What a joy to hear this performed live, after seeing that beautiful acoustic video, and the few times the Calder Quartet have performed with them in Los Angeles. And with those awesome percussive blasts from Daren, launching into absolute frenzy, with of course, yet another audience sing-a-long. They leave the stage to not cheering, but roaring. More like the sound of 6,000 than 600.
Does This Mean You’re Moving On? First song of the encore, with tambourines sprinkled out to the crowd. No Fletcher on vocals this time, but a major audience sing-and-play-along. Sadly no crowd surfing as per Paradise house rules, but let’s just say crowd walking from Anna, going in on one side and magically emerging from the other. Lots of bouncing around like monkeys on this one. I dare you not to.
Missy. Final song of the evening, and they must have realized that to invite “anyone who wanted to come up” would mean all 650 of that sold out, frenzied, ecstatic room would be up on stage in a heartbeat. So instead, Anna selected random people from the audience, which seemed to work out well, and no one accidentally unplugged anything or whacked Mikel in the eye.
An evening shared with The Airborne Toxic Event and hundreds of their adoring fans? Priceless.
I first saw this great photo of The Airborne Toxic Event and thought “this wants for a caption.” And now I have one: “The Airborne Toxic Event Signs with Island Records.” Fantastic news for frustrated overseas fans listening to tracks on their MySpace page, unable to purchase their debut album, and wistfully wondering when if ever they’ll have a chance to see a live performance. Worrying news for fans in the U.S. and the UK who have been fortunate to be able to see the band “up close and personal” at small, intimate venues. And thedebate (yeah, another one) is on. The TATE fans I wonder about are those lucky few who regularly hung out with them at the Echo or Spaceland, and what they might be thinking about now. Hopefully most share the views of L.A. blogger Rocket / Rock It, who says “I’m being positive about this because I really want them to succeed, and I need to face that success doesn’t mean playing at Spaceland for locals forever (even if that is exactly what I want out of all my favorite LA bands, selfish me).”
But all is not bleak for those of us who live for cool indie bands in tiny hot, sweaty clubs. This is an exciting time in the music biz, where the old rules no longer apply and the ways for bands to connect with their audience are shifting and changing. MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube have forever changed the way music is promoted and marketed, and have ensured that musicians can never stray too far from their listeners. A band’s growing success will always necessitate larger performance venues, but I believe there will now be an attempt to balance this with more intimate appearances every now and then to maintain that important connection, and fans will forever be part of promotion and marketing efforts, rather than merely its target. A direct result of the now firmly established “Web 2.0 World” and music fans’ expectations of an interactive experience.
There are many indications of this “new business model,” with the lumbering major labels coming to the slow, painful realization that they better jump on board before this speeding train passes them by. This will include, I hope, a better relationship with the music bloggers, and a more realistic approach to dealing with posted MP3s and videos.
Online opportunities will inevitably be accompanied by potential pitfalls and the need for creative thinking and new ways of doing things. Nowhere is this more evident than in the live performance ticketing business. Ticketmaster/LiveNation and their ridiculous fees that are on occasion more than the actual ticket price. Exorbitant prices for big name artists that no one but their well-heeled fans could ever hope to afford. Presales designed to give dedicated fans at least some chance in hell of scoring reasonably-priced tickets, and then those presale codes turning up on eBay and countless other websites. What a mess.
But there are signs of hope, as I directly experienced in my quest for Leonard Cohen tickets Thursday morning. The presale was handled at the artist’s fan message board, presale codes were posted at exactly the time of the sale (effectively squashing eBay entrepreneurs), you could only purchase two tickets at a time, and the person purchasing the tickets has to be one of the two people attending (they must be picked up in person with a photo ID). Yes, it’s probably easier to stroll into CIA headquarters, but today’s reality necessitates this, and for me at least, the process worked remarkably well. But those Leonard Cohen tickets, even the cheapest ones, were still pretty pricey, and I’m sure that for a lot of his fans in these challenging economic times, seeing him in person will simply be out of the question.
U2, who officially announce their Worldwide tour on March 9th, take their fans very seriously, and have been trying out new ideas for the fair distribution of tickets to their coveted appearances. They’re also combining the need to promote and generate a buzz with giving the public a chance to see them in more intimate surroundings – all of which is to be applauded, and will hopefully be the model of the future for all touring bands. Next week are three “secret shows” in smaller venues (the Boston one is at the Somerville Theatre, one of the absolutely best places for live music here – shhh!). This is obviously great for publicity (Boston radio stations are talking about little else this week), and even greater for fans.
And there’s a new ticket pricing structure as well. According to Billboard, the floor seats closest to the stage will actually be the cheapest (a real steal these days, at $30 each). Also, I guess in the past they’ve done this “random upgrade program” for selected fans who purchased General Admission tickets, and have given them seats near the stage. It’s a delicate balance which I imagine takes a herculean effort, to work within the huge corporate structure of the music business as one of the biggest and most successful rock bands in the world, and at the same time try not to lose your connection and credibility with your fans. And oh yeah, they put on a really great show, too. Wonder who their support act will be?
The show last night was absolutely amazing. Got there an hour early to make sure we were close to the stage, and stood outside for over an hour until 20 minutes after the doors were supposed to be open before anyone else showed up and they finally opened the doors.
The Henry Clay People put on a great show and i really enjoyed their sound. They reminded me a bit of The 88, but maybe a bit less bouncy. I loved the briefcases they used as pedal boards, and halfway through the set they begged anyone in the audience to let them stay at their house, as they hadn’t had to pay for a hotel room since leaving LA in January. Their set was very short though, only about 40 minutes.
After them it was Alberta Cross, who were a stark contrast to The Henry Clay People. Their equipment was very professional and expensive looking. The lead singer was playing a beautiful Gretsch with gold hardware. They were very good, with a harder sound infused with blues. They played a couple of slow songs that i didn’t particularly enjoy though.
Then the sound man came out to post the setlists and we immediately got a picture of one to see what songs they would be playing. Four new songs!!!! We also commented on the notes beside each song that made things easier on Mikel’s voice.
They opened with the first four songs of the album, in order, then played four new songs starting with Echo Park, which is absolutely amazing! Then they followed with Girls in their Summer Dresses, which is very good. After they played two new songs i hadn’t heard of, Letter to Georgia and “Horses” which may be a shortened title. They had a great sound, but it was also a step forward from the material on the album. If these are the sounds of the new album, then i am very excited for them to release it. Then they finished with “Nowhere”, Sometime around midnight, and Innocence, which they played the extended version of, which was a real treat to hear live. Then they stormed off the stage too quickly to make us believe it was over, even though they had no encore marked on the setlist.
After five minutes of tuning the guitars, Daren and Mikel came back on stage, followed by Steven and Anna. Noah was the last one back on, and delivered a heartfelt dedication of the set and the entire night to his lost loved one. They then proceeded to bring the house down with an electric rendition of “Moving On” which started with Mikel and Anna standing on the stage barrier directly over top of us and ended with Anna jumping into the crowd and dancing with Drew!!!! After everyone was back on the stage safe and sound, they played the intro to “Missy” as Noah pulled all of his young cousins out of the audience and onto the stage to take part in the festivities. Then they played an extended version of the song, which included solos from everyone, introduction of all Noah’s cousins and Anna jumping on top of the speakers at the back of the stage, almost 10 feet off the ground!!! It was an amazing performance to say the least.
We got signatures from everyone but Mikel, (who stayed backstage to rest up) talked with everyone, got pictures with Anna and Steven, a drumstick from Daren and a guitar pick from Steven, along with TWO setlists. Noah talked with us for a few minutes, told us where he got those white shoes from (eBay) and told us he couldn’t wait to see us again in New York. It was a crazy, tiring, insane night to say the very least. So i hope that gives you some idea of what the new tour is like. They even have tour shirts now, we picked up a couple, and issued the album on vinyl, purchased by yours truly and signed by everyone but Mikel. Hope you are doing well, hope this gets you even more excited for your shows…
[Didn't think I *could* get any more excited, but um... yes. A few quick notes on the new songs - "Echo Park" is indeed new, first performed (I think?) at the L.A. show back on February 12. "Letter to Georgia", also new (or at least, new to audiences)... I believe its first appearance may have been in Cardiff on February 1 (can anyone confirm?). Horses is "Goodbye Horses", a cover of a song by Q. Lazzarus. And “Girls in their Summer Dresses” (based on a short story by Irwin Shaw) was actually on the first version of their 3-song EP (pre-album release, sold at shows).
For some truly lovely videos of Echo Park and Letter to Georgia, see below. Many thanks to okeastron2008 and RightAsRayne for these wonderful recordings. And a *huge* thank you to Matt for the awesome review!!
