The final show of my ’seven shows in eleven days’ odyssey, and what a marvelous evening it was! Silversun Pickups is one band I’ve been enjoying for a little while now and never had the opportunity to see live. Cage The Elephant were a surprising and delightful wallop over the head at last summer’s WBRU Block Party in Providence, so I knew I had to see them again, if at all possible. An Horse I had vaguely heard about, so the three of them together was definitely worth the drive down to Hartford.
Winner, Best Venue - Northern Lights, in a strip mall in Clifton Park, between a dollar store and a church (yes, that's right, a church in a strip mall).
I liked everything about this place, including their no-frills, kitschy sign.
I had a feeling this would be a very special show, since 1) it’s the first time they played in upstate New York; 2) Northern Lights is a very low-key venue up past Albany; and 3) The Parson Red Heads happened to be playing some NYC shows and were added to the bill. I knew this was one not to be missed. (more…)
It’s October 16. I wake up for work and notice it is snowing. Not knowing how to react, I can only think of one possible thing… I am going to see The Airborne Toxic Event for the second time in a week tonight! I go to work, which couldn’t have gone any slower. Noon finally hits and I leave work.
I’ve recently returned from my ‘7 shows in 11 days’ East Coast Tour, and I have a new appreciation for what rock bands go through to travel around and play for people. As I sort through several hundred photos and 20+ videos, I wanted to say just a few words, for now, about this magnificent evening in Clifton Park, NY. The Airborne Toxic Event, The Henry Clay People, Red Cortez, and Parson Red Heads brought Silverlake to upstate New York in what I can only describe as “Spaceland at Northern Lights”. A beautiful evening that felt as intimate as hanging out in a rehearsal space or someone’s living room. Many thoughts, many emotions… about how far Airborne has come in the 3+ years they’ve been together. How maybe you gain a bigger audience but you lose something as well along the way, and how it’s really nice to just have fun and play with your friends again, in an ‘out of the way’ place where the stakes aren’t so high and you can relax and enjoy yourself. But I’ll save all that for later. For now, a sampling of ’sound and vision’ from this special evening. (more…)
The Airborne Toxic Event, The Henry Clay People, and Red Cortez at The Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA, October 10, 2009
In an interview at the Reading/Leeds Festival, Mikel joked about performing on Mars (as in, one of the few places they haven’t been yet). With how I felt by the end of this epic evening, though it wasn’t Mars, it may have been a nearby galaxy. (more…)
Ok, so technically this isn’t a show preview, because they’re not coming to Boston, and the closest they’ll be is a 2+ hour drive away near Albany (I’ll let you know what it ends up being). But I thought I would mention The Parson Red Heads and their East Coast visit, as they’re a great band I’ve been enjoying for a little while now. They have a lovely psychedelic and folky, upbeat sound with delightful harmonies, reminiscent of bands such as The Byrds, Big Star, CSN&Y, The Kinks, Fairport Convention, and Wilco. (more…)
An Horse, photo by Nadia Mizner; Cage The Elephant, photo by Danny Clinch; Silversun Pickups, photo by Timothy Norris
Looks like the “Boston date” for this really excellent lineup is either Providence, Rhode Island (about an hour’s drive) or Hartford, Connecticut (about 2, but an easy drive via Mass Pike and I-84). Being how jam-packed this autumn is with bands coming through the area, I’m guessing it was a scheduling difficulty rather than an oversight that led to this sad state of affairs. If you can somehow make it, or find yourself in a place they’re performing (see entire schedule), it should be a fantastic show. (more…)
After the Hartford madness (which actually turned out perfectly, considering) and the all-day (and night) outdoor bash at City Hall Plaza in Boston, I woke up Sunday feeling quite crispy. And this is without any alcohol consumption, mind you. As I tried to organize myself for the hour+ drive down to Providence, I felt a new understanding and appreciation of the daily mechanics of this constant touring schedule, and admiration of Airborne’s, well… stamina.
As I’ve done pretty exhaustive (and exhausting) reports of Hartford and Boston, I’ll try something a bit different for this last one, and will just touch on the salient points of the show. Or at least try to.
The Venue and The Occasion.WBRU Summer Concert Series/McFadden’s Block Party, downtown Providence. Tom Morello, Metric, Cage The Elephant, and The Airborne Toxic Event. It was something of a challenge trying to negotiate the city’s one-way streets (and I pulled some traffic moves one should never try at home), but once I was there, it was a perfectly relaxed, low-key affair with a wonderful audience… and amazingly, no rain!
Tom Morello – Wow. Major revelation, as I wasn’t very familiar with his bands, Audioslave and Rage Against The Machine (I know, I know). Suffice it to say, he completely blew me away. Powerful, political, great acoustic guitar and wonderful voice (really wonderful), and an absolutely commanding presence. He mentioned being at the Newport Folk Festival, and I think now that must have really been something. Someone like that can jolt people out of complacency and bring confrontation and directness back to folk music where it rightfully belongs.
I have in my notes “fucking AMAZING” (with a box drawn around it), and that pretty much sums up my reaction to him. He began his set with “One Man Revolution”, which I know I’ve heard before but I can’t recall where. Incredible. He played a mix of his own solo “Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman” material, plus a few tracks from Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave as well, I believe – much to the delight of some obviously hardcore fans of his up front who were really keyed-up to see him in such a “venue” (a block party in a downtown Providence parking lot; maybe 2,000 people at most). He also performed “Whatever It Takes”, “House Gone Up In Flames”, and this hilarious rap about a protest by Rage Against The Machine at one year’s Lollapalooza festival.
He closed his set with an audience sing-a-long to an amazing cover of the Woody Guthrie classic “This Land Is Your Land” (complete with two rarely-heard verses). His two upcoming shows are at the Epicenter Music Festival in Pomona CA, August 22, and Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco, August 29. His latest release is The Fabled City (2008).
Metric (acoustic). I had the great pleasure of seeing the duo of Emily Haines and James Shaw perform Metric songs acoustically at the Best Music Poll show in Boston the day before (drummer Joules Scott Key just had a baby daughter). They were once again marvelous, and as it was a smaller audience, the quiet acoustic songs seemed to go over much better.
They have shows coming up in Milwaukee, WI (The Rave/Eagles Club on August 18), Hasslet, Belgium (Pukkelpop Festival, August 21), Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands (August 23), Picture House in Edinburgh, Scotland (August 25), Leeds Festival (August 28) and Reading Festival (August 29). If you purchase their new album, Fantasies, from the ilovemetric.com store, it includes two exclusive acoustic bonus tracks (”Gimme Sympathy” and their wonderful cover of Pink Floyd’s “Nobody Home”).
Cage The Elephant – Crazy punk rock shit! Seriously, not a weak band on this bill, and these guys were out of control and fantastic. Quite a pendulum swing, now that I think of it, from the forceful, literary protest music of Tom Morello, to the sweet sounds of acoustic Metric, and then these guys… good heavens. I was only familiar with their radio hit, “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked”, which, while it’s a great tune, isn’t really indicative of their unleashed, unhinged punk sound. I mean hell, it’s a bluegrass number, complete with dobro! And it sounded amazing in that Providence parking lot, as did their out-of-control stuff. From Bowling Green Kentucky, there’s a Southern rock sound to them also, but hard-edged. Really fun, and perfectly suited to the partying crowd.
Uncaged Elephant
Lead singer Matt Shultz is riveting, whether he’s belting it out onstage, offstage in the arms of the audience, or perched on a speaker. He’s truly a force of nature – crazed, reeling, whirling and ricocheting around nonstop, and it’s amazing I was able to get any photos of him that are actually in focus. Great stuff.
Matt Schultz, vocals; Brad Shultz, guitar; Jared Champion, drums and percussion; Daniel Ticheor, bass and vocals; Lincoln Parish, lead guitar. Upcoming tour dates: lots of them. Schuba’s in Chicago on Aug 8, Lollapalooza on Aug. 9, Minneapolis, then Canada (Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver), Eugene Oregon… See their MySpace for full schedule. And check out their self-titled debut album.
Airborne: The Soundcheck. My guess is that they didn’t get one, or that things changed drastically during the afternoon. Because their guitar tech Justin was all over that stage, testing the guitars, adjusting microphones, etc. You could see how hard the guy works to get the sound as perfect as possible, despite what must be a ridiculously wide range of acoustical set-ups, from cavernous holes to, well, outdoor stages in parking lots. Just a word of appreciation after that lengthy sound check – which included checking Anna’s viola (that came last, and elicited one of the better crowd comments of the day – “Needs more rosin!”)
A Word about Wishing Well. I just wanted to say how much I love the introduction they’ve been doing for a while now – everyone in the band participating in the slow build up with Mikel on keyboards, slowly growing into a cacophony of sound with Mikel banging away maniacally in pure abandon, which then dissolves into the familiar opening. Absolutely gorgeous.
Goodbye Horses, written by William Garvey. I always thought this was a beautiful song, but recently learned of its true meaning (which is quite spiritual) due to the very sad passing of the man who wrote it, William Garvey. Mikel, being deeply affected by this news, as the song means a great deal to him and has become a staple of their set, wrote a beautiful eulogy.
All I Ever Wanted. Their most recent new song, and quite lovely. Apparently it’s based on a short story from a collection Mikel was reading during a rare break when they were in Germany back in April. Really looking forward to hearing this on their next album (and seeing the actual lyrics).
The Missy/Smiths Medley. Wonderful newish arrangement with snippets of two brilliant songs by The Smiths, “Ask” and “Panic”. Awesome.
“Shyness is nice and shyness can stop you
from doing all the things in life you’d like to
Shyness is nice and shyness can stop you
from doing all the things in life you’d like to.
So, if there’s something you’d like to try
If there’s something you’d like to try
Ask me, I won’t say ‘No’, how could I?”
Great audience reaction. This goes for the Hartford show as well, which was really powerful and exciting; everyone just adored them. And here too, in Providence. Hopefully this means more East Coast dates (in addition to Boston and NYC) on future tours!
All photos up on Flickr | Rest of video up on YouTube
My god, the difficulty in trying to write a review of a band that has meant so much to me in the past year! From first hearing about their residency at Spaceland in Silverlake in January 2008, to purchasing their EP off iTunes and listening repeatedly at work, at home, and in transit between the two. To that surreal “lingerie party” at Jose McIntyre’s, other shows and YouTube/internet madness that would follow.
I’m not terribly sophisticated in my music knowledge. On occasion I might recognize a riff that sounds like some other band or reminds me of someone’s sensibility or style. I’m impressed by virtuosic playing, but that’s certainly not required for me to enjoy a particular piece of music. I’m curious about equipment used, playing technique, etc., but not knowledgeable enough that I can rattle off types of guitars, drum set-ups and effects boxes. What I tend to focus on is the emotional response that music elicits – in myself and in the rest of the audience. Does it give me chills down my spine? Does it dredge up deeply submerged emotions? Do the lyrics jump out and grab me; do I get caught up in the story being told? These are the things that really make me stop and take notice.
In the case of The Airborne Toxic Event, this emotional response has been intense and at times overwhelming. From reading others’ reviews and comments, I realize I am far from alone. The vastness and diversity of the people they have touched is something, I think, quite unique to this band. Their music and Mikel’s extraordinary storytelling is at first glance quite dark, full of longing and regret. But there’s a stubborn defiance in the face of despair that says “yes, life truly sucks sometimes, but I’m not going to pretend to be happy, I’m going to immerse myself fully and stretch out like a cat in the gloom, explore every single dark crevice, then beat it senselessly into the ground and dance on its grave”. Considering this, and after seeing them seven times previously, it didn’t seem quite enough to merely “write a review”. Their music over the past year has tightly wound itself around events in my life like a slow but persistent vine. Their debut album and especially their live shows have been cathartic in releasing a great deal of stress from various personal and work issues. They’ve inspired me to get back into writing and were instrumental in my expanding on this blog, which before a year ago, I only wrote for intermittently. I’ve turned others onto them as well, including my parents, who have both become fans.
Yes, they’re just a rock ‘n’ roll band (albeit a really, really good one). Yes of course, the three shows I saw this past weekend – Hartford, Boston, and Providence – were awesome, their sound incredibly tight and the interplay between them seamless and stunning, from all the touring and how well they all know each other by now… Energetic, passionate, powerful, and ridiculously engaging, connecting with their audience like I’ve never seen before… but if you’re a fan reading this, you already know all that. Telling you what they played, what the venue and audience were like, what new songs turned up, unusual events that took place, and sharing my enormous truckload of photographs and video footage (and tales of newly discovered bands they played with), wouldn’t be enough. I needed a personal story.
Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), events leading up to my drive down to Hartford for their first show there gave me the story I was looking for.
My dad, whom I introduced to Airborne’s music a while back, is also a big fan. While not exactly the “hipster clubbing type” and far more likely to attend a string quartet performance, he decided he had to see them, so he bought himself a ticket and planned to go with me. It was decided that my 88 year old mom, who also loves the band, was far too frail and unpredictable to be trusted in a cavernous rock venue with screaming, emotional fans (she would no doubt rapidly become one of them). So the plan was that our adopted family member, Tina, would look after her at home while my dad and I rocked out. My mom, with her inimitable sense of timing, decided she would get sick enough that very morning to have to be brought to the hospital (she’s ok for now, stubbornly defiant woman that she is). After driving down to Hartford in a monsoon-like torrential downpour (gosh, how unusual an occurrence this year), I went straight to the hospital and then to the Webster Theatre. My dad followed later, arriving in perfect time for their set, standing up at the front barrier with me. The last (and only other) time he was at a rock concert was for a David Bowie show back in 1983, where he and my mom lasted for maybe 2 songs. This time though, he stayed nearly to the end.
Something about that crazy drive down, careening with blind trust down a rain and windswept Mass Pike; the hospital and uncertainty of my mom’s condition, mixed with a healthy dose of job uncertainty (being laid off and then hired back part time a few days earlier) and shall we just say pre-existing conditions, created that perfect storm, an emotional maelstrom like some weird incomprehensible late night movie with of course Airborne Tox providing the soundtrack.
I had never been to the Webster Theatre before. With all due respect to what I’m sure are the best possible intentions to bring live music and cool indie bands to the bowels of downtown Hartford, the place is a hole. It’s a skanky, cavernous (and that will clue you in to the sound quality…) gutted-out theatre in a dodgy part of town. And when I say “dodgy”, I don’t mean in a cool, hip way like Echo Park or Silverlake – I mean in a scary, gang shootings, dead rats, muggings in broad daylight sort of way. I suppose I’m glad they make everyone empty their pockets and fully frisk you before you go in. The no bottled water allowed inside is just a money-making exercise, because I know it irks them that I don’t drink alcohol; gotta make money off me somehow. Fine, I get that. The no moshing, no stage diving, no surfing policy (sorry Anna) – well, I guess that makes sense as well, since the venue apparently specializes in metal (gee, who would have guessed?). And the moat-like distance from the stage to the audience, separated by a tall barrier and rough looking security guards… I suppose that’s to prepare for that metal audience as well. No, what I find bizarre and annoying (and perhaps a bit comical) is that when you buy your $3 bottle of water, they don’t give you a bottle cap. It’s because (as I was told), you might use it as a projectile. Hang on. I’m going to use a bottle cap as a projectile? Why not the entire bottle? Or for that matter (and especially if some drunk shit starts talking during that really nice, quiet part of “Missy”), why not just my boot across their head? A bottle cap. When my dad arrived, he aptly pointed out that the only thing the place was missing was chicken wire across the stage.
But onto the point of the story… The Show. At first I was worried about the attendance, as there couldn’t have been more that 150 people for Brooklyn-based Bear Hands’ set, in what’s a 1250-capacity venue. Bear Hands… well, I liked them on MySpace, and I think they’re probably a decent band, but they were mixed so incredibly loud and the place is so boomy to begin with, I just couldn’t make out vocals and musical nuances as I’d like to. Two songs rose up out of the din, and I have scribbled pieces of lyrics, maybe correct, maybe not. “If you believe in the miracle… I believe we will never pass away”, and “He’s whistling a tune that his mother wrote… part of me has died several times.” (I think that latter one is “Can’t Stick ‘Em”). And I wrote down “2nd to last song interesting”, but not having a set list or knowing what they played, that’s not terribly helpful, is it?
It turned out my concerns about attendance were unnecessary, as the place instantly filled up just before Airborne came on, and the crowd was amazing. Enthusiastic, singing along to every song… fantastic. As for the band… well, what can I say? They just keep getting better and better, and I don’t know how that’s humanly possible. Their playing at this point in time is simply explosive, and they’re so familiar with each others’ styles, their interaction is like a flowing dance. Incredibly beautiful to watch and be swept up in. They performed everything except “Papillon” from the album, plus the lovely “Echo Park”, “This Losing” (a favorite of mine), “Goodbye Horses” (really great), and the truly wonderful most recent new song, “All I Ever Wanted”. As much as I love their debut album, these new songs that they are now “road testing” portend amazing things for their follow-up. Sadly, they seem to have at least temporarily dropped “A Letter To Georgia” from the set (or maybe they didn’t have quite enough time at these three recent shows; we’ll see), but that one as well… WOW.
A word of Anna Appreciation here. Classically trained and not even interested in rock music until she joined the band, she’s coming from a very different place than Mikel and Steven with their literary background, Noah with his jazz sensibility, and Daren with his punk rock beginnings. There’s this regal presence and seriousness about her that comes through when she’s playing her viola that adds a special classiness to the proceedings – something which makes Airborne unique and not just another “indie rock band”. And then, the moment passes, and she’s up on an amp or with a tambourine out in the crowd, and suddenly she’s this kinetic ball of punk energy. Amazing. Now to get her to stand still for a millisecond or two so I can get a decent photo…
Near the end, Mikel introduced their guitar tech, Justin (one hard-working guy, as would become evident at the Providence show), and brought him out on stage since it was his birthday. So we all sang “Happy Birthday” to him.
The encore, which has now become a joyous, communal homecoming experience, saw Mikel and Anna crossing the moat, and Mikel further foraying out into the loving, welcoming arms of the front rows. I suppose at this point, especially for us “frequent flyers”, the coda of “Does This Mean You’re Moving On” and “Missy” should be getting a bit old… but it never does. Daren comes out first and gets things going with a pulsating beat and it’s a mass tribal drumming and hand-clapping ritual. As soon as the others come back onstage and the opening riff of “Moving On” arrives like a familiar friend, the crowd erupts, and if the audience is really there, as they were in Hartford this night, it’s a soul-soaring, religious experience. “Missy” is as perfect an ending as it ever was (though I do find it brings a kind of wistful sadness along with it, as I will forever associate it with the end of this magical evening – or at least until the set changes!). But that part of the song that is one of my all-time favorites lyrically, makes the inevitable sadness (until next time) well worth it…
“I met her one night at the coffee shop,
her face so bright my heart just stopped.
Hello, my dear, I fear I’m not what I seem, I’m not what I seem.
I should have become a better man,
I should be more deserving than
the beggar, thief and courtesan I’ve been, oh that I’ve been.
But I swear, I lie, I curse all of my dreams…”
After the show, we were pushed outside by club security onto the street, as abrupt as a lover who jumps out of bed, throws on their clothes, and is out the door. But true to their nature, everyone (sans Daren and his broken foot, but more on that in my next installment) was out at the bus with a throng of fans, cuddling and enjoying the afterglow.
The next morning, I was back at the hospital with a portable DVD player to visit with my mom before high-tailing it back up to Boston for the Best Music Poll show. Even when I thought she’d be spending a quiet evening at home, I had compiled a DVD of early Airborne footage off YouTube, since she wouldn’t be able to see them in person. Watching her rapt expression Saturday morning as she viewed such gems as the Spaceland residency short film, ‘Moving On’ video, early interviews, and the Echoplex performance of “I Don’t Want To Be On TV” made my technological dance of laptop, converter box and cables worthwhile.
All photos up on Flickr | Rest of video up on YouTube
Well yes, I’m feeling rather nostalgic, because exactly one year ago today, in fact at the precise time I’m writing this, I was deliriously enthralled with this brand new band I was seeing for the very first time. The Airborne Toxic Event at WFNX’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Jose McIntyre’s in Boston. Stuffed into an upstairs room with maybe 100-150 revelers – scantily clad women in lingerie and stiletto heels; creepy guys in bathrobes and cowboy hats. At the time, I remember thinking how completely bizarre and unlikely a venue this was for such a band… Knowing now what I know of Airborne Tox, their sense of humor and irreverence, and their amazing journey this past year, I have to say nothing could have been more perfect and oddly apt.
I had been hoping for maybe a show on or around this date to commemorate this happy occasion, yet what I’m now on the cusp of is nothing short of extraordinary – my own personal Toxapalooza. Beginning with a show at Hartford, Connecticut’s Webster Theatre tomorrow night, then WFNX and The Boston Phoenix’s Best Music Poll show at City Hall Plaza (free, no less) on Saturday, finishing off with WBRU’s Block Party at McFadden’s in Providence, Rhode Island.
Though there’s some disturbing uncertainty in various aspects of my life right now, this is one thing I am absolutely sure of: it is going to be a truly wonderful weekend.
