6 posts tagged “7th street entry”

School of Seven Bells @ Entry (Photo Courtesy of Jon Behm)

There are some rock shows where you close your eyes to avoid seeing the train wreck happening in front of you, diverting your attention from an artist clearly not ready for the stage they are on. And then there are shows, like last evening’s Fujiya & Miyagi/School Of Seven Bells show at the extremely sold out 7th Street Entry, where you close your eyes and let the sound wash over you and take you somewhere else entirely. Especially with the stunning identical twins Alejandra and Claudia Dehez on stage, School Of Seven Bells were best experienced (at least in my opinion) with eyes closed, without their beauty distracting from the music in any way. And both bands didn’t really get up to much on stage, so I let the music do most of the work for me, transporting me somewhere besides the extremely crowded Entry.

School Of Seven Bells opened with “Iamundernodisguise,” the first track on their excellent debut full-length Alpinisms, and right from the get-go, it was clear that guitarist Benjamin Curtis was working way too hard on his various effects pedals and knobs without having the sound in the room reflect his efforts. His sounds were buried too deep in the mix, and the vocal harmonies of the Dehez sisters, while pleasant enough, overwhelmed their sound and made a lot of their songs sound similar as a result. Perhaps it’s a conscious effort by Ben to not dominate their ethereal sound with his guitar work, because their mix was the same when I saw them open for M83 at the Triple Rock a couple months ago. But, in my opinion, their music suffers a bit under that arrangement, for he’s way too talented to be relegated to merely a bit player in the group, and their album is filled with varied and interesting sounds that he creates which don’t come across nearly as clear when performed live.

School of Seven Bells @ Entry (Photo Courtesy of Jon Behm)

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That’s not to say that the show wasn’t without it’s highlights, for when the band hit their stride, the music is quite intoxicating. “Wired For Light,” “My Cabal” and “Connjur” were all enchanting sonic experiments that worked well in the live setting, and filled the club with the band’s airy sound. On record, the band’s sound is much more soaring and exalted, but those heights aren’t quite reached by their live set. Their songs are enjoyable, but ultimately don’t really go anywhere all that interesting in the end. I think with more of an impact from Ben, their live sound could match the elegant soundscapes found on their record, but for the time being, their live show suffers from a lack of his guitar and effects in the mix.

School of Seven Bells @ Entry (Photo Courtesy of Jon Behm)

Surprisingly, the club cleared out ever so slightly for headliners Fujiya & Miyagi, and those that left missed out on a group that has clearly found their sound and polished it to electronic perfection. The band was tight and balanced, and their sound was superb. During the middle of the Brighton band’s second song, I was wondering why there was even a drum kit set up for the evening, for SVIIB didn’t employ a drummer and up until that point Fujiya & Miyagi weren’t either (they’ve been a three-piece with a drum machine prior to this tour). But new member Lee Adams came out from behind the curtain to sit behind the kit, and helped bring “Ankle Injuries” to a propulsive close. He brought a more natural, organic sound to their music, and in my mind is a welcome addition to the group’s hypnotic live show. Frontman David Best was affable and accomplished all evening, as his intricate guitar work guided the songs, and the “rhythm section” of Steve Lewis and Matt Hainsby gave the songs their depth and atmospheric dimensions.

Fujiya & Miyagi @ Entry (Photo Courtesy Of Jon Behm)

Touring behind their splendid new record Lightbulbs, their set leaned heavily on their new material as well as songs from 2007’s Transparent Things. Standouts included “Cassettesingle,” “Pussyfooting” and “In One Ear.” Their songs are tightly wound constructions that have a catchy underlying beat that always seems to get heads nodding. But there is quite a bit of space to be found in their music as well, no matter how dense it may sound. And plenty of people in the crowd were free to get lost in that space throughout the show, even though there wasn’t much room available to dance in. Best’s lyrics are rather goofy at times, reminiscent of the often dead-pan delivery of Jermaine and Bret from Flight Of The Concords (especially on a track like “Pickpocket”). The real innovative aspect of the band is their funky, enthralling sound, which was mixed pristinely last night, with all the nuances of their music perfectly audible and crisp.

Fujiya & Miyagi @ Entry (Photo Courtesy of Jon Behm)

It was a show I spent a good majority of in my own head, with the music providing a spatial soundtrack to my thoughts as well as conveying me out of the crowded Entry into somewhere much more pleasant but rather hard to define. I think School Of Seven Bells have yet to reach the promise that is hinted at in their debut record, but touring with a taut and focused band like Fujiya & Miyagi will only help them to flesh out their live sound and add dimension to their music. Fujiya & Miyagi have really solidified their sound and nailed down their live show, and when it’s mixed right, as it was last night, their sound can take you to all corners of the globe with their varying influences and styles. Or, it can simply just make you dance, provided you have the room.

Please see my original review, and more of Jon's incredible photos at culturebully.com. Cheers!

The 7th Street Entry is a venue built specifically, it seems, for loud, sweaty rock shows. The intimacy (and, frankly, the grunginess of the place) lends itself nicely to dissonant, thunderous rock shows where you can't help but bounce of the person next to you simply because there's no room to move. Unfortunately, at last nights The Rumble Strips/Birdmonster show, there was too much room to move, with attendance barely pushing 100 people by the time the headliners got on stage. And while I try not to let crowds affect my judgment and enjoyment of a show one way or the other, good or bad, the sparse attendance did seem to have a bit of an impact on the bands, specifically the set of San Francisco's Birdmonster.

Birdmonster @ The Entry (All Photos Courtesy Of Jon Behm)

I have spent the last few days listening to Birdmonster's excellent debut  'No Midnight,' in preparation for the show, growing excited to hear these songs live. And, while I understand that they are touring their new record, 'From The Mountain To The Sea,' it was a touch frustrating not to hear more than just a couple songs from their first album. The new album, as the title of it hints at, is certainly a stylistic shift for the band, away from the loose, electric guitar based songs of their debut, to a more organic, acoustic driven, keyboard aided sound. And while their new songs are good, the band seems to be a bit more restrained while playing them. The older songs had a much more untethered feel, specifically 'Cause You Can,' which came third in the set, and really invigorated a somewhat stagnant start to the show, in my opinion. The slow start could perhaps be attributed to the fact that there were barely 30 or 40 people there during their set, prompting lead singer Peter Arcuni to remark "You guys are so quiet. We'll just take that as you being respectful."

But it seemed like the band, instead of trying to draw energy from a crowd clearly not supplying it, all drew themselves inward and used the vivacity of each other to drive the rest of the set, with each member singing energetically along with Peter to the songs (most of the time not even into their microphones), and Peter and bassist/keyboardist Justin Tenuto resting their heads on each other as they caught a grove.  And, from 'Cause You Can,' (which was incredible) onwards, the set soared. 'New Country,' 'The Only One,' and 'Lost At Sea,' were real standouts from the new album, which, I admit, I need to become more familiar with. And hopefully, by the time that happens, Birdmonster will come back through town again, next time as headliners, and hopefully to a full room. Although, while talking to guitarist David Klein after the show, he wasn't bothered by the attendance, and thought it was a fun show. He also added that we are spoiled with great venues in this city. They've now played the 400 Bar, The Varsity Theater, and The Entry, and he just can't believe how many great rooms we have in this town. He's quite right, and perhaps that wealth of musical options partly explains why the gig was so sparsely attended.

Attendance had just about doubled by the time London's (by way of Tavistock) The Rumble Strips ambled onstage. But the band didn't need a full room to get things going, they were there to have a good time, and to get the people that were there dancing with their infectious, energetic songs. Starting the show with 'No Soul,' the lead-off track from their debut record 'Girls And Weather,' the 5 piece band's horn heavy, Madness-like rock sound clearly enlivened the audience. Frontman Charlie Waller has a soulful, resonant voice, and his expressive vocals, when combined with the splendid horn work of Henry Clark and Tom Gorbut, carried the songs to exuberant heights. 'Girls And Boys In Love' was an early highlight, with the jaunty, piano driven melody getting the room bouncing, and the band's debut single 'Motorcycle,' a glorious rumination on wanting something better for ourselves, was a dynamic, soaring anthem that found the band really losing themselves in the music.

The Rumble Strips @ The Entry (All Photos Courtesy Of Jon Behm)

The band played a majority of their album during their 13 song set, with a couple of new songs sprinkled in as well. 'Walk Alone,' was the first new one, which Charlie referred to as a sad song, and it slowed things down a bit, losing some of the momentum built by the strong start of the set (quickly regained with the grand 'Motorcycle,')  and 'Hardway,' another new song, was a high-spirited tune that shows the band is heading in a good direction, especially with Mark Ronson signing on to produce their second record . But the bulk of the set was spent on songs from 'Girls And Weather,' which really is a strong and confident record, especially for a debut. The songs have a playful, instantly catchy quality to them, and that transfers really well to their live show.

'Clouds,' was a simple, but fun, exploration of a lazy day spent gazing at, what else, clouds. 'Alarm Clock' was an upbeat, lively number about getting your life together, driven by the percussion of Matthew Wheeler and the horns. It's hard to escape the horns in the music of The Rumble Strips, and who would want to. They add a modern ska-like touch to the bands buoyant pop songs, and that carefree sensibility drives the music as opposed to the lyrics, which are a touch simple at times, perhaps intentionally so. The anthemic 'Time' closed out the main set, and it's euphoric chorus, with it's promise of time passing and things getting better, had me singing along in full voice with the rest of the band. The crowd coaxed the band back out for an encore, which was a loose and lively cover of Thin Lizzy's 'The Boys Are Back In Town,' that was featured on the band's 'Alarm Clock E.P.'

It was an affable way to end quite a spirited set that even had some crossovers from the Ritmo Caliente night in the Mainroom coming in to dance along. The Rumble Strips certainly made their first foray into Minneapolis a successful and entertaining one. It's just too bad that more people weren't there to see it. Perhaps after Mark Ronson adds his touch to their new songs on their next record, the band will start to attract a wider audience in the States. But for last night, at least, there was plenty of room to dance.

The Rumble Strips Setlist:

No Soul
Hate Me (You Do)
Girls And Boys In Love
Walk Alone
Motorcycle
Don't Dumb Down
Oh Creole
Clouds
Hardway
Alarm Clock
Hands
Time

Encore:

The Boys Are Back In Town

Please check out CultureBully.com for my review along with more of Jon's amazing photos, and a video capture of The Rumble Strips performing 'Oh Creole.'