Out with the Old: Smashing Glass; In With the New: Silver Fly.

Such a very odd title. But, it will make sense, I promise. August 12th, I saw both Kaddisfly (who have a bit of Glassjaw in them) and The Silversun Pickups (who have a bit of older Smashing Pumpkins in them). See, it makes sense now right? On to the review:

Luckily Kaddisfly didn’t play at the Quest. Instead, they played the Profile Music Cafe near the U of M Campus. I biked down there, considering I live in the heart of Minneapolis again. I followed some guys who looked like they were in indie and emo bands, thinking they’d know where the show was at. Sure enough, it was in a band’s practice space! I entered, and saw nothing but high school kids at first. Granted, I know I don’t look that much older than a high schooler, but I had a uneasy feeling about what the bands were gonna be like.

Sure enough, the opener Declare This An Emergency was full of high-pitched and whining vocals. I sat down, looked around at the kids listening to them and was happy to not be 15 again! The next band, The Aesthetic, poured out even more sugary pop-punk and emo sounds. It was decent…for a 15 year old wondering about growing up or drawing strength from within. Positive yes, but overdone as well. The thing is, the songs are so damn catchy though. They were like a calmer version of Glassjaw. I do thank the band for letting the other bands use their space for the show; that was rad. Things became a little heavier when Hail Architect took stage next; this band showed up to throw down, as the harcore kids say these days. Lots of loud guitars, heavy bass and rumbling drums, with the occasional powerful scream thrown in for good measure. They were most definitely rock and post-hardcore, and damn fun to watch.

Then the moment came that I had been waiting for since last November when I missed Kaddisfly play at Station 4. I talked with the singer, Chris Ruff for a while before they played, and he remembered talking to me at Station 4, which is pretty sweet. They played mostly new songs off their upcoming album, Set Sail The Prairie, and they were ungodly good! Like bursts of energy going off at just the right moments, enveloping you in its power, unable to escape and not wanting to because it is just perfect, like it’s exactly what you needed to refresh. A very, very intense performance, their set was.

Their new album is going to floor me, no doubt. A guy gave me a copy of the cd since it leaked, and it's phenomenal. I'll of course be buying it when it's released to the masses. It was just a small practice space, with them playing for about 20-30 people tops, but they poured everything they had into it. By the end they were soaked and exhausted. All I have to say is, it was probably one of the best shows I’ve been to in 2006, if only for the closeness felt. There was a mutual appreciation for their performance, as well as for their attitude. I know they’re 25, like me, and just regular guys (like me), but dammit….they make something special. All their lyrics are influenced by nature and human emotion, so if they are labeled an emo band then it’s true emotion found from introspection and appreciation of the elements around you. Not from girls breaking their hearts of their misplaced anger towards world issues that they themselves are not responsible for. Instead, there’s rock, post-hardcore, indie, punk, experimental elements and jazz wrapped up into one huge sound that they exude.

Feeling refreshed from Kaddisfly, I biked over to the beloved Entry, where the buzz-band worthy Silversun Pickups were playing. I missed Shoveldance and most of the Alarmists, but that’s alright. The Entry was packed, and when Silversun Pickups took stage, the crowd erupted with joy and delight. Yeah, they are influenced by earlier Smashing Pumpkins but who cares, because they have brought back the fuzzy, droning alt-rock with sweet pop sincerity to the masses. Their EP Pikkul is great, and their debut LP Carnavas is astounding, flat-out rolling rock to nod, rock out and give much respect to! Live, they were flawless, with the singer Brian showing Minneapolis appreciation by quoting Purple Rain with the bassist, and other such nonsense. Yeah, that’s done by other touring bands, but who cares when the band rocks so hard?? I certainly don’t. The band was very humble, and displayed dry wit and deadpan humor, interacting with us between and during their set. They were entertaining on so many levels, and had never been here before, so it was great to see them loving it so much in the Entry. For venues, you just can't beat a packed show at the Entry. I was exhausted but completely satisfied with the night of music that I enjoyed immensely.