8 posts tagged “live performance”

Antony & the Johnsons @ Pantages Theater

Initially, I was a bit dismayed when I found out that Antony and the Johnsons would be playing the Pantages Theater on Valentine’s Day. His music has an underlying melancholy and heartache to it that I wasn’t sure would fit well with America’s most saccharine of holidays. But the show turned out to be the perfect antidote to all that sugary artificial sentiment, for Antony’s performance was about as real as they come, and was one of the most stripped down, vulnerable performances I’ve seen in recent memory.

Taking his place on the bench of the grand piano where he would stay the entire show, Antony and his backing band of six musicians came out to a warm ovation from the near capacity crowd at the Pantages. The musicians (or Johnsons, if you will) consisted of a drummer, bassist, cellist, and three others that swapped instruments throughout the entire show, switching from violin to acoustic and electric guitars, oboe, and saxophone during the course of the set. The orchestra provided stellar support to Antony, whose delicate and understated piano playing often guided the song forward at the onset, but never really became the focus of the arrangements. That focus was placed squarely on Antony’s beguiling falsetto, which carried the night to its exalted heights and kept me awestruck and captivated all evening long. His voice does take some getting used to, being part cabaret/part operatic, but it’s filled with a level of emotion and honesty that isn’t found in most modern music, and imbues his music with a haunting, impassioned lucidity that is rare in any art form these days.

Antony & the Johnsons @ Pantages Theater

The stage remained shrouded in darkness throughout the performance (explaining the lack of quality in my photos), with the lighting and backdrop done up in understated white tones. Antony eased into the evening with “Where Is My Power,” a b-side to the “Epilepsy Is Dancing” single, taken from Antony’s brilliant new record The Crying Light. Things got a bit more solemn with the touching, eloquent “Her Eyes Are Underneath The Ground,” whose lyrics “In the garden with my mother I stole a flower” took on added significance by the fact that Antony’s mother, father and brother were all in attendance. He alluded to his time spent in Minneapolis by telling a story about walking by First Avenue earlier in the day, realizing the last time he’d been there was when his father took him to see Nina Hagen. He was too young at the time, so his dad had to get him in. Antony laughed when he said his father only stayed for a couple songs. “Epilepsy Is Dancing” was next, and it was a soaring tour de force. It’s truly an epic, heartbreaking track that escalated nicely to a dramatic, stunning finish. “One Dove” gave the band a chance to show off their chops a bit, with a stirring oboe solo that added a gorgeous layer to the song. The show really didn’t have any low points, other than very slight pacing problems, for the song selection was perfect throughout the set, and all the tracks were performed with an elegance and candor that isn’t often found in the music industry these days.

Other standouts from the superb set include “For Today I Am A Boy,” “Another World” and a version of “You Are My Sister” that brought forth audible gasps amongst the crowd around me. It was as moving and passionate as music can be, a touching ode to the dreams of loved ones getting realized, again made even more enthralling knowing that his family was in the crowd. “Twilight” followed, and was simply stunning, made even more so by the accompaniment of the orchestra, who guided the song to its tender finish along with Antony’s skillful piano work.

Antony & the Johnsons @ Pantages Theater

The night did have some lighter moments, like the bands playful cover of Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love,” that started out simple and sounded quite improvised, but took on added weight as Antony breathed new life into the lyrics and the band provided a steady accompaniment while Antony lost himself in the song. And, when that song was quickly followed by a soulful rendering of “Fist Full Of Love,” the pairing of seeing Antony on Valentine’s Day started making perfect sense. His songs are indeed filled with love, after all, either searching for it or remembering love lost. Either way, it was more of a tender, joyous affair than I was expecting, even with Antony struggling to find words after someone in the crowd wished him a happy Valentine’s Day. He sat silent at the piano bench, explaining how he didn’t have anything special planned, trying to find words to signify the day, and just couldn’t. Later in the show, he encouraged all of us to YouTube the “Hamster at the Piano” video, that the video would be his Valentine’s Day gift to us. Which is silly, in the end, since sharing his music with us was always going to be the best gift of them all.

After a rousing, electrified version of “Aeon” closed out the main set, Antony and his band left the stage to a standing ovation from the adoring and respectful audience, who were stone silent during most of the set, except when Antony invited us to have a conversation with him after he came out for the encore (which never seems to work out well in any show, and didn’t on this evening). Antony rambled on a bit about spoonfuls of peanut butter, and joked about how he had a few lately and was hoping that one of them would be “the magic spoonful that would send him to his grave.” But he was honestly horrified to find out that three people had died in Minnesota from salmonella poisoning linked to peanut butter, and begged our forgiveness for his insensitivity. It was a minor diversion before the encore began with a wonderful version of “Cripple and the Starfish” that again showed the talent and dexterity of the orchestra, who gave the song a mournful edge with their delicate accompaniment. The show finished the only way it could, with a jaw-dropping version of “Hope There’s Someone” that enraptured all in attendance with its stark, plaintive lyrics and Antony’s vulnerable, unadorned plea for someone to be there when he needs them most. It was absolutely beautiful. And everyone that gave the band another standing ovation as they left the stage seemed to agree.

So, spending Valentine’s Day with Antony and the Johnsons wasn’t such an odd pairing after all, with Antony’s honest, heartfelt lyrics playing the perfect foil to all the insincere sentiment being sold to us everywhere we turn. The performance was as sincere and genuine as any I’ve seen recently, and was far and away my favorite show of the young year.

Antony & the Johnsons @ Pantages Theater Set List

Please see my original review and much more @ www.culturebully.com. Cheers!

Tapes 'n Tapes(Photo Courtesy Of Jon Behm)

Last night was a true hometown celebration in downtown Minneapolis, with local bands Solid Gold and Tapes ‘n Tapes managing to completely sell-out First Avenue’s main room (and then some). The large venue allowed Twin City music fans the opportunity to pack the club and show their love to both bands, and gave the groups the chance to fill the room with the sounds and spirit that have garnered them all of the acclaim in the first place. Tapes ‘n Tapes have already made their way rapidly up the musical hierarchy and from all indication Solid Gold should soon join them on the national stage—last night’s entertaining and energetic show was further proof why both bands warrant all of the attention and accolades.

Normally, when you have three bands on the bill for a show at First Ave., people are still filing in while the opener is finishing its set. Friday night however, the club was good and packed by the time Solid Gold took the stage. That must have been quite a confidence boost to the band (who were playing one of their largest Twin Cities shows to date), because they came out sounding tight and focused, with their mix sounding superb and their smooth sound easily permeating the entire club. By the time they played their second song of the night, “Armored Cars,” they were settled in and the club was theirs for the taking. They rattled through most of their stellar debut record, even playing one new song that fit seamlessly into the flow of the set, and other than thanking Tapes ‘n Tapes for having them as openers, kept strictly to the music.

Solid Gold (Photo Courtesy Of Jon Behm)

Tapes ‘n Tapes selecting Solid Gold to open the show was quite a smart move, and certainly no accident. Their longer than usual set (for an opening act) confirmed not only that they were a local band that Tapes were generously providing a larger stage (and audience) to for the night, but also that the band has the kind of sound and appeal that can fill First Ave. on their own, which I’m sure they will soon. I’m curious to see how they go over in Austin for SXSW but based on their captivating performance last night national success should be imminent. And these guys certainly deserve it for they have crafted one of the most unique and listenable local records in recent memory with Bodies Of Water, and have an enthralling live show to match. Solid Gold were given a golden opportunity to play to a full room at First Ave. and they stepped up and delivered a knock out set to an admiring audience that will most assuredly propel them on to bigger and better things.

Following Solid Gold’s set would prove to be a difficult affair for any band, and New Hampshire’s Wild Light, while being a tight live band with anthemic songs and earnest choruses, were a bit of a let down after such a stirring opening set. Under different circumstances their sound and style would perhaps be more engrossing, but I found myself anticipating the headliners more and more as their set progressed. “California On My Mind” is a hell of a song though, and was the highlight of their set for me.

Tapes 'n Tapes (Photo Courtesy of Jon Behm)

With the club now packed well beyond capacity, Tapes ‘n Tapes didn’t waste any time in tearing into the beginning of “The Dirty Dirty” before the projection screen covering the stage was still rising, starting a fiercely paced set that rarely let up all night. Due to incessant touring and a burgeoning familiarity with their material, they have become an even tighter band since I last saw them headline the main room last year. Their sound last night was buoyed even more by the addition of drummer Jeremy Hanson’s brother Jacob on guitar during part of their set. It was clear right from the start that the boys were on point and out to set fire to the place, tearing through early set highlights “Hang ‘Em All,” “The Illiad” and “Headshock” without so much as a word to the capacity crowd nor much of a chance to catch their own breath. It was a blazing start that was inevitably bound to subside a bit, as it did with “Conquest,” which finally allowed front man Josh Grier the time to acknowledge the capacity crowd and thank us all for coming.

After a sped up and feisty version of “In Houston,” the set really took off with the rousing one-two punch of “10 Gallon Ascots” and “Insistor” that reminded me why these guys blew up in the first place. They tore through these familiar songs with the same intensity and energy that they did when the songs were first written, fleshing them out with a grittier sound and a potency born from years now spent on the road. Josh went on to say that this is the first time they’ve played Minneapolis while being in the middle of their tour, and it was nice to be home after three weeks on the road. The band also debuted a few new songs during their set that had a fresh and lively sound that will fit right in with their varied and distinctive catalog.

The set did have a few lags in energy (it would have been nearly impossible for any band to keep up that level of ferocity all evening), so while songs like “Demon Apple” and “Say Back Something” were good additions to the set, they just lacked the whip-crack potency of the earlier part of the show. That strength of sound returned quick enough, though, with the slow build of the cacophonous “Manitoba” and the frenetic set closer “Jakov’s Suite” that had a good part of the capacity crowd thrashing right along with the band. The encore was as tightly wound and focused as the main set, with the band wasting little time backstage before storming back out to play spirited and explosive versions of “Cowbell” and “Just Drums” that proved to be a perfect finale to a set that found the local band showcasing their continually evolving talent and dexterity before an audience that has been rooting for them since the beginning.

And that’s what the night ultimately became—a celebration of two local bands that, while already having achieved great things, are hopefully both bound for more. And if all goes well, the enormous crowd that greeted them at First Avenue last night will just grow in numbers and stick with them every step of the way. I know I will.

Please see my original review with many more of Jon's great photos at www.culturebully.com. Cheers!

I have no idea why it's taken me so long to discover Scotland's Frightened Rabbit, but thankfully I have, and suggest all of you do as well (unless you're way ahead of the curve and know/love them already). And, for your holiday enjoyment, I have embedded a video of two of the Rabbit's playing a sparse and emotional version of their new Christmas song 'It's Christmas So We'll Stop.' Enjoy, and have a Happy Holidays.

Doomtree-blowout-2008-poster

It was quite a celebration on Saturday night at First Avenue, as a sold-out crowd showed a lot of love towards local hip-hop crew Doomtree, who in turn gave a lot of love right back, as well as an energetic performance that highlighted a collective that is currently hitting on all cylinders. With a handful of records out over the last year or so, as well as their first ever full-length under the full-crew Doomtree umbrella, and forthcoming records due out early next year from  P.O.S., Sims, and Dessa, Doomtree had a lot of banging tracks to chose from, and most of them were on offer during the two-set, nearly three-hour Fourth Annual Blowout.

The fuse did take a little while to get lit though, as the early start time, combined with long lines at the door, had people filtering in (and warming up-damn it was a cold night in Mpls) while the first set was going. But the gang clearly was ready to provide whatever enthusiasm the crowd might have been lacking, initially, with the smile on P.O.S.'s face enough to light up the club on its own. So, while it took a while for the crowd to get into it, the band certainly was on point right from the get go, with the spotlight at the start of the show falling on the rhymes of Mike Mictlan, Sims, and P.O.S., who simply owned First Ave's revamped stage, with its small stairway leading down from the stage into the crowd adding to the engaging atmosphere in the club . It's been quite a year for the Doomtree crew, and Saturday night was a bash to celebrate everything they have achieved, and how a lot of their dreams and aspirations have been realized. Backed by DJ's Paper Tiger and Lazerbeak, the beats were solid and slamming all night, and each MC brought their different styles (and solo material) to the mic, blending their disparate techniques deftly throughout the entire show.

Cecil Otter stayed in the background for the beginning part of the set, but tore things up when he got the chance on an old track from his 'False Hopes' record, and really brought the first set to life with his rhymes. P.O.S. gave us just a little taste of his new record that's dropping in February, blowing up on 'Drum Roll.' I was actually hoping for a few more tracks from that record, but I'll have to wait until he perhaps does a record release show (or at least a local headlining show for his tour that begins in February) for 'Never Better.' Dessa also performed a few sultry tracks that might find a place on her forthcoming record in the new year as well. But this was a Doomtree show, after all, and a majority of the tracks the crew tore up (and seemed to enjoy performing the most) were from their excellent collaborative 'Doomtree' record. So, 'Drumsticks,' 'Gander Back,' and first set closer 'Game Over,' were all early set highlights that were brazen examples of how strong that record is.

So, after a short break, Cecil Otter came on stage, unaccompanied, and did a stirring trio of songs from his 'Rebel Yellow' record, that not only shows how improved his stage presence has become over the years, but how clever and self-deprecating a wordsmith he is. Next up was Mike Mictlan, who also did a rousing set of songs from his Lazerbeak produced 'Hand Over Fist' record. Mike announced the birth of his daughter to the crowd, before dedicating a spirited full band version of 'Prizefight' to her, which just might have been the best song of the night. And from that point on, the place was on fire. The room had reached beyond maximum capacity, and the hyped crowd just added to the groups energy. 'Accident' really tore things up, and then the crew literally tore things up, tearing off the huge letters that spelled out Doomtree on the DJ decks, and throwing them into the ecstatic crowd. The band even brought out I Self Devine on guest vocals for an incendiary version of 'Twentyfourseven' that had the whole crowd throwing their hands (and wings) into the air.

So, it was quite the revelry taking place on Saturday night, one where the band was nearly as happy as the audience, with all they've accomplished throughout the year. And the crowd made sure to show their appreciation, for not only all the great releases they've been responsible for over the years, but for an amazing show as well. One where the true talents of the band were on full display, as were the excellent songs that have now piled up in the Doomtree catalog. They had enough killer tracks to fill a nearly three-hour set and leave the audience breathless (at least those of us on the floor were.) So, well done, Doomtree crew. This show was a real celebration of all you have you have accomplished over the last year or so. And with such good records looming on the horizon, we know you aren't even close to being finished yet.

Please check out my review of this concert on culturebully.com, which features some excellent photos from the show.    

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.'

Absolutely stunning. Welcome back, Jason Spaceman. Glad you made it through the darkness.