I've been to many different shows, and have bands from all over the world. In 12 years, I've went from country to alt-rock to metal to rap-metal to post-harcore to space-rock to emocore to post-rock to indie-rock to indie-dancerock. I have bands that span the world, for the most part. Suffice to say, it takes a lot to hear a band and be really, really excited about a refreshing sound. All the bands I saw thursday (yet another thursday with 2 shows in one night) 9/29/05 at First Ave. and the Entry, respectively, expelled the precise amount of energy and intensity to wow the crowd.
I missed most of The Belle Orchestre but no worries; this opener's brand of post-rock was very classical and folk-like, with violins wailing away any preconceived notion one may have had of this being standard and derivative. I purchased their CD for $15, which is spendy for the concerts I usually attend! The album was well worth it, as it's brought pleasant associations of night and relaxation to myself and others worldwide (possibly!).
I headed to the front for Wolf Parade. These gentlemen sure love Modest Mouse, as their latest album was produced in part by Isaac Brock. I found their set to be unique and wildly entertaining overall. Their live performance is quite a spectacle, with band members running around onstage and knocking over various percussive instruments. That's what we call being in the moment. We cheered and hollered and danced like maniacs to their wonderful world of indie dance-rock.
For the headliners, a band that absolutely wowed and pleased almost every music critic out there, Arcade Fire. Another Montreal band, another band from Canada who just gets it right! The 9 members had a helluva time onstage, playing a mix of older tunes and a bunch from their epic Funeral album. Their voices blended lovely throughout each song, and they took turns playing different instruments. At one point, the Wolf Parade drummer climbed up the amps and proceeded to drum on the railings of the balcony, which was highly amusing and entertaining.
On a side note, I just don't get it. You're a damn fool to me if you're up there on the balcony with the other 21+ ers drinking instead of being on the floor dancing your cares away, especially to a lively band such as Arcade Fire! I'm 24, and I have a hard time not dancing at most shows I go to. In all fairness, though, to each their own.
For their encore, Arcade Fire played my favorite song, Wake Up (no, not the Mad Season or Rage Against The Machine song; their own.) Their voices rose high with their instuments, and I exploded with delight and glee, grinnning idiotically while pumping my hands and dancing like there was no tomorrow.
With such an emotionally draining and life-pumping show, I didn't think twice about using that adrenaline for the bands in the Entry. What a drastic change I saw! In a span of 15 min, we went from louder-than-life artistry to quasi-karoakee with samples! The artist was New Buffalo, an upcoming singer/songwriter from Melbourne. Her music was decent, and her voice like that of Mirah a bit. It was a nice change of tempo. The people on the floor actually were sitting for her set, which I hadn't seen at the Entry for quite a while.
Next came Dr. Dogg. We went back to 1970's fuzzy psychedelic rock when these fellows took to the stage. The guitarist stage left looked like Tom Petty, and swaggered and hopped around onstage while keeping sweet guitar licks and progressions in line. Quite the feat, really. There were a fun band to watch, and nod your head to, and just chill. There were some die-hards in the crowd yelling drunkenly to every word sung and screamed.
They were the perfect set-up to the delightfully goofy and wildly talented Architecture In Helsinki! I first saw this band last summer at the Turf Club. Their set there was very album-focused, having fun and trying to stick to a tight set. This time around, however, they let it all hang loose. They yelled the words at times, improv'd a bunch, and had a raucus set. Other band and crowd members rushed the stage, and soon people were playing anything they could find. One guy put a steel drum on his head and played that, causing boisterious laughter and amusement to erupt all around. This band is so original and so unique and so fun to watch, it's no surprise they have an awesome following. People who look for something that doesn't follow the standard formula, and explore many different sounds and structures. They made everyone's night, concluding a perfect night of music with a completely on-the-spot Prince song! How could you not love them after that??
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