Top 5 Shows I've Seen (ordered according to chronology, not degree of awe inspired):
Mew at Music Hall of Williamsburg - August 23, 2009
Phoenix at Terminal 5 - June 19, 2009
Leona Naess at Village Underground - September 22, 2002
Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden - June 27, 2001
Saint Etienne at Bowery Ballroom - October 7, 2000
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Danish Stadium Rock in Willy B.
Saw Mew at Music Hall of Williamsburg last night. And, holy freakin' crap! That was a pretty amazing show! Definitely in my top 5.
I was a bit down on the new album, most likely because my expectations were unreasonably skewed by And the Glass Handed Kites. (If ever I had to play that game again in which you choose 5 albums to keep you sane on a desert island, Kites would be at the top of the list. Each track flows seamlessly into the next, as if they were scenes in a movie. And there's not a clunker in the bunch.) Should've known that it would only be a matter of time before I grew into it. (I had brushed aside Kites upon my initial sampling. So unmoved I was that I skipped Mew when I had a chance to see them on the same bill as Bloc Party and Secret Machines.) The performance last night definitely sped up the process. (I've been listening to No More Stories ... all day, inspired in large part by last night's performance of "Sometimes Life Isn't Easy.")
For most, Mew is almost certainly an acquired taste. And it seems that, even for an experienced listener, each new album presents a new taste to acquire. There's just always so much complexity and nuance to digest. Atonal guitar riffs, discordant synth notes, disjointed rhythms, screechingly high-pitched vocals -- ugly individual noises that somehow meld to form luscious soundscapes.
I knew that getting any of my new music buddies to show for the concert would be a tough sell. In making the pitch, I described Mew as "maybe operatic, stadium-sized, indie rock with a slight metal tinge, if that makes any sense?" To my surprise, one bit within minutes, and another followed the next day. And we all agreed that the performance last night was phenomenal. (Shows are always more enjoyable when you're with others who share your enthusiasm.)
I last saw the band a couple of years back at Irving Plaza, and it was a rather disappointing experience. The sound system seemed mis-calibrated, as did Jonas's voice, and most everything sounded awash with a lack of clarity. But the band -- particularly Jonas -- was in top form last night. And the venue was ideal. The sound was big enough to fill MSG, but it was all squished into a shoebox of a space.
Can't wait for them to come back on a full North American tour.
I was a bit down on the new album, most likely because my expectations were unreasonably skewed by And the Glass Handed Kites. (If ever I had to play that game again in which you choose 5 albums to keep you sane on a desert island, Kites would be at the top of the list. Each track flows seamlessly into the next, as if they were scenes in a movie. And there's not a clunker in the bunch.) Should've known that it would only be a matter of time before I grew into it. (I had brushed aside Kites upon my initial sampling. So unmoved I was that I skipped Mew when I had a chance to see them on the same bill as Bloc Party and Secret Machines.) The performance last night definitely sped up the process. (I've been listening to No More Stories ... all day, inspired in large part by last night's performance of "Sometimes Life Isn't Easy.")
For most, Mew is almost certainly an acquired taste. And it seems that, even for an experienced listener, each new album presents a new taste to acquire. There's just always so much complexity and nuance to digest. Atonal guitar riffs, discordant synth notes, disjointed rhythms, screechingly high-pitched vocals -- ugly individual noises that somehow meld to form luscious soundscapes.
I knew that getting any of my new music buddies to show for the concert would be a tough sell. In making the pitch, I described Mew as "maybe operatic, stadium-sized, indie rock with a slight metal tinge, if that makes any sense?" To my surprise, one bit within minutes, and another followed the next day. And we all agreed that the performance last night was phenomenal. (Shows are always more enjoyable when you're with others who share your enthusiasm.)
I last saw the band a couple of years back at Irving Plaza, and it was a rather disappointing experience. The sound system seemed mis-calibrated, as did Jonas's voice, and most everything sounded awash with a lack of clarity. But the band -- particularly Jonas -- was in top form last night. And the venue was ideal. The sound was big enough to fill MSG, but it was all squished into a shoebox of a space.
Can't wait for them to come back on a full North American tour.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Who Do you Think, Again
I'm constantly hearing from friends and acquaintances about their celebrity sightings in the city. Even people visiting the city for a few days seem to bump into more celebrities than I do. Maybe I'm just not paying close enough attention. (After all, there's a limited number of celebrities I'd be excited to see.) Or maybe I'm just a celebrity deterrent.
Well, while strolling home yesterday around 5:00, I came upon Interpol. I could positively identify Daniel and Sam, and they were sitting with two other guys dressed in black, so I assume those two were Paul and Carlos. (Didn't stop to confirm, as I'm not an ogler.) They were talking casually at a table outside The Odeon. Didn't seem to be the best of ideas, given how freakin' hot it was yesterday. But, hey ... I wouldn't have seen them otherwise. Hopefully, they were coming up with good ideas for their next album.
Definitely the most excited I've gotten about seeing a celebrity since De Niro shot a scene for Analyze That at the Audi dealership inside the building where I work.
Well, while strolling home yesterday around 5:00, I came upon Interpol. I could positively identify Daniel and Sam, and they were sitting with two other guys dressed in black, so I assume those two were Paul and Carlos. (Didn't stop to confirm, as I'm not an ogler.) They were talking casually at a table outside The Odeon. Didn't seem to be the best of ideas, given how freakin' hot it was yesterday. But, hey ... I wouldn't have seen them otherwise. Hopefully, they were coming up with good ideas for their next album.
Definitely the most excited I've gotten about seeing a celebrity since De Niro shot a scene for Analyze That at the Audi dealership inside the building where I work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)