Tag Archive: Concert

[video] WU LYF // Wicked Games and We Bros

I caught the WU LYF fever earlier this year. And if you have read any of my earlier posts, you will know that my Australian friend Alex (who maintains a fantastic blog at: http://neo-noir.tumblr.com/) recommended the Manchester, England, quartet to me. When I first heard some of the early demos, I was completely floored. It felt like I had just been punched in the gut. WU LYF, led by the inimitable growling snarl of Ellery Roberts, really moved me on an emotionally basic level.

I knew I had to experience these guys live. Almost instantly, I bought tickets to see them in July at Manhattan’s Mercury Lounge. I was beyond excited to see them at one of their first American dates. But at the last minute, travel plans fell through and I was heartbroken. I was even more heartbroken when a friend who was at the sold-out show told me how fantastic it was. Luckily, WU LYF announced a full-fledged North American tour shortly thereafter. I would finally get to experience them live.

With that, I present my WU LYF experience. This is a video I shot at their concert last month at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern. The video is both shaky and grainy, because the entire room was bouncing around and yelling with Roberts. He literally moved the entire audience. So you will have to forgive the grainy quality of the video. Regardless, I think it really demonstrates the live power of WU LYF. [editor's note: Will is correct, this is awesome]

This is a video of the group’s encore, featuring an awesome rendition of Chris Isaak’s classic “Wicked Games” and then WU LYF’s own “We Bros.”

 

[stream] NxNE Recap // Cults

Cults at Lees Palace NXNE 2011 [stream] NxNE Recap // Cults

Since the first swells of hype, to the waves that have kept coming since, I have maintained a somewhat conflicted relationship with Cults. I probably should have purchased their Go Outside 7″ from Forest Family when it was first pressed, if only for the nostalgia. I didn’t quite subscribe to the hype at the time; the primary reason I didn’t being that I don’t particularly enjoy its title track. As it stands, “Go Outside” is still my least favorite track the band has produced to date. Plus that unofficial video from MTV was rather terrible.

These things played into my tepid expectations for the full length, despite the intrigue of listening to something new that was garnering widespread praise. What appeal the new record did have was enhanced knowing the band would be playing NxNE, and that I would likely be in attendance. All of the chatter surrounding the record, that they signed to a major label quickly, was never an issue as far as I was concerned, and to me, rebuke they received for doing so was naive.

The band played Friday evening at Lee’s Palace on a night they shared the stage with Dirty Beaches and Dum Dum Girls amongst others. In a live setting the immediate reaction is how integral Madeline Follin is to the band’s appeal. I swear I said this twenty times, likely much to the chagrin of Rich, Andy and Matt. But it’s true. She doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the outfit, but they wouldn’t have an ace without her vocals. The backing band is in flux, and while the songs have a lot to like, it’s Follin’s vocals that set things apart.

While the band’s live set was far from earth shattering, it was crisp and is clearly still being worked on. In fact I read an New York Magazine interview where Oblivion said as much. What it did do was give a new perspective on many of the songs I enjoyed from the record. Since the show, I’ve played the record in its entirety several times a day trying to recreate the sounds of the live show that are stuck in my head, and I’m quite smitten. Since the record is what I have to animate the distinct recollections of the show from my faulty beer-addled memory, it’ll certainly suffice.

(Photo from show courtesy of Sidewalk Hustle)

[show review] Starfucker // Rochester, NY

starfuckerpurple [show review] Starfucker // Rochester, NY

Starfucker is destined for larger venues, and deservingly so. The show on Saturday, April 9 was pure heat that could barely be contained within the walls of the tiny Bug Jar.

Before the band lit up their one-hour dance party, a hip-hop trio from Seattle called Champagne Champagne owned the stage, serving up a set that was an energetic stretch and warm-up for Starfucker. I’d go into more detail, but these guys require a post of their own, so be on the lookout for that in the near future.

Starfucker took the stage at midnight, shot off the starting gun, and were off the races until 1 a.m. Amidst a club-like setting of fluttered laser lights projected across the room, the band scorched through material from all three of their albums never once letting up. The only relatively slower paced song was their set opener, “Astoria,” off new album Reptilians. What this song set the stage for was a collection of songs that are tightly contained to the five guys on stage having to cycle through a variety of instruments including guitars, synths, percussion, DJ equipment for scratching, loops and samples.

Songs such as “Mystery Cloud” and “Laadeedaa” both kept a furious pace but made the room erupt into rave mode when they finally reached their peaks with the band thriving off of the crowd’s energy. ”Bury Us Alive,” the first single off of Reptilians, helped to keep the floor shaking, and it probably offered the most when it came to lead guitar with a a five-note screech used to introduce the synth-laden chorus. And the first large cheer for a song from the crowd came among the first notes of “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second,” a song that put the band on the map when it was used in a Target commercial in 2009.

You wouldn’t think that a large portion of Starfucker’s songs are about death were you to look around the room at the crowd’s reaction. The explosion of synths, loops, disco dance beats, and thumping bass were the main ingredients to each song played, inspiring almost every audience member to jump around, wave their hands and basically morph this party into the mini-rave that it was. It seemed like the crowd just couldn’t take it anymore when the tracer synths of “Julius” started to creep through the speakers. This song brought the room to a head and it was only halfway through the set.

Starfucker continued to forge on, with Ryan Biorstad and Josh Hodges leading the way by sharing vocal duties, trading synth measures, taking part in stage antics, and engaging in some sporadic scratching to bring a hip-hop feel to their set.. Whether it was intense headbanging, robot dancing during “Dance Face 2000,” and stage diving, the five-piece continuously fed off of the crowds energy as the audience held up their hands as if begging for more.

The party continued with the poppy staccato rhythms of “Medicine,” the opening track on the band’s EP, Jupiter, and “Quality Time,” an instrumental number that could bring out fist-pumping actions in the most lax concert goer. The song serves as the grand finale on Reptilians as one long crescendo, beginning with octave trades on Shawn Glassford’s bass and then building into yet another club-worthy dance number that contains long drawn out synth chords while drummer Keil Corcoran kept the metronome beats going.

I honestly can’t think of a better concert that I have attended within the past three or four months. Maybe I did, but Starfucker has brainwashed me with their infectious hooks and the fact that their main goal, more than anything else, is to create an atmosphere that allows their audiences to have a great time away from any worry that they may have in their lives. They accomplished this ten-fold. You could tell everyone in the room, band included, was experiencing this. If there was one song that could sum up the night, it would be their cover of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Everyone in the room came for a fun time, and Starfucker exceeded all expectations. This band is not to be missed if they happen to land in a town near you.

[mp3/concert] tympanogram presents… Friday, October 22

October 22nd Show Poster 791x1024 [mp3/concert] tympanogram presents... Friday, October 22

We’ve already announced two of the three bands who are playing our upcoming Tympanogram Presents show at Bug Jar on Friday, October 22, but if you’ve either missed it, or haven’t been paying attention, let’s recap:

Opening the show is Rochester’s Black Elk Speaks, followed by Hosannas, who are out of Portland, Oregon.  And while that would have been a great show in and of itself, we booked a third band just yesterday who we’re extremely excited to add to the bill: Toronto’s Young Empires.

The show is going to be $6 – a pittance for the amount of excellent music you’re going to hear.  There’s no ticket presale; if you show up at Bug Jar on the night of the show, it’ll still be $6.  (Unless you’re under 21, in which case it’ll cost you $8.)  So, come on out, have some drinks with us and listen to a triumvirate of great bands.

We’d like to thank Tim at Bug Jar for letting us bring shows in and giving us a kickass place to do it, and we’re looking forward to doing it more often from here on out.  Our next shows are already in the works, so be on the lookout for future announcements regarding those.

In the meantime, check out a track from each of the bands right here to get you in the mood, and if you have questions/need information, feel free to get in touch.  We’re excited.  We hope you are too.

Black Elk Speaks – Chain Gang (mp3) from Cycle One EP

Hosannas – When We Were Young (mp3)

Young Empires – Against the Wall (mp3)

[mp3] These Electric Lives @ Bug Jar: 9.4.10

IMG 0309 1024x768 [mp3] These Electric Lives @ Bug Jar: 9.4.10

This past Saturday evening These Electric Lives once again made the short trip south from Toronto to play a show in Rochester. It was their third time in Rochester this year and second at the Bug Jar. My recap will be brief (it’s not even really much of a recap) because I rather unfortunately got a bit too silly to recall most of the evening. It’s also a bit of an apology to the band since I regret my choice of imbibing several drinks on the evening to excess. I hope the band does not think me a lush. I say this because for their previous Bug Jar appearance I was also far too silly. I can count on one hand how many times in the last few years I’ve gotten as inebriated as I did those two evenings, and I could do so just as well if I lost three fingers. I suppose These Electric Lives bring out the crazy in me.

The band members Gary, Mark, Charles and Bryan, are four of the coolest, nicest young gentleman you could ever hope to meet. I just wish I wasn’t apparently so excited every time they come that I drink far too quickly and get crazy. I would really like to catch another full set sometime soon. I only hope they can take this unfortunate recurrence as an odd compliment. The brief bits of the show I do recall are of enjoyment, and I know the band put on an excellent set once again. Thanks to the guys, I hope we can do it again soon.

P.S. Next time they come, I’ll be your D.D. if you need a ride, because you should certainly go check them out.

These Electric Lives – Called It Off (mp3) mastered version on We See Light… [mp3] These Electric Lives @ Bug Jar: 9.4.10

These Electric Lives – We Should Be Believing (Sta Remix) (mp3) from TEL Remixed [mp3] These Electric Lives @ Bug Jar: 9.4.10