The Annuals. Another one of those blog bands that Brooklyn Vegan hypes up. When I listened to their album, I thought, "Oh well." It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was entertaining. Live though, these guys are something else. So full of energy, both in their songs and in their actions. A band that have percussion instruments for every member should be an indicator of how eclectic and just crazy this band is prone to get. They are a large band, and the sound definitely echoed that. "Father" was the definite highlight, along with "The Bull and the Goat."If the Annuals are the rookies of indie rock, then Blonde Redhead are the all-star veterans. I've said this ad nauseum, but I first saw this band in 1998 when I was in college at UC San Diego. I absolutely hated them. So much so that I'd rather listed to a Marion cassette then have to endure their live show at the Che Cafe. But when they released Misery is a Butterfly in 2004, they went away from the experimental yelping and actually played tunes. Kazu actually sang rather than shouted and there was more structure in their music. I forgot what they started off with, but I think they did "23" as the second song. The sound was just amazing, and Kazu sang perfectly. The twins can really emit so much sound just out of two instruments. When they did "Equus," it seemed like there were three guitarists and a keyboardists playing, but they were nowhere to be seen. Other songs from 23 were just amazing, like "Dr. Strangeluv" and "Spring and By Summer Fall". Yes, there were backing tracks on "Equus," but that didn't bother me a bit because Kazu's voice was just mesmerizing.Kazu wasn't as crazy as she was in the earlier days, but she was just as captivating with that fiery red hair of hers. Beer Rating: 
Although I like the Shins, I've never been a big fan of their live show. It's almost always boring. I'm not quite sure why. They're energetic enough, but I just can't get into it. Last time I saw them was when they opened up for Belle & Sebastian at the Hollywood Bowl. And back then, they were boring, but that's just because I was anticipating B&S with a full on orchestra.Now, they are Billboard chart toppers with Wincing the Night Away. Will the success get to their head? No, not the bit.They started off with the new stuff from the new album. "Sleeping Lessons" was accompanied by the soft glow of lights. "Australia" followed, and then "Phantom Limb." I thought they were going to play the album in order. But they didn't, thank goodness.They played everything and anything that I possibly wanted to hear from their entire discography. Of course, the biggest applause came for that Garden State song, "New Slang." But there were some other great songs played there, like "Young Pilgrims" and "Girl Inform Me" that went relatively under the radar.Although they played a great song selection, and a rather tight set, their show lacked the gusto that was sorely needed. One friend was so bored with the show that he and another friend played Cat's Cradle. I enjoyed it, but it lacked something that I can't pinpoint. My hunger during the entire set triumphed over any possible encores. So, I grabbed a burrito from Taqueria Cancun across the street and I was satisfied.
Beer Rating: 1/2
The last time I saw Muse, they were playing to a sold out crowd at the Warfield about two years ago. Since then, their popularity has skyrocketed to arena like proportions. Although this new album, Black Holes and Revelations, is not as strong as Absolution or Origin of Symmetry, Muse has proven themselves to be the purveyor of all things rock.
We missed a few songs in the beginning of the set, but Muse played long enough to satisfy the rock and noise I’ve been craving for. Muse’s lead singer acted as if he was Freddy Mercury, cleverly prancing around the stage with that rock star swagger and know-it-all attitude. The guitar riffs were amazing as well. It still bewilders me how just three blokes from England can emit so much noise like that.
"Hysteria" and "Stockholm Syndrome" were my absolute favourites in their nearly 2 hour set. Their big single, "Starlight" was amazingly done. Muse sound like Radiohead at times, but this show set them apart from Radiohead. Muse is nowhere close to being great as Radiohead, but Muse set themselves up as just a rock band with strong tunes and catchy riffs.
Overall, the show was amazing. It was a pleasant surprise and a much needed arena rock show to spark the senses.
Beer Rating: 1/2
It’s been a while since I posted. I’ve just been really busy with all sorts of things. Now that I have this brief moment of respite, I will post about the Mew show that I saw eons ago.
When I first saw Mew at Popscene, they blew me away. It’s that rich sound that emits from their instruments and the lead singer’s voice that convinced me that they are one of those bands that are absolute gems. I still don’t understand how that singer’s voice can reach that high. It’s just bewildering.
At the Fillmore, their biggest show in San Francisco to date, the packed house was treated to a plethora of sound and visuals. Mew played a whole bunch of songs that I didn’t even recognize, possibly because it was from their previous albums. But when they played songs from And The Glass Handed Kites, the crowd went ballistic. They opened up with “Chinaberry Tree,” which is a fitting beginning to the set. Start off powerful, slow it down and then pick it back up again.
Easily, the best consecutive songs ever recorded are in this album. The trio of “Apocalypto,” “Special,” and “The Zookeeper’s Boy” are just flawless in transition and sound. Although Mew didn’t play these songs in a row, but rather in strategically placed points of their 90 minute set, they were still powerfully played.
The visuals were a bit distracting and weird. That’s all I have to say about that.
Beer Rating:
I like Youth Group. Their album, Skeleton Jar, was a great piece of work. It's a shame that they are not that known here in the U.S. as opposed to their home country of Australia. They make great songs because the band reminds me an awful lot of James. Their recent album, Casino Twilight Dogs, is not so great to my ears. But there are hits in there like the "Underpass" song and their cover of "Forever Young" (it's not a b-side in my book!).
The crowd was sparse. There wasn't that many people that went to this show, and that's quite disappointing given that this is such a good band. But, more room for me to stretch out, which is fine by me.
Most of their songs was from Casino Twilight Dogs like "Underpass". Although I now appreciate thos songs much more live, the better songs were from Skeleton Jar. The band was tight throughout. I had to leave a bit early, but I liked what I did see. So did the crowd.
Beer Rating:
Conor is no longer the young prodigy he once was. He is now 27 and is now a seasoned veteran in the world of music. His previous two albums, Wide Awake and Digital Ash, were Billboard chart toppers. Before he launches in this humungous tour with his latest release Cassadaga, Conor decides to give us a preview with a few small venue shows. This was the first of two.
The place was packed and it wasn't seeping with a bunch of youngsters like his previous shows in Berkeley. M. Ward was also with Conor during this show. We made a bet to see how many times "I Love You Conor!" would be shouted, but it was less than five. Quite a departure from the previous days where every momentary pause was greeted with such "I Love You" praises.
The songs off Cassadaga will be a bit folky. That's what a majority of the new songs sound like and it was good. However, there was this certain "umph" that was missing in these new songs that I'm sure will disappear once I hear the whole album. Even the song that I do know, "Endless Entertainment," lacked the enthusiasm of the songs from Wide Awake. The songs that he played from the Four Winds EP sounded great.
Maybe what's also lacking is the presence that Conor used to have. Instead of having that emo part in his hair, he now has this ridiculously long do that doesn't do much for his appearance. He now looks older. I have a belief that fugly bands are distracting live, hence making their live music appear "blah." For example, The Notwist. Great songs, but the band is just fugly, thus show was lackluster. Conor. Great songs, but he is fugly now, and the show was just so-so.
He did play some older songs that were greeted with much applause. I think one from Wide Awake and another from Lifted... Since I saw the show weeks ago, I forgot.
Beer Rating:
1/2
April:
2: The Thermals @ Bottom of the HIll
23: Placebo @ The Fillmore
25: Air @ Nob Hill Masonic Center
26: Cornelius @ Bimbo's
26: Birdmonster, The Cribs @ The Independent
30: Elf Power @ Rickshaw Stop
30: Fountains of Wayne @ GAMH
30: Sloan @ The Independent
May:
4: Bright Eyes @ The Greek Theatre
19: Lavender Diamond @ The Independent
24: Nous Non Plus @ Cafe du Nord
June:
9: CSS @ Mezzanine
11: Mystery Jets (acoustic) @ Cafe du Nord
12: Mystery Jets (electric) @ The Independent
27: The National @ Bimbo's
July:
27: Daft Punk @ The Greek Theatre
I missed Ghostland Observatory the night before because of the Vivienne Westwood premiere over at the DeYoung. And then I went to Leisure. It was a late night, so having a show in the afternoon was a bit tiresome for me. But, I looked forward to it since it was a great day outside last Sunday. And Midlake is a great band. When I saw them open up for Flaming Lips, they just blew me away. The video that accompanied each song definitely helped with the mellow songs, but the songs themselves were pretty strong.
So, we went to Bottom of the Hill and it was packed. The opener, Mini Pop, were pretty good but I wished I saved my energy for Midlake. The cool thing about Mini Pop is that they sound good, but that's pretty much it. The little kid on the stage who introduced them and mimicked their actions was cute and entertaining though.
Midlake had problems with their visuals, so that was a big minus to their show. The songs were good, but they played what seemed like a lot of stuff that's not from Van Occupanther. When they did though, like "Young Bride," they were good. But I was way in the back and I could barely see anything. And it was like a sauna inside the venue, so that further annoyed me.
It was an okay show at best. But it would've helped if I wasn't so tired.
Beer Rating:
Hello. It's been a while.
So, let's get down to business. Very promising night (or at least so I thought) last Friday with three pretty good bands in this Noise Pop bill.
First, Death of a Party. Didn't like them too much, although I have to hand it to the lead singer's theatrics.
Second, Malajube. These guys stole the show. They were fantastic from start to finish. The intensity was all there and the songs were just spot on. Although I don't understand much French, the songs were just strong and the band was really energetic and amusing on-stage. These French Canadians sounded really "foreign" when they spoke. "Le Crabe" was the definite highlight for me, but I was expecting a bit more yelping.
Third, Snowden. From Atlanta, they have a pretty good album but the only songs I like are the first three. And the first three were good. "Like Bullets" and "Anti-Anti" sounded like the album. But that was pretty much it for this band. I was not impressed and they were boring, to be perfectly honest.
Finally, Autolux. I can't say much about them because I had to cut out and I only saw the first song. But I've seen them a couple of times, and they put on a decent show. Their first song was a new one from their upcoming LP, but the song was too long for a starter. But, maybe they got better. I don't know.
Malajube are fantastic and they are worth seeing. So go for it!
Beer Rating:
I still don't know sometimes how "indie" bands these days get so much publicity and sell out shows. Before, it was all about radio airplay. Now, it's about blogs, word of mouth, MySpace and Pitchfork to make you famous. Take the Cold War Kids for example. An awesome band of four from Los Angeles whose soulful songs and rather amusing live show who were relatively "small" just a few months ago and now have sold out GAMH.
I first saw Cold War Kids open up for Tapes 'n Tapes at Cafe du Nord last June (review). I was really surprised of how great they were, and I even thought that they were better than Tapes 'n Tapes. Like most bands that come through this city, the more popular you get, the more likely you'll play a bigger venue. So, Cold War Kids played the Independent when they opened up for Apollo Sunshine, of all bands (review). Now, they're selling out their own headlining shows.
GAMH was packed and the crowd was really into Cold War Kids as well as opener, Delta Spirit. Cold War Kids played the usual songs off their LP, with classics like "Hang Me Up to Dry," "Hospital Bed," "We Used To Vacation" and "Saint John" getting the most reaction. They even did a cover of a John Lennon song, which totally escapes me at the moment.
As usual, Cold War Kids were energetic on-stage. They were even more so when the rest of Delta Spirit joined them for three songs, with the Delta Spirit guys just banging every percussion instrument imaginable.
And I think the best line of all is when the lead singer said, "San Francisco is our favorite Western city. Just don't tell that to L.A."
Take that L.A.!!
Beer Rating:
I haven’t seen Arcade Fire in over a year and I longed to see them again. When an opportunity arose to see them in their home town at a small church, I just couldn’t pass it up. Regardless of the cost. So, I took a Friday night red eye flight to Montréal to see Arcade Fire perform on Saturday.
My friend and I waited anxiously outside the Ukrainian Federation amongst about a hundred and fifty other persons ahead of us. The night was cold, with temperatures hovering around 10°F. I could barely feel my hands. To pass the time, we drank some beers, which actually kept us warm, and plotted how we were going to get in the front of the stage. Shortly before 8pm, the line started to move and people were being let in.
We immediately rushed downstairs. There, we split up. I went to coat check with our coats while he stood in the entrance line. Once we accomplished our mission downstairs, we ran upstairs where we found a row of seats, an upstairs balcony and a small area in the front where a small group gathered. We went up front and were ecstatic as to how front and centre we were. We were beyond belief. To celebrate, we took turns buying drinks.
The stage set up was simple, yet spoke volumes. There were numerous instruments all over the place. More so than usual. A bright and big neon bible adorned the center of the stage. I couldn’t find the set list, but didn’t care for it that much.
At approximately 8:45pm, Arcade Fire came on. The crowd went absolutely ballistic! The fans sitting on the seats immediately went up. The crowd in the front where I was didn’t push or shove, but instead clapped hysterically. A welcome relief to the usual.
They opened up with "My Body Is A Cage", which is a fantastic song from Neon Bible! The video captures the song at its peak, where Win's slow, melancholy voice then resonates with the "thud" of electric organs:
“Black Mirror” then followed which was a lot stronger live than in the album. “Keep the Car Running” was a tremendous surprise to me as well, with the energy just resonating throughout the song. “Antichrist Television Blues” was next, followed by a revived version of “No Cars Go.”
“Haiti” was next and Regine was as playful as ever:
She was even doing the whole “cowboy roping the cattle” motion with her arms. She was just delightful to watch. She sang again during “Black Wave/Bad Vibrations” but Win took the limelight in this one.
“Windowsill” has that tremendous line about not wanting to live in America no more. After visiting Montréal twice and just experiencing the greatness that is this city, that is this country, Canada, and the people that reside there, I actually shouted “I don’t want to live in America no more.” Montréal is a fabulous city, with some of the nicest people around. I love people greeting me “Hello, bonjour.”
After “Ocean of Noise,” my friend and I shouted “Come back to San Francisco!” Win gave a puzzled look, and Richard asked to repeat what we said. I then said, “We flew all the way from San Francisco to see you guys!” And my friend said, “Come back to San Francisco!” Richard got a kick out of it. Regine then asked Richard what we said. After Richard repeated it, Regine gave us a smile.
Anyways, “Ocean of Noise” was a decoy to the insanity that is “Power Out” (video). At this point, Win went down from the stage and into the crowd. My friend and I were just going berserk at this point, and the video captures that insane moment.
We went even crazier during “Rebellion (Lies)”:
Win was again down with us and my friend and I were taking turns blindfolding one another. We shouted our hearts out as we yelled out “LIES! LIES!”
“Intervention” was just brilliant and I think this is when Win started ripping out the strings from his guitar. I hopped around like mad during the last song, “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)” and just shouted my heart out. Granted, I wasn’t the only one singing and shouting, the nearly 650 people in the audience were doing the same. I may have jumped the highest out of everyone though.
At this point, I knew that Arcade Fire was playing either the back of the venue or the basement. My friend and I immediately escaped the crowd in the front and tried to go to the back. However, our effforts were futile since security didn’t let us pass. Instead, we waited and listened to the security guard, in French, tell us what to do (video). I knew they had to go back up, so I wasn’t too worried. Apparently, they did “The Well and the Lighthouse” acoustically.
I was standing near the stairs when Win and the camera guy came up. In my hysteria, I put my camera on video and captured a good majority of Win, Richard and one of their trumpet players play an acoustic version of “Wake Up” (video).
At this point, with sweat running down my clothes, voice nearly gone from all the singing and aching joints from the icy cold temperatures and hopping around, I was in bliss. I can’t believe I’m this close to Win and here he is asking me for a guitar pick, laughing at me because of my horrible singing and patting him on the back every now and then. Richard told me to watch out since I almost got hit by the bow of his viola. It was just amazing. Purely amazing. Look how close I was:
After the show, I went downstairs to get a poster. As we left the Ukrainian Federation and walked outside the cold night, dripping in sweat and just plain exhausted from the concert, we couldn’t get the smiles off our faces. Maybe the cold had something to do with it, but we just couldn’t stop smiling and just recapping every minute of that show. When we found a nice bar to go to, we talked some more about Arcade Fire and how wonderful Montréal is.
If you want to see all my photos of this show, you can see them here.
Best show of the year so far.
Beer Rating: 0 Beer
Lily Allen is one of those guilty pleasures I have. She's a darling of the blog world, and even self-proclaimed "indie" websites like Pitchfork, Brooklyn Vegan and Product Shop NYC love her. I've always been a sucker for pop music, and Lily Allen is no exception. After missing her first two visits in San Francisco, I finally had my chance to see her at Great American last Tuesday night.
It was an MTV sponsored event, so I braced myself for the prospect of all these young kids romping around. Fortunately, that wasn't the case from my vantage point. Unlike her past performances, Lily Allen looked like she just stepped out of the tour bus. She didn't wear one of her trademark dresses. Instead, she wore jeans and a t-shirt. She even acknowledged that this was probably the only show she's ever done where we can "see her fat ass." She occassionally smoked a fag every now and then, despite her acknowledgement of California's law banning such behavior indoors. But whatever. Oh, and she had a cool gun necklace.
Show wise, she was top notch. Her backing band sounded great. She sounded great. She entertained the crowd with some funny banter.
She opened up with "LDN" which I missed. But all the songs I wanted to hear she did play...and more. "Littlelest Things" was played, and it sounds a lot like Radiohead's "Karma Police." At least the keyboard bits. Otherwise, this song is nothing close to Radiohead. She even covered Keane with "Everybody's Changing." Her cover sounded like a reggae tune. And, for the encore, The Specials' "Blank Expression." Her musical taste is diverse, and these covers proved it.
Best reaction from the crowd was when she played "Smile" and the last song, "Alfie." She remarked about how the venue smelled like weed, which then reminded her of a little brother of hers.
Overall, great show. Nothing wild or spectacular, but a good way to spend a Tuesday night.
Beer Rating:
I haven't updated in a while, but here are some new shows added on the calendar since my last post:
February:
27: Tapes 'n Tapes, Har Mar Superstar @ Mezzanine
March:
2: Le Tigre (DJ Set) @ The Supperclub
23: Sondre Lerche @ The Fillmore
April:
17: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists @ Slim's
19: Iggy Pop & The Stooges @ Warfield
25: Adult., Erase Errata @ Bottom of the Hill
26: Klaxons @ Popscene
28: Jarvis Cocker @ The Fillmore
May:
1: Mando Diao @ Bottom of the Hill
4: Frog Eyes @ Bottom of the Hill
15: Peter, Bjorn @ John @ Bimbo's
16: Peter, Bjorn @ John @ Bimbo's
30: Voxtrot, Au Revoir Simone @ GAMH
June:
1: ARCADE FIRE @ BERKELEY GREEK THEATRE
2: ARCADE FIRE @ BERKELEY GREEK THEATRE
Of Montreal played 4 nights in San Francisco. One at Bottom of the Hill and three nights at Great American Music Hall. That's crazy. I went to their Friday night show at GAMH and although it was quite enjoyable, it was too damn long.
The Blow was the second opening band. I like The Blow. It's just fun music that you can dance too. Khaela, the lead singer, was there on stage but the other guy, Jona, was not. Armed with nothing but a microphone and a friend manning her Apple laptop, Khaela sang as if she was doing karaoke. She was really funny too, although sometimes her banter went on longer than one would like. She has some dance moves, and she even did the Running Man and the Roger Rabbit. Yeah, remember those dances? "Parentheses" and "Pile of Gold" were my favourites.
After The Blow, Of Montreal came on wearing their signature "weird" costumes. Backed with three projectors (that I thought added virtually nothing to their show) and a whole bunch of theatrics, Of Montreal went through pop song after pop song after pop song. They started off their set with "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse," and all I can think of is that crazy video for that song. I think the first few songs in their long set was from the most recent album Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? like "She's a Rejector," which was way fun to listen to, "Cato as a Pun" and "Faberge Falls For Shuggie," which is my least favourite song in their set. With their vast discography, they played so many, many songs. They even did a cover of the Fiery Furnaces' "Tropical Ice-Land," albeit much faster and rockin'.
In between all of this was lead singer Kevin Barnes' costumes. He had this body suit thing with frills on the side, then he changed into a really short kimono, then he climbed into a huge dress with a ladder underneath it, then he wore jeans and a tight fitting shirt.
And, no, they didn't play the Outback song, which we all know is "Wrath Pinned to the Mist and Other Games" from Sunlandic Twins. Would have liked to have heard it, but after all the songs they played, it was fine.
Overall, very entertaining but very long.
Beer Rating: 1/4
Remember back in the day when bands like Franz Ferdinand and the Bravery rode the wave of the new New Wave revival in indie rock? Moving Units is among those bands, but, unlike Franz or the Bravery, they never made it big. They still have this small cult following of younger scenesters who continue to be ever so faithful to the Moving Units.
Well, Moving Units haven't released an album since 2003's Dangerous Dreams. But here they were at Cafe du Nord performing in front of a sold out crowd of young scenesters. Making everyone groove to their post-punk sound that made so renowned.
Most of their set was dominated by their previous releases. They opened up with "Anyone" and that immediately got the crowd going. They sounded pretty good, even though I was in the back. If I was more energetic, I would have been in the very front dancing my arse off, but after a long work week full of stress, I couldn't be bothered. Besides, I was fine just standing in place, enjoying the music and dancing vicariously through others.
My other favourites included "Emancipation," "Scars" and "Going for Adds." They also played a couple of new songs, which pretty much sounded like their other songs. So, new Moving Units songs will be released soon, but any drastic change is not expected.
But, man, I was tired and I wish I was more into the show like the other kids. Oh well.
Beer Rating:
Last time I saw Keane, they were just this little known band from England that sounded a lot like Coldplay but a tad wimpier. They played at Bimbo's in front of a sold out crowd and Tom Chaplin's addiction was still under wraps. A lot has changed since 2004. In 2007, Keane is one of the bigger bands that are classified as Coldplay-esque (along with Snow Patrol, Travis, The Fray, etc.). They play large shows. And Tom Chaplin is now out of rehab and seems to be enjoying life.So, it was odd to see Keane at the Berkeley Community Theatre. Lots of people were there, from all walks of life, in varying ages. There's a certain novelty seeing a 65 year old male just stand in place and sing to "Everybody's Changing."Keane's set even looked like a stripped down version of Coldplay's. Back in the Rush of Blood... era.Tom Chaplin was in great spirits. And it's sort of refreshing to hear that his banter and enthusiasm wasn't cocaine induced. He looked better than before and his voice was top notch. At several points throughout the show, he was very grateful to the crowd for their support and to his band mates for putting up with his antics. Keane played pretty much every single song from both albums. While the older songs got the loudest receptions, like "Bend and Break" and "Somewhere Only We Know," the newer songs were a bit edgier. "Is It Any Wonder?" is their big single from Under the Iron Sea and it was their "funkiest" song they played. Yes, having weird reverb like organ sounds in the beginning counts as "funky" for this band.One of the more surreal parts of the show was when they had a recording of Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy read a World War I poem prior to Keane playing, I think, "A Bad Dream." It was a very powerful song and Tom hit the right notes. Tim's piano playing is just superb as well.Overall, Keane knows how to put on a good show. Songs are pretty solid and the musicianship is just spot on. Yeah, they are one of the bands you would consider "lame," but I like them. And I like Coldplay. And Travis.
Beer Rating:
Yeah, you know this already. But this is going to be a spectacular Coachella! It'll be as good as 2004, that's for sure. I'm going. Are you?
One of the advantages of being sick and up at this weird hour is that you can update the music calendar!Oh, and a Coachella update. The Police will be one of the headliners. I know this because the pre-sale password for Coachella is "Roxanne." I just bought my $199 3-day pass!! I don't care much for The Police, but I would see them.January:25: Minipop, Audrye Sessions @ PopsceneFebruary:6: Lily Allen @ Great American Music Hall7: Dont's @ Bottom of the HillMarch:1: Matt & Kim, Erase Errata @ Bottom of the Hill2: Diamonds (John Digweed & MSTRKRFT) @ Ruby Skye2: Annuals @ Cafe du Nord (re-scheduled date)3: Ghostland Observatory @ Mezzanine9: Menomena @ Cafe du Nord13: Fujiya & Miyagi @ The Mint29: Calla @ PopsceneApril:6: The Gossip @ Bottom of the Hill9: Muse @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium25: The Decemberists @ The Warfield26: The Decemberists @ The Warfield28: Junior Boys @ MezzanineJune:19: Low @ Great American Music Hall20: Low @ Great American Music Hall
Ahhh...nothing says "here comes the weekend" other than a good old dance off.
Girl Talk was spectacular at the Independent tonight. What a way to start off 2007. Oh, and so were Matt & Kim, whose high energized lo-fi pop got everyone's attention.
It's been a tough week for me. Not only with the stress of work, but also because of a minor car accident I was involved in. I'm okay, but my poor baby Audi isn't. So, I needed some sort of stress relief and the perscription is more shows.
Matt & Kim supported and they were very energetic. Everytime Matt would raise his arms to count down to the start of the song, I was reminded of Jasper Future of Art Brut. Kim was definitely the person who wore the pants, with her sculpted arms being far superior compared to Matt's lanky body. But what Matt lacked in physique, he made up for with character as he was just entertaining as all hell to watch. Of course, the crowd favourite, "Yea Yeah" was a success. I wanted to chuck food at them just like their video.
Girl Talk came on next. This one man band with one working laptop (not even an Apple, but a Toshiba Satellite and a Dell XPS!) played song after song after song and even more songs mixed in between. If you were thinking that this guy would just play Night Ripper, you are dead wrong. He played some Night Ripper songs, but it was a bit more freestyle than planned.
After one girl went on-stage, the invasion began. A whole mess of people were on stage, including a couple of guys who were just absolute wiggas. I was part of the invasion along with a newly met bloke from Aberdeen, Scotland. We tried to get our friend to join us, but she was a bit reluctant. We danced and observed Mr. Girl Talk himself fiddle with his audio program (I still can't believe it's not an Apple! He had Windows XP and shit!) as he searched for folders of songs to play. I forgot the program he used, but the man is truly doing something while he's playing these songs. No, he's not just opening up his iTunes and playing a Smart Playlist, but he's actually trying to figure out what songs will mix with what. Yes, it may be a bit WTF, but who cares! It was a lot of fun and I was dancing along with the rest of the crowd on-stage. I even helped Mr. Girl Talk get down from the table and patted his sweaty back a couple of times.
Great show! If you were lucky enough to get a ticket and see the whole thing, consider yourself lucky. I want this guy to DJ my party!
Beer Rating: 1/2 Beer.
