So sometimes I go to shows because I get swept up in the hype. I’m not ashamed to admit it. If there is a show coming of an artist or performer that everyone is losing their shit over, by god I am going to that show. Maybe I will lose my own shit. I’m down with shit loss in the name of good music. Hey, also sometimes I go to shows to support causes I am down with (Redress or Moving Island) and in this case, this was a combo of both; everybody was pooing all over the place over Sharon Van Etten, so I grabbed tickets. Then I find out it’s for Hopscotch, so yeah I’m definitely down with pouring my money into anything related to that. I didn’t go into this show a Sharon Van Etten pro, I only listened to a few songs online and assumed it would be one of those instances where I would get into her once I saw her. Also Tender Fruit was opening and I love Christy Smith’s voice so much I was completely willing to pay the cover just for them.
And then what really happened was this: I had bought the tickets for myself and J9, (my married mommy bestie who never comes out on school nights and rarely stays out past 10, so you’ve not heard much about her.) But I wanted her to enjoy a show out and SVE was a Friday. At dinner, last moment-ish, she starts dropping “oh, I’m just so tired, it’s been a long week” hints, so I gave her the out. She took it, of course! I invited Roo along, but as he had a couchsurfer staying with, we had to ensure 3 tickets instead of just my two. When we got to the door, it was sold out. I passed my ticket off to Varani instead; who was down at Neptune’s earlier, while Roo and the couchsurfer barhopped a little. (Varani is a Minnesotan transplant and sometimes Neptune’s Dj of whose last name I have been known to sing to the tune of Dean Martin’s “Volare”.) We promised to find Roo later.
BUT! NEXT! A band I had never heard of, but as soon as they hit the stage, I felt myself hotstepping with joy! …Ava Luna! WORTH EVERY PENNY. This was one of those shows where during and after every song I find myself turning to everyone around me saying “Are you hearing this shit? IT’S AMAZING!” It’s like I have to validate my aural processes. Maybe I am delusional? But no, everyone around me is bobbing heads and shuffling around and gaping up at the stage with big dopey grins because none of us were expecting this much incredible this close to our faces! At one point Varani and I even did a shuffle jitterbug dance across the front of the stage at Abby, that’s how riled up Ava Luna got us!
coming for yooooou!
Ava Luna – what to say? The first thing I will say is whatever anyone tells you that you are going to see when you see them is not going to be good enough. And then when you go online and listen to songs and watch youtube videos, please know; NOT GOOD ENOUGH. It’s not until those three sassy girls are doowopping on the side of the stage, that one cute guy is flinging himself all over his keyboards and the lead singer is having david byrne-ish spasms all over the stage to some of the funkiest rock/soul/electro skiffle shit ever, then that is when you will understand what I am talking about here. This was FUN. F-U-N. I am mad at myself for wandering off and forgetting to hit the merch table because not only did I want the music, but I wanted like, tshirts and stickers and bff heart necklaces with everyone in the band, that’s how much they blew my mind.
jesus h tap dancing christ!
I am really hoping that since this show was a part of the Hopscotch team, they get invited back in September. I’m really bummed Roo didn’t get to see this happen. It was like a revival. I felt like I was at the Triple Rock Church and Rev Cleophus was asking me if I see the light. It was like, every good idea for every band ever all mooshed together into one band of extreme fun and good tunes. I really, really hope I get to see them again.
i don't care that this is blurry.
One day I will show my grandchildren and they'll be all like
OMG YOU MET THAT GUY.
And then you know what happened? After all that excitement and wildness, Sharon Van Etten couldn’t hold my interest. I watched 2 songs and then went to Landmark. I might regret it later when she is THE BEST THIGN EVER OMG BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ, but I don’t know, for now, I feel totally okay with the band that I did see. I think part of the problem with losing interest in SVE was that I wanted to share it with J9, and she wasn’t there. and also I had lost Varani in the crowd, as is pretty standard with us when we hit shows together, and I was standing around by myself and I was literally standing in between a guy I dated for a second and whose heart I may have broken and not 5 feet away on the other was a guy who killed me a little. It seemed no matter where I went, I was surrounded by awkward. Too bad I let real life interfere with show life, but it happens sometimes. I'm sure it was an excellent set and I'm sorry I couldn't hang. next time?
Oh well, I got to see Roo before I went home, anyway.
I Carpe Diem so hard sometimes I leave fire trails like a DeLorean. I find myself living life to the utmost expressively intense level at all times. Why? Why. See below for the ultimate digression. This review is almost a personal journal entry. If you want to see just the review of the show, skip below the line.
If I bring up Freud, everyone’s first instinct is to do the whole “Tell me about your mother… haw haw!” thing and assume everything the man had to say was about sex. Not entirely true. I’m not having the easiest time finding any sort of reference here, but I know what I’m talking about; he once said something about how our entire development is shaped by the intense first personal experience of either sex or death, and whichever one you experienced first, this is who you become. For most people it is sex; (spin the bottle, finding dad’s playboys, playing doctor.) For me, it was death. (Side note, I’m not all PBRs and rock shows, I get a little too introspective sometimes and this is a hellacious digression to get to a show review, but bear with me.) I didn’t have the most traumatic experiences, never saw anyone kill themselves or anything, but I have several experiences, one in particular that propelled me recklessly into what Freud called the “Death Drive” as opposed to his theory of the “Pleasure principle” (Miss Jackson if you’re nasty, right?). Rather than seek outlets of ‘pleasure’ (sex, for most people) I seek repetitive behaviors that perpetuate my intense denial of my own mortality (falling in love too soon, blowing my entire paycheck before rent’s due, etc…)
When I get into this deep of an expository level, trying to explain who I am, I feel even more narcissistic. And that’s the thing that people forget, not all narcissism is standing in the mirror saying “hey, I look hot”, it’s mostly being completely and utterly obsessed with your own existence and mortality. This is what the Death Drive does to me. I, stemming from sometime in my early childhood, manipulated myself into being completely unable to plan or envision my own existence any further than, say, oh 15(ish or so) minutes into the future. Sure, I make plans and I buy plane tickets and, but I never assume I will be alive to enjoy anything… SO. Long digression short: I live life full steam ahead because I am overly conscious of my own mortality at all times. AT ALL TIMES. It’s exhausting and extremely self destructive, but as I get older, I feel somehow proud of it, of me. I feel most comfortable in the extremes. I would rather feel EVERYTHING than nothing. I make poor decisions, but I also make extremely beautifully romantic decisions sometimes. I’ve kissed the wrong boys, but I’ve also blown off work to sit in the yard and watch the robins and write poetry before. I worry I’ll never find anyone to love, appreciate and enjoy this side of me, sometimes I could care less.
This all has a point… eventually. This intensity, this lack of foresight, has lead me into some precarious situations, but has also sent me blindly groping, blissfully, into the dark fantasy worlds of others. Maybe I shouldn’t say fantasies, (I’m sure that sounds pervy. But try and remember that fantasy does not always imply sexuality, k?) I am addicted to passion. I am addicted to other people’s extremes. If I see someone I always see break from the mundane and lose their minds with joy or grief or confusion or whatever, I totally get off on that. Sometimes it’s just a dream somebody has to do something out of the ordinary. For example: you want to try Ethiopian food for the first time, call me, I want to experience this with you. Your mom had a stroke, your favorite band is in town, or you found the cutest cross stitch pattern… Anything that is going to turn you into someone I haven’t seen before in you. Something that makes you sit up straight in your chair and talk too fast, tell me about that thing! Share it with me! This is my drug. I may not know anything about it (football?) or care anything about it (definitely football, or all sports really) – but if you can explain it to me passionately, I will love it for you. I could probably care less that your kid took a crap or your boss liked your spreadsheet, but if your eyes get big and you start throwing those hand gestures around, I’ll be enthralled. Because I love love. And I love passion. And I love people passionately committed to things they love, regardless of my involvement or understanding. (This all coincides with my obsessive thoughts and defense of the theory of “art for art’s sake” – if you say it is art and I can see you bleed it, I will respect and love it. And you.)
So abrupt change of subject, but it somehow in my mind all segues beautifully; In the mid to late 80’s/early 90’s when all my friends were listening to White Lion, Poison and Guns ‘n’ Roses, I was somehow oddly, deeply immersed in this RnB, hiphop world. I couldn’t care less about hair metal, sure there was a few pop songs I liked and I ain’t gonna lie, I loved my Paula Abdul cassingles, but I was all about some Public Enemy. I was listening to a lot of De La Soul, Queen Latifah and EPMD. This is very strange, considering I was a chubbo redhead quirkyalone who hid in the bushes during recess with my headphones and diary, writing screenplays (I promise you I did this kind of thing until high school. Wait. No, I still do this now. Except I’m not a redhead anymore. And I feel fat at the moment, but it might be water weight. But I mostly always feel fat because I am a woman.) It wasn’t long after I hit high school I fell in with the freaky flannel wearing, Chuck Taylor grunge scene kids and discovered Siouxsie and Morrissey and that was that. I was an “alternative music” nerd for a while, but then I realized I was being pretty much a douchey idiot, ignoring all these other types of music and remember very vividly making the decision to “like good music, no matter the genre” – and so I did.
Many years since my Fear of a Black Planet cassette has bit the dust, I find myself only very rarely connecting with and enjoying Hip Hop. It’s mostly the beats I am drawn to; the rhymes are secondary. (You may feel free to judge me on that.) I do not follow or know Hip Hop more than the average 30-something white girl. This is to say, I don’t know much. Yes, it’s true; I lost my shit when I finally got to see Public Enemy at Hopscotch last year:
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I hadn’t been to a hip hop show in a bajillion years. Wait, I lie… Snoop a couple times (does that even count?) and Outkast (again? Count? This is like white people safety rap.) I have been known to see many a show, in the same vein as described above, that I was not emotionally invested in but gleaned excitement from the persons dying to attend said show. For example: Reba Macintyre? Kiss? Black Sabbath? Sure. I’ll see anyone, but only if you’re REALLY into it. So there it is with Sims and Astronautalis. I didn’t have any driving need to see this show, but Roo did. So I followed.
A while back there was a Doomtree group show at the 506 that Roo and I attended. I knew practically nothing about any of the performers; I just knew Roo was psyched. So I went. It was pretty much amazing. Then Sims, one of the Doomtree Family members that we had seen that night, announced a show at King’s with Astronautalis, and Roo, once again, called it. So I followed him gladly, skipping after him like he was the pied piper, leading me to his passion!
If you were looking for WhiteBoy Rap, a la Eminem, you were in the wrong place. These guys are on some higher plane, a level where spoken word meets a good hard BPM. It almost seems coincidental at times there is music over the words, in all performers this evening, there was a depth beyond bitches and hos. Something more akin to dying to defend your dreams, taking chances on true love; existentially philosophical shit I can really get down with.
I really can’t tell you specifics… I know the first group, Mr. Invisible tore shit up. When Roo and I walked in; the dj, probably the nerdiest bespectacled gingery whiteboy I’d ever seen was playing such hard beats I almost tripped over myself trying to get up there faster. They had a fierce vibe, excellent sound and amazing toys. I completely enjoyed it.
Sims was next and instantly went right into the crowd to do his set. It was charming. It was magic. It was something I would do if I could do what he does. And the thing about this show was; no it wasn’t even close to selling out, but the people that were there REALLY WANTED TO BE THERE. And they knew every flipping word. And they were so happy Sims was in the crowd with them. The rhymes were stellar, the energy was out of control and the crowd was ecstatic. What more could you ask for?
I never heard of Astronautalis before this evening. He was somewhere between hip-hop, spoken word, total improv, orator, spokes model, rock star, performing monkey, something else that blew my mind. The people I spoke to said he was performing differently that the albums sound. That’s probably the best thing about having no preconceived notion or idea before walking in; it was all awe-inspiring to me.
Here is a quick aside about the Astronautalis Superfans that I asked Roo to help me remember:
“From the stage Astro told a story about how a few years ago before he was really known at all, he ended up playing a gig at some dive bar on Long Island. He didn't expect anyone to come because it was an off night in the middle of nowhere. When he got there, there were not many people there, but five guys had driven from somewhere in NC to see him play this show because it was the closest they could get to. They knew every lyric to every song and it was one of the most important moments in his life. He said he had told the story on stage at least 30 times since then, and last night was the first time since that he had seen them.” ---I love these guys, btw:
Oddly amazing truth in life: if the first time you ever hear a band or artist is when they are playing live, you will think they are the greatest thing in the universe. And then no album will ever be as good as the first time you heard them. Always. And you know why? It’s the superfans. It’s the people down front who wind up bruised and aching the next day from rocking out so hard. The ones who miss work the next day because they drove 3 hours out of town to see a 45 minute set. So after explaining my passion-obsession, do you see now why I seek out the Superfans? Why I always want to find them and document them and know what their favorite song is or why they came? I love their love.
Dear Superfans across the world: Keep going to shows, keep rocking out, keep supporting the artists you love and I will keep supporting you!
My incredibly talented, beautiful and courageous friends, I Was Totally Destroying It, have released the official music video for their (my favorite so far) song, "Fight/Flight" off of their new album Preludes (Out 4/12/11 on Greyday Records - available now for pre-order!) IWTDI is now on a whirlwind tour across the country promoting the new album - definitely check them out if you get the chance!
Is reviewing your own show a conflict of interest? Or just the pinnacle of egomania that one can possibly reach? I had considered passing it over completely, pretending it ever happened, assuming someone else would do the dirty work, (Roo told me the second we left the stage he already had his review mentally written). I am totally sure he won't be biased at all; I joke. He will be fair. I'll give you the stage-side view in a minute.
First up was Xray Eyeballs, a Brooklyn group fronted by the wildest little Asian dude i have seen on stage maybe ever. (I don't know if I've ever seen an Asian dude on stage, now that I think about it. and I am thinking about it hard. I am probably forgetting someone obvious and amazing. Someone leave a comment with another artist or band with an Asian lead that i have probably seen that will make me feel stupid for forgetting. Does the lead guy from Deftones count? He is only halfsies.) It was a Tuesday night at Slim's, none of us were really expecting a major crowd; there were mostly locals who would most likely be at Slim's anyway, and bands watching the other bands; this is where we came in. And I gotta tell you guys that came in late, you actually missed a hell of a show. I don't want to get hung up on looks or races or whatever, but this band was a total Benetton ad, I loved it! Adorable Pilipino front man, tall Slavic goddess bass player girl (dear god i love a girl bassist) and a gangsta ass Hispanic dude rocking a synth that i swear looked like he wandered in from Compton... I would have never picked out these people to be in the same band and if i did i would never have guessed the kind of music that came from them... it was fantastic! somewhere between early Sonic Youth, Screamo power pop, clean cut synth rock - all with the lead (OJ) going flipping WILD! This is my truest love; bands that play for the music, not for the size of the crowd. XRay Eyeballs could have been just having rehearsals, but we got to watch; they were having some serious fun and sounding incredible in the process. I later got to talk to them a bit (they were touring their way down to SXSW) and developed mini-crushes on every single person in the van. I wish them the very best of luck and I'll definitely be seeing you guys again!
John Brodeur; our headliner, although for some damn reason we went on last? I really still don't understand how this lineup happened. But John Brodeur is the main guy. When Jayseph told me who we were playing with, I of course went online and hit up sites and sounds; I liked what i heard, of course. Jay kept mentioning "he reminds me of Matthew Sweet" (which, by the way, is an awesome person to compare anyone to.) John is from New York, has a pretty solid rep and okay, man, he is totally cute. like, blush-inducing-anywhere-within-my-vicinity-cute. He took the stage alone, which was not surprising, but i wasn't expecting it really. and as a musician surrounded by bleeps and bloops and electronics, I was really super impressed with the myriad of pedals and toys surrounding his feet on stage. and then he began to play and i swooned. no fair to be that gorgeous and to have that voice and that level of talent! biggest mindblower of the night was the live sampling he did as the last song, something i have dreamed about a little. i may have should have talked to him about well, HOW THE EFF DID YOU DO THAT? but t this point, it was time to scramble and get going on final preps.
Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing: THE CLINK.
it went down like this: Jay's girlfriend runs in, fresh from Mardi Gras Party, throws big red (!!) beads around my neck and hands me a shot of something magical and alcohol-y. And hey here's something they never tell you; When you are in the band, they give you FREE BEER. After i found this out, i almost cried a little. I made Jay pinky swear with me that we would do this forever and get really famous so we never had to pay for beer again (isn't that the only reason anyone is in a band? I am kidding, btw. i think.) So I'm not going to say "hey we were so good and this is what we sounded like"... i don't know how to do that to myself. What I will say is that my god we had fun. SO MUCH FUN. and Whatever we actually sounded like to the crowd, I know that from where we stood, it was a blast. I could point out every time my computer glitched or i missed a cue or a note, but i later decided since it was really the first time we played out, no one knew what to expect anyway, so HA HA IT WAS PERFECT AND WE NEVER MESSED UP.
Roo has written me a letter:
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Karla,
So, in the hours since your first show as The Clinks I have taken some time to think about how to write this review. I cannot write it in the same way I would write a normal review because I will be biased in your favor no matter what if I am speaking to the deep, dark chasm of the interwebs. I refuse to be biased in any way, so I have to write you a personal letter in a constructive criticism vein to be posted, or not posted, on your blog as a review. You're incredibly important to me, and I am very proud of you for moving forward with this musical endeavor, but you need open and honest feedback so you can continue to grow and improve. What you choose to do with this is up to you.
Before I get too far into this I want to just make the basic statements: 1) I enjoyed the show very much, and 2) I am so very happy for you that you've found this outlet.
Let me start off by clarifying how I understand The Clinks so you know where I am coming from. It seems that Jay, who is extremely talented, has been in a several different bands, including The New Euphemisms. It seems that TNE never really played too many shows in a row with the same line-up. It seems that he is finally letting go of that and moving forward with something new with you, but that in the time being you two are playing several of their old songs while you build up your own set lists. For this reason it is natural that Jay would play the role of the front man at the show. They were mainly, after all, his songs.
Now, if I were to comment on the dynamic between you two I would have to say that the two of you need to work really hard on writing new materiel so that your stage presence is balanced much more than it was at this show. Jay basically dominated the entire set. Again, that was apt to a point due to the situation as I understand it, but it was almost too much. He has an AMAZING voice, is obviously a talented musician and has a breadth of musical knowledge verging on rock-dork-supreme. BUT he still came on really strong and the presentation was such that he was often "the show" and you were tucked off to the side. He seemed to myself and several other people in the audience (read: our friends) that you were not given an opportunity to shine. Of course he has more experience than you at performing and making music in general and he is intimately familiar with the set list you were playing. I understand why he was the focus of the night, but at one point in particular it seemed like that took over and he stopped playing for the enjoyment of the audience.
In between songs:
Jay: "Is the guitar too loud?"
Audience members: "Yes, it's too loud."
Jay: "Whatever, let's go..."
*music starts*
Now, the audience didn't stop enjoying themselves. I don't mean to imply that, but it was something akin to a DJ playing only obscure music despite the fact that people are standing around wanting to dance. There is a fine line between jamming out hard and being too cocky to listen to feedback your audience is giving you that could greatly improve your show. That being said, the sound at Slim's has always sucked and will always suck, so it may have been unavoidable.
Also, I really like Jay from what I know of him. He has a pretty stellar personality and I am glad he showcases that on stage. You two just need some balance and to watch your volume on certain instruments/mics.
My point in telling you this is to encourage you to make a strong effort to evolve into a band that plays songs you have written together or new songs you have written separately for The Clinks specifically. Do not allow this to be The New Euphemisms II. Make this new. Decide now that you will create a catalogue of songs you can perform together. Within a few weeks/months you should stop playing TNE material all together, otherwise there is no was to escape the imbalance.
Now, a few things about you. You were having fun. That showed BIG TIME! That is my favorite part of every band I enjoy live...that they are enjoying themselves. Just last night I was discussing with Jonny Tunnell and Sarah Fuller that the reason I love watching The Big Picture play is because they are having their own little party on stage and the joy they create as a band is infectious. Your happiness was that way. Of course I could sense your nerves, but I'm me and you're you and we can read one another pretty well.
To be honest, I was curious to hear you sing. It had been years since I heard you belt something out, and I didn't know what to expect. In reality, there are a lot of differences between now and back then and I didn't know what might have changed. Luckily for us all, you still have a beautiful voice. You'll want to work on your comfort with a microphone, but that's just something that takes a few attempts to really get down. At times you were too far away from the mic and it became difficult to hear you. Make sure you're within the right distance and at the right angle to be picked up properly. Also, your keyboard was way too loud. I know you knew this and that's why you decided to play it very minimally. That was really smart of you and improved the set dramatically, however I would have loved to hear you play more. Next time just be assertive and ask the sound guy to fix it. That's his job.
Have I mentioned you were really cute? I loved your look. It has little to do with the music, but I know it's important to you to present yourself well. You achieved that.
All in all I had a great time at your show. I loved your sound and where you're headed musically appeals to me a lot. Your beats were sick. Jay's musicality and technical ability on guitar is strong. I really think I enjoyed it separately from "watching my bestie play a show" and that makes me really excited to know what you'll come up with next.
I love you, and I hope this is helpful.
-Roo
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I really want to say thanks once again to all my friends for their support and for coming out. We are in a little transition at the moment (literally, jay is moving house and i am setting up the [electro] practice space in my house) and recording is imminent. stay tuned!
I have a vested interest in the band I am going to now review for you. When I first posted about the conversion of the blog to reviews, I promised you would see lots of Gray Young (noted) and These guys... I Was Totally Destroying It... My loves, my friends. I am so emotionally invested in the success of this band that I had to seek council to negotiate a level of personal asides I was or was not allowed to digress into. I have decided the best route is terse honesty. The people that know me IRL know what's up so I don't need to explain. Short answer: I love these guys.
Here is how i found the band... and I am suddenly realizing that although it was over a week ago that I saw their last show, I have subconsciously waited until today, St Patrick's Day, to write my review of it; coincidentally I saw them perform exactly one year ago in the incarnation that sealed the deal of my love for them... I Was Totally Destroying U2. J.Booker is probably one of the top 3 biggest U2 fans, besides myself that I've ever met. I'm not here to tell you about that show, but I have to squish about it a little. Seeing IWTDI do the U2 show is as close to the real thing (ha) as one could get if only for the reason that they have obsessively watched and studied enough live shows to throw in all those random ad-libs and asides from ancient shows that only the true fans know. The first time I saw them do it, (the night before the U2 show at Carter Finley in 2009) I almost went wild with kindred-ness. I had found my people! IWTDI are U2 fans, and that certainly helps in any attempt to "cover" a band, but what makes their interpretation is the professionalism. There are no mistakes. That is the secret of IWTDI in any incarnation; especially as their true selves... These guys are PRO-FESS-ION-ELLL.
I probably know way more about the history and mechanics of this band than any other band. I am not here to bio the band, but I do want to elaborate on the perfection of the structure... So sure, John and Rachel share the LV spot, but that's the thing - there is no standout superstar in IWTDI. they are all superstars, there is equality and balance. I don't know if it's because of the U2 connection I have with them, but just how i feel about The Boys, (there would be no U2 if any member of U2 were to leave the band,) But IWTDI would not be themselves without every single member of this band. It's a perfect balance, They work so well together that if one were to move the others fall into place. There is no IWTDI without Joe, Curtis, Rachel, John or James. I have watched this band pay dues after dues, playing shows to 12 and playing shows to thousands; and it's an added bonus for me to be sat here writing this as they are playing at SXSW right now. I'm beyond proud. Beyond any level of ecstatic than i could express at their success. I can't think of any group of people i respect artistically, professionally, musically and personally that deserve it more. I love these guys. Big love. Big, big love.
There is so much I could elaborate on my connection to these guys, but long-time readers will know how to find the stories so there is no need for redundancy. It's been a long year full of lots of incredible shows, some awkward shows, some secretly attended shows, but i was there. I was there for all of them. I will always support and love this band. So they come to my King's? Of course I'll be there... Of course!
Raleigh Redress is "an ecologically conscious and forward thinking fashion show that challenges designers to think about impact on the environment in the development of their concept. Redress aims to showcase eco-friendly designers with accessible and innovative collections that show “green” is in all aspects of life, including fashion." (from their site, obvs) I don't personally know any of the designers this year, but i totally support the cause. I'm no eco-hippy, but I'm all for this idea. I was only more than happy to donate to the event by attending a show i would have gone to see anyway! ha! I dragged Hillary and Shawn along and my dear God, we had a blast. 99% of the time the show i see is directly affected by the company I keep. Just so happened I was seeing a show I would have loved, regardless.
Wesley Wolfe: I didn't stick around too much for. I did like what i heard, but I was having an off ear-night, and the acoustics were rough on me. I didn't have enough drink in me to tolerate the really really loudness of it. and if you know me, to say "this band was too loud", you know they were LOUD.
Bright Young Things: This is a band I've seen a couple times now and I have a budding interest in. I don't want to be completely superficial, but ooooh lordy, the LV is beautiful. And the closer you get to the stage, the prettier he gets. But okay I promise, that's not the only draw, they are adorable! And by adorable i mean their music is totally adorable. I don't mean to get all girly, but almost every song is like running in a sun-blinded wheat field wearing a sundress chasing butterflies. Every song is like the most adorable "falling in love" quirky montage in a Ben Stiller Rom-com. Somebody soon is going to pick up on this and these guys are going to get big, quick. I'm calling it now. BYT = famous soon. very soon.
IWTDI = already famous. or am i biased? I am biased. and also i am right. This show featured songs from the new album that I wasn't too familiar with (YET) but executed perfectly. That is the thing people need to know about this band, the level of dedication, the sacrifices made, the jobs quit, the dues paid, the time and money invested. You don't get to the point where they have now finally reached without the work they've put into it; and i can promise you, there may not be a harder working band in the triangle that I know of. and I know a lot of local bands. They went on a little late this night, so the crowd thinned out but they didn't seem to mind and played their hearts out, as per usual. So the show was stellar, as per usual. My pride and love was off the charts, as per usual. I'm tempted to gush, but I will refrain. and I will tell you once again, I Was Totally Destroying It are going to be the next big thing out of this town. I'm so glad I get to one day say I knew them when. Love you, guys!!! xoxo
I am completely incapable of casualness. I cannot have casual friendships, casual dating, casual sex, casual interest in artistic distractions. I must have my entire heart invested or I have no reaction. So let it be with music. I must be moved. I must have at least one mystical moment with a song or artist or i cannot invest my heart or time. This is the most important thing you must understand about me; i have no gray areas.
When I think back on my most magical musical moments, the moments that I can absolutely without hesitation confirm that changed my life, I realize there are some pretty intense events on the list:
1) the first time I saw U2 live; march 7, 1992 in Hampton , Virginia... the moment i realized i was, in fact, in the same room with Bono, Edge, Adam and Larry. The Hallelujah chorus at the end of "Running to Stand Still." - probably the most religious moment of my entire life.
2) the first road trip i ever took to see a then barely moderately famous band. A coworker, my boyfriend at the time and I drove from Raleigh to Richmond, Virginia to see Soul Coughing in 1996.
3) The first time i heard Daft Punk's "Rollin' and Scratchin'."
4) Even though I had seen them what feels like one hundred times; one of the last times I saw Trans Am live at the old King's, right after Red Line was released. Phil broke a string on his guitar... Rather than pausing and stopping the song ("Play in the summer") Nate and Seb continued with drums and bass only for what seemed 5 or 10 minutes while Phil ran off stage to change the string. I fell into a trance like I was Lucy listening to Mr Tumnus playing the pan flute. Sometimes when i listen to that song now, I wonder if my whole life is a total Jacob's Ladder moment and I am somehow still standing in front of that speaker.
5) Finding myself lost in the frenzy of a Future Islands show at the Local 506 with my best friend. Although I had seen them before, there was some sort of magic at this show that caused me to mystically connect with the band. I remember walking out of that show feeling high.
Some of us are lucky; we figure out what makes us happiest and we get to do it whenever we want. You might really like washing dishes - lucky you! you get to do this every day! You might really be into snowboarding; too bad you can only do this once in a while, but you get to do it, hey! Me? I figured out the one thing that will never let me down, that will always make me happiest; standing probably too close to a gigantic speaker at a decently sized venue and seeing a band I respect and adore.
I had every intention of writing a really fun, quippy, quick review about this two night double feature show. Maybe I waited too long and thought about it too much, maybe this is a good thing, but here I am and I got way too deep about it. The more I think about these shows and how intensely good they were, the more I think that something trite and silly would do a disservice to the experience. And these two nights were some pretty heavy experiences.
I bought tickets for both nights as soon as they went on sale, I know what's up when Future Islands plays in the triangle. We are cuckoo for these guys around here; they always sell out. I took Friday off because I knew I was going to be getting wild on Thursday night. I was with Roo and James R, we ran into a thousand people we knew, of course. Thursday night was a different world from Friday. Here is my theory: Thursday was the hardcore locals. Friday had a bunch of kids driving in from out of town who probably don't know how to react to the wildness of a the Raleigh crowd. This is one of my major complaints about Cat's Cradle and other such Durham or Chapel Hill venues... there is such an unspoken code of conduct that keeps people tame in carrboro. There are so many bands I have seen at Cats cradle where the crowd barely bobs their heads and the same acts in Raleigh results in blood loss and frenzy. Is Raleigh Rowdy? yes. We are hoodlums and drunks and rude boys and by god we have no code of conduct. (this is why Hopscotch was such a success, I believe. Hopscotch in Durham or something would have never worked. Raleigh gets Rowdy... Raleigh don't care.)
Naps first. Look, I'm not even sure I've ever "reviewed" naps or if i have intentionally left them off; this goes back to my inability to have a casual relationship with a band; Naps I have simply tuned out. They have somehow managed to be on the bill almost every week for a show I'm going to see. It features members of other bands I wind up seeing a lot as well (Lonnie Walker and Annuals) so I am always confused when what starts coming out of the speakers is something that makes me instantly walk downstairs to Neps like a bored zombie. I don't hate Naps, I just literally have nothing to say about them. Does that suck? I feel bad saying it, but I really like Lonnie Walker and Annuals, I just don't get Naps and I really don't get why or how a band so low on the energy scale got put on this bill. The second night we didn't even bother going up until we knew for sure they were done. sigh.
Ed Shrader's Music Beat: now THAT'S what I'm talking about!!!! I ran into Sam earlier in the day Thursday and he raved and raved about these guys. He told me numerous times that he was so impressed by and drawn to their intensity. for Sam Herring to rave about someone else's intensity, I could not resist this. the first song or two of ESMB was another one of those "oh holy god, genius before me!" moments... I was so bafflingly impressed by what was happening in front of me that for the first time since beginning this review-venture I took my phone out of my pocket and attempted to "take notes" ...These are my notes, because i was too mesmerized to write more: "OH FUCKING INTENSE. Minimalist? Art for Art's sake. all things I love. amazing! how much passion can you express with the least effort? intense!!!!!!"
That was the best i could do because I was literally so stunned and must have looked like a kook. I was kinda standing there with this shit eating grin, staring like I was watching a childbirth. The concept: Ed is standing center stage with a floor tom; guy named Devlin is standing to his right playing bass. The songs might be about 45 seconds long and just Ed Schrader screaming the same line over and over, or it might be a little longer and more melodic. The whole experience was pretty much a "seeing the light" experience for me. In my own band, I keep pushing the whole "art for art's sake" perspective; If you believe strongly enough that something sounds good, it will sound good. It's not about perfection, It's about passion. ESMB nailed this shit for me. It was like a sign from God telling me I was on the right 'artistic' path because look at the glory that can occur when you follow your heart. I loved Ed Schrader. (I loved Ed Schrader even more when he took his shirt off but I'm a dirty old lady.) I was really psyched to see them the second night, just to see if I was right; I was right. Just as good if not better the second night. Roo even kinda got into it a little on Friday night, when the night before I know he didn't get it. I have a feeling ESMB is one of those bands you have to get or you don't. I got it. (EDIT: Roo just texted me and told me to edit out that "kinda got into it"... he denies this but i maintain my perspective of seeing his head bobbing... THERE WAS HEAD BOBBING and I'm almost sure I heard him say "this doesn't suck as much as last night." I'm counting that as "getting into it a little" - read below for his true opinion - Friday night certainly wasn't my most coherent evening, it is entirely possible I'm making this all up.)
Ladies and Gentlemen, the main event: Future Islands. My god if you haven't seen Future Islands live, I am so mad at you. Why? Do you not believe in having fun and being penetrated in every orifice by magical music and wildly intense energy? Are you one of those non-fun having types? Do you hate art? No, you are not any of these things, you are just lazy, or maybe you didn't know. that's why you have me here to help you. I am here to guide you to the right experiences in life; i follow the gypsy music magic to the very best shows. keep an eye on my show calendar over there; I won't let you down. You should have followed my ass like the Pied Piper to King's for these two nights. There is nothing... NOTHING... like a Future Islands show.
You can listen to FI in the car, all alone, once you have seen them live and you will find yourself punching the air and making over dramatic faces at the cars around you, pulling your shirt and acting like you're falling over dead, pleading to the air. This is the effect seeing Sam go wild will have on you forever. It is impossible for me to listen to An Apology without going ballistic, I know better to listen to it in quiet public places or at my desk at work. I know what this music brings out in me. I am a passion junky - Future Islands is fueled by straight raw, bloody emotion set to the funkiest beats on the planet. There is some sort of animalistic draw to Sam. You see him, you want to go wild for him. You want him to know you feel it. You understand that pain and passion and love - you need him to know you appreciate it. Or hey, I do at least. Is it just me?
I thrive on irony, I dig on contradiciton, I love incongruity. I get excited when i get confused, I feel elation at epiphanies, I love suddenly realizing that someone or something is not even close to the thing or person I assumed that they were. I relish in the mysteries of life, I love surprises and I love that I have somehow managed to retain my childlike sense of wonder in life. And I very much love finding and recognizing this trait in others... and I am very specifically speaking of Sam Herring here. through a series of being in the right place at the right time, having the right friends of friends I have somehow gotten to know him a call him a friend. On paper, on the surface, it would be easy to watch Sam in his Phantom of the Opera-ish frenzy and listen to the lyrics and write it all off as an act; this is what i love... It's not. There really is that much love, passion, drama and heartbreak in this man. You get close enough to the stage and it will penetrate into you. You have one conversation with him away from the noise and you will see it in his eyes. There really is that MUCH in one person. Sam makes me feel a little less crazy about being so crazy. Sam Herring is living art, he is a truly beautiful person.
night one: Wild. An absolute Frenzy. Several Stage crashes, bruises and backaches from dancing so hard. Touching and licking sweat, worshiping at the altar of passion. Here is the thing, if you've only heard the music and not seen the live show, you're only getting half the picture. You have to see Future Islands live... you simply must. You will be very best friends with everyone around you by the end of the show, you will fall into a trance. You will move and scream and dance so much you will feel lost in time. Thursday night, as I said before, was the hardcore locals... we lost our god damned minds.
night two: tame by comparison, but just as good. I had so many facepalm moments this night, however. Roo had a bit of quasi-personal drama so we hit it hard and we hit it early, starting with tequila shots at Mecca, pre-show. It started wild and only got wilder... for us... But the crowd was off. I was, of course, down front and center, ignoring anything that wasn't 100% intense. At the announcement of the "last song", I of course made an effort to organize a stagecrash, which didnt happen and resulted in just myself on stage, looking foolish but not really caring. (drunk.) I apparently did at one point get on stage with a big crew, as there is photographic evidence, but not one of my classiest evenings.
*facepalm*facepalm*facepalm*facepalm*
I'm trailing off here because I feel like this is entirely too long and perhaps too personal, so I'm going to leave you with the Roo-view. We decided to have a "versus" this time because we differed so much on Ed Schrader and we completely lost each other the first night and had semi-diffrerent experiences...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now that you've read Karla's point of view on the Future Islands shows (3/3/11 and 3/4/11) I'll share with you the correct point of view. That's right sass-a-frass, it's on bitty. This our first vs. blog and we're fighting dirty. Fair warning, if you want to hear something positive skip down to the section about Future Islands.
Naps:
First, let me state that Naps needs to immediately disband so the members can focus on their current (and much better) musical endeavors and so not to discredit the rest of their musical careers. That's simply as straight forward as I can be. I'm not intentionally being mean. I am intentionally being honest. I like the other musical ventures of the members and I know that they are talented musicians. Honestly, I believe that. If you're in Naps and reading this please don't scream at me in public. I'm merely stating an opinion, and asking you to knock it off right away.
The problem is that Naps is so well connected within the music scene of Raleigh that they keep being billed to play with bands I have paid to see. I have seen them upwards of about 5 or 6 times, but I have never enjoyed them. Ever. They are slow and droning. Their vocals are mundane and monotone. There is no energy to their sets at all (with the exception of Brian Corum who almost always gives a good show). The lead stands cemented in place with a blank look on his face and mumbles, literally mumbles. The lyrics may be deeply inspired, but I honestly cannot tell. I have never made any of them out. I’ve also never been able to tell a difference between any of their songs. That is a problem given how many times I have seen them.
The following is an actual conversation I had at the show.
Jim: They seem a bit sleepy and too low key.
Me: I’ve seen Naps several times and haven’t ever liked them.
Jim: Their name is Maps, right?
Me: No, it’s Naps.
Jim: Oh, well then they nailed it.
I heard several comments from people I didn’t know talking about the band in this fashion. Again I revert to my first sentence. That wasn't just bitchy flair. It’s honesty. I really think these talented musicians are doing themselves damage by being affiliated with Naps.
The second night we went to Mecca instead of Kings for their set. I will say I enjoyed their set the second night in this fashion.
Ed Schrader’s Music Beat:
My friend Jessie’s friend Allison stated, “I suppose if you start off screaming then everyone will appreciate it when you start singing even if you aren’t any good.” This is the most apt comment I heard to describe them. The audience seemed genuinely split over this band. Karla’s opinion is wrong and I am on the other side…the side that didn’t enjoy them. I will say that either they were a bit better the second night or I knew better what to expect enough so that I didn’t hate the oppression of sound. Of course, they were built up a bit which allows for farther to fall. Karla and I saw Sam from Future Islands downstairs at Neptune’s Parlor before the show on Thursday and he described them as “one of the most intense acts (he) has ever seen” to Karla. At first I took this to mean they were good. Later I realized he simply stated the obvious. They are very intense.
Basically, they are two guys, one on a tom drum and the other on electric bass. The first guy screams the same sentence over and over a lot for about 45 seconds until he sings two or three lines. The end. If you like punk music you might like these guys. Then again you might not. They really aren’t very good. I mean, I feel like I would have appreciated them (not “liked” them, but “appreciated” them) if they were performing at an art gallery of some sort. I, however, was at a Future Islands show and had just suffered through Naps (also a possible reason they might have been better the second night). I will say that he had a lot of witty banter that I enjoyed during the Friday show. That was nice.
Future Islands:
I honestly just don’t know what to say about Future Islands other than that I will be really sad when they get to be such a huge act that I can’t be front and center dancing and sweating with the rest of my beloved city two nights in a row at a small rock club. That day is coming. I know. I’ve seen Shameless. They are due their success though and I won’t begrudge them that victory. At least they feel connected to Raleigh in special ways it seems, so we’ll probably get the personal treatment far longer than most cities.
If you haven’t ever been to a FI show…go. If you’ve been to a FI show and didn’t get to the throbbing masses of adoring fans in the front…shame on you. If you got to the throbbing masses in the front and just stood there behind your girlfriend while everyone around you undulated with an uncontrollably intense force… you were the guy in front of me for the majority of the show Friday and I hope your ribs hurt where I accidentally elbowed you so as to remind you of your inappropriate behavior. It wasn’t on purpose, but I don’t feel bad. You should have been dancing.
I will say that despite the sleepy lead in of Naps and the abrasive nature of Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, Future Islands still automatically brought a level of energy unparalleled at most shows by most bands. Raleigh was a little more amped up the first night for whatever reason, but FI held their own.
Good job guys. Come back soon.
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Here is a view of YOU from the stage.
Here are other people's pictures from the second night because i totally forgot my camera.
I have this weird habit of creating in-jokes with myself. I find something, some action or phrase, that i personally find extremely amusing and it becomes a running joke... with myself. (A good example of this is drewbombs.) I don't know why it amuses me the way it does or why i continue to carry the jokes; no one gets it or cares, least often the other people inadvertently involved. This night of shows included two such in-jokes with myself in which either the other people involved do not care or do not even know. I AM HILARIOUS TO ME.
In a frenzied "oh shit, our show's coming up!" effort to practice every moment we had free in the last week, Jay and I decided to meet up at his house for about an hour before heading out to see Gray Young and Marnie at King's. Losing track of time, as we tend to do because we are usually too busy being entirely too excited about whatever noisy mess we are making, Jay and I headed out a little too late, causing me to miss the first half of Gray Young's set. I am still extremely upset about this. and by "extremely" i mean to say, when I think about it, I get a little annoyed with myself. And by a little, I mean I AM EXTREMELY ANNOYED WITH MYSELF.
Okay kids, let's be honest.... Wait, Okay kids, *I'LL* be honest, yeah i bought the tickets to see Gray Young. of course I did! If Gray Young was opening for some so and so band, let's say someone random like Tori Amos, and the tickets were $60 a pop, I would try to publicly justify over and over again, despite the fact that there is no living artist on the planet I despise more than Tori Amos, that "I'm just willing to give her a chance, It's just an added bonus that GY is playing too!" No. That is bullshit. I paid $60 to see Gray Young, because I am an asshole. and by asshole, i mean to say, I AM THE SUPERFAN. (also I would leave before Tori Anus played because i really fuckin' hate her.)
here are the two in-jokes with myself explained; they are both in regards to GY... First is this one: For the first few shows that I saw of them, there were always these two or three guys that were always down front with me, rocking out... (James, Mike and Dana! love!) and it's become one of the things I like best about seeing them live; the Gray Young Army. I don't really know why I decided we are an "army", I have this feeling we are all really chill, nice people. Maybe it should be called "The Gray Young Caring Club". ....uhoh. see what i just did there? That made me laugh out loud. from now on, we are the Gray Young Caring Club, and that is funny as hell. I am making t-shirts. there will be kittens, maybe. (aside - I finally got me one of the super-pretty GY shirts designed by birds & arrows. oh hell yes.)
SO - yes. The other superfans. One of which, being Mike G. and there have been instances where Mike has not made it to shows. and I have started this in-joke with myself of judging him for missing shows. So there are now a series of pictures of me "judging" Mike;
ps, I am beautiful
ending in the epic photo taken this night entitled "Haaaay! I didn't have to judge you!"
The second in-joke i have with myself began after the first review of GY whereupon i gushed and conveniently forgot that people have the internet and read what i had to say. I may have let it slip about having a secret soulmate bond with Chas. oh hey, guess what? it got read. and in an effort to downplay any sort of "oh that girl is insane" assumptions, I have therefore turned this awkwardness into a game/in-joke. I still have not spoken to him and now i *will* not, despite the fact that I literally see him everywhere I go. One particularly amusing/pathetic exchange happened at LBLB a few weeks ago in which I was outside drinking/smoking and decided to go back in through the exit, just as he was walking out. we did the whole "oh you're going left? I'm going right. Oh, you went right, I'll go left. Are we dancing? This is fucking stupid and my face is going to melt off Indiana Jones Nazi Style because I am so embarrassed" thing... to which my only possible response could be to turn completely around, go the other way, and announce "GUESS I'M NOT GOING *THAT* WAY!" in an effort to save face, but resulting in me only further embarrassing myself.
In keeping with this theme of hilarity, the afternoon before the show at King's, this happened:
I am entirely open to the possibility that the traits in myself that I consider endearingly quirky may be construed by others as "batshit crazy," I've accepted this. Part of me really wonders if this guy thinks I'm out of my mind, or finds this whole game extremely hilarious as well. It is pointless to speculate because i will never speak to him to find out. The set, what i saw of it (GOD DAMMIT), was stellar, of course. I am almost too mad at myself to continue.
Tera Melos, i had done no real research on and knew nothing about, i decided to let it be a surprise. however, there was some Super Double Ultra Mega Superfans in attendance:
Not even joking.
These guys drove in from, I want to say Greensboro, to see the band. Their enthusiasm manipulated me into being really excited for Tera Melos to play. and when they did, I was a little confused, by no fault but my own, to find them a little more tame than I expected. I don't know how i had convinced myself that by attracting Pokemon Superfans, this band was going to be ballistically exciting, but they were just... cool? I don't mean that in any way to be negative. I mean it in the psychedelic rock I wasn't quite expecting but still dug on sense. They were a little math-rock, a little feedback-y, which i am always down with. I remember thinking they were like if Trans Am multiplied themselves and dropped acid. If they come back around, I'll most likely see them again without any preconceived notions.
At some point between Tera Melos and Marnie, Jay and I decided Jager was a really good idea. JAGER IS NEVER A GOOD IDEA. especially on a weeknight. I am 99% convinced Jagermeister makes the majority of their money on people who are already wasted somehow convincing themselves it's a good idea. sober people don't drink jager. I dare you to challenge this idea.
These are the kind of pictures that happen in response to jager shots.
poor our faces :(
And then what happened? MARNIE STERN BECAME THE GREATEST THING I'D EVER SEEN BECAUSE I WAS DRUNK!!!!11!!1
I did realized, however, that i did know and own many more Marnie Stern songs than I thought I did. I kept hearing myself say out loud to no one in particular, like they could hear me anyway, "Ohhh! I know this song!"
It feels like I blinked and this amazing night was over. I gotta stop blinking.
