Post by natedorough on Jun 15, 2010 9:18:27 GMT -5
Lots of music this weekend. Some bad. Most good. Some amazing. Here's what I saw.
FRIDAY AT MAC'S BAR
Hey Yo Scene Kids - Typical white boy hip-hop. Not really funny like I thought they might be. The rapper kid had some decent skill, but they didn't really utilize it.
Forever a Hero/Between You and Me - I lump these two bands in together, because they're both incredibly noisy, and both are trying very hard to be part of the Chiodos/I See Stars scene. I didn't watch much, hid in the basement.
Siren the Escape - This band has gotten so good. You don't have to like their music, but you have to appreciate how tight they've gotten, how they rarely miss, how their tone is really good, and how Justin really has grown into a pretty awesome metalcore frontman. Again, you don't have to like them, but they're legit now.
Versus the Ocean - I chalk this up to the heat, but this band had a rough night. They've been better, but it was probably over 100 degrees on stage. Jeremy's got a great voice, and their songs are hit and miss. Some really solid, and some are just a little too close to being standard screamo. I love how hard these guys work, and I love their ethic and attitude. The music will hopefully continue to improve.
AFTER THE SHOW, WE STOPPED BY BASEMENT 414....
Jeff Pianki - Saw his last two shows, and he had a pretty captivated audience, as usual. His voice and his natural talent are incredible. His guitar seemed pretty out of tune in the heat, which is understandable. That, and the B414 had his guitar CRANKED, which led to him being scared of playing it hard.
Rollover Radio - This was cool. I hadn't seen them at a proper show (playing for 5 people at the cavernous Small Planet doesn't count). I loved the song structure, the musicianship, and the trumpet! Tone left a bit to be desired, but it's hard to sound great in that place, so it seems. Cool room though, I liked it!
SATURDAY AT MAC'S BAR
Vinacious - Cool electro indie sound, but their crowd wasn't into them this time around, and as such, their show took a step back from the last time I saw them. Nice kids, work hard, and cool sound, but they've got a ways to go before they're really ready to start making waves.
Elliot Street Lunatic - I'll be honest, I hid in the basement. It was too fucking hot in there. I always love what I hear. They always mix their sets up so well. The crowd was obviously hot, and kind of hung back a little, so I was worried that the crowd would be lame for.....
Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground - While a bunch of folks left after the locals, about 50 people crammed to the front of the stage and gave Kay Kay all the love and respect they deserve, singing along, dancing, and interacting. The 8 piece mini-orchestra are some of the best pure musicians out there. Take the Seattle sound (Portugal the Man, Gatsby's American Dream), mix in an ample amount of Beatles and maybe even a little Queen at times, and you've got Kay Kay. Amazing set.
WE STUCK AROUND FOR THE FIRST BAND OF THE LATE SHOW AND SAW....
Mike Mains and the Branches - Whoa. Didn't see this one coming. This guy has been calling me lately, trying to put together a live band, trying to get tips on how to make a living at doing this full-time. I get these calls a lot, and I don't often put stock in them. He sent me some demos, and they were solid. Nothing amazing.
Then I saw them live. They were polished as hell, a super-pro live show with great stage presence, great dynamics, and absolutely practiced to where they were perfect together. Very cool songs, great tones, cool vocal harmonies. I compare them to a bit of a Manchester Orchestra type sound, mixed with some pop like Sherwood or Mae.
I bought a CD (I almost never do that), and I don't regret it. It's the best CD that's been put out in Michigan this year. Recorded in the same studio that produced Copeland and Manchester Orchestra, it has comparable audio quality. This is a professional full-length release. It probably cost him a fortune, but it was worth it. The disc is awesome, as Ron has said in another thread, and we're going to be working with them a lot in the near future.
SUNDAY AT ST. ANDREWS HALL
Tiger Tiger - I'm generally pretty hard on these guys, but I had nothing to be hard on them about on this night. They worked hard to promote. They sold tickets. They brought a crowd. And they sounded GREAT on stage. I think this band might be a better big-stage band than on the smaller DIY stages around the state. St. Andrews Hall didn't scare them (as it has for many others). Their intricate guitar work sounded HUGE on the big system. Brian and Devin don't explore much of the stage, but I think it's because they're worried that Scott might knock them over. He bounced around like a muppet (that's a compliment), and the band was on point the entire 6 song set.
Bad Veins - Cool surprise. Think "The Killers" without all the arena glitz and glam. Raw and tight. They were a two piece band who played with a reel-to-reel machine in the middle, which filled in the sound for them (bass, keys, backup vocals, effects). I kept calling it an "analog iPod". Cool idea. Good band.
Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band - My wife calls Kevin my "man-crush". While that might take it a little too far, I definitely see Kevin as doing no wrong. This would be my sixth time seeing KD, third with the band. Every single time we've done a show for him, it's been completely different. Even the band is different everytime. The first band tour he did was very orchestral, with lots of folks on stage. The second time, I thought it was more about being tight and precise and even a little twangy (with the Get Up Kids). This time, it was all about being loud and noisy. Touring with a 4 piece version of the band, you lost a lot of the intricate alternate instrumentation, but it was replaced with straight up rock and roll.
Starting with "Brother's Blood", "Carnival", and "Another Bag of Bones" is a trio of heaven for me, and Kevin explained it as "the most difficult 3 song start we could do". It set the tone for a blazing set. Loved every second.
Thrice - This band is flawless. Every time. I've never heard them miss a note, and they sound bigger than every single band in the history of earth. OK, maybe that's exaggerating a little, but I've seen them three times now, and they've always been the best band of the night. That includes being better than Brand New, Circa Survive, and on this night, the aforementioned "man-crush".
The set was surprisingly heavy. I thought that with this lineup, Thrice would dial it back a bit, explore some of the deeper cuts on some of the more indie and alt. country sounding discs. The 19-song set was very well balanced, with 4 or 5 songs from Beggars, but also heavily sampling songs from the Alchemy Index, Vheissu, and the Artist and the Ambulance. They even dipped into an older song I wasn't familiar with to close the initial set. I'm glad they didn't give in to the neanderthals who yell "Deadbolt!" in between every song. They brought enough heavy material to keep those folks happy, and had more than enough lighter fare for those of us who aren't into bruising each other anymore.
The thing that amazes me about Thrice is that they're the best in the biz at anything they try. Alt-country twang-fests like "Come All Ye Weary" would fit perfectly alongside bands like Lucero and Murder by Death. The heavier tracks, like "The Earth Will Shake" and "Hold Fast Hope" are as heavy as any band out there. And though they didn't dip into them, the digital/techno-sounding stuff from the Water album on Alchemy Index would fit right in at a Death Cab show.
So I'll say this now. The only band I've ever seen that's better live than Thrice is Muse. Can't compliment much higher than that.
This was an amazing weekend of music, and I needed it greatly, especially heading into this upcoming week of A Skylit Drive and Cute Is What We Aim For.
FRIDAY AT MAC'S BAR
Hey Yo Scene Kids - Typical white boy hip-hop. Not really funny like I thought they might be. The rapper kid had some decent skill, but they didn't really utilize it.
Forever a Hero/Between You and Me - I lump these two bands in together, because they're both incredibly noisy, and both are trying very hard to be part of the Chiodos/I See Stars scene. I didn't watch much, hid in the basement.
Siren the Escape - This band has gotten so good. You don't have to like their music, but you have to appreciate how tight they've gotten, how they rarely miss, how their tone is really good, and how Justin really has grown into a pretty awesome metalcore frontman. Again, you don't have to like them, but they're legit now.
Versus the Ocean - I chalk this up to the heat, but this band had a rough night. They've been better, but it was probably over 100 degrees on stage. Jeremy's got a great voice, and their songs are hit and miss. Some really solid, and some are just a little too close to being standard screamo. I love how hard these guys work, and I love their ethic and attitude. The music will hopefully continue to improve.
AFTER THE SHOW, WE STOPPED BY BASEMENT 414....
Jeff Pianki - Saw his last two shows, and he had a pretty captivated audience, as usual. His voice and his natural talent are incredible. His guitar seemed pretty out of tune in the heat, which is understandable. That, and the B414 had his guitar CRANKED, which led to him being scared of playing it hard.
Rollover Radio - This was cool. I hadn't seen them at a proper show (playing for 5 people at the cavernous Small Planet doesn't count). I loved the song structure, the musicianship, and the trumpet! Tone left a bit to be desired, but it's hard to sound great in that place, so it seems. Cool room though, I liked it!
SATURDAY AT MAC'S BAR
Vinacious - Cool electro indie sound, but their crowd wasn't into them this time around, and as such, their show took a step back from the last time I saw them. Nice kids, work hard, and cool sound, but they've got a ways to go before they're really ready to start making waves.
Elliot Street Lunatic - I'll be honest, I hid in the basement. It was too fucking hot in there. I always love what I hear. They always mix their sets up so well. The crowd was obviously hot, and kind of hung back a little, so I was worried that the crowd would be lame for.....
Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground - While a bunch of folks left after the locals, about 50 people crammed to the front of the stage and gave Kay Kay all the love and respect they deserve, singing along, dancing, and interacting. The 8 piece mini-orchestra are some of the best pure musicians out there. Take the Seattle sound (Portugal the Man, Gatsby's American Dream), mix in an ample amount of Beatles and maybe even a little Queen at times, and you've got Kay Kay. Amazing set.
WE STUCK AROUND FOR THE FIRST BAND OF THE LATE SHOW AND SAW....
Mike Mains and the Branches - Whoa. Didn't see this one coming. This guy has been calling me lately, trying to put together a live band, trying to get tips on how to make a living at doing this full-time. I get these calls a lot, and I don't often put stock in them. He sent me some demos, and they were solid. Nothing amazing.
Then I saw them live. They were polished as hell, a super-pro live show with great stage presence, great dynamics, and absolutely practiced to where they were perfect together. Very cool songs, great tones, cool vocal harmonies. I compare them to a bit of a Manchester Orchestra type sound, mixed with some pop like Sherwood or Mae.
I bought a CD (I almost never do that), and I don't regret it. It's the best CD that's been put out in Michigan this year. Recorded in the same studio that produced Copeland and Manchester Orchestra, it has comparable audio quality. This is a professional full-length release. It probably cost him a fortune, but it was worth it. The disc is awesome, as Ron has said in another thread, and we're going to be working with them a lot in the near future.
SUNDAY AT ST. ANDREWS HALL
Tiger Tiger - I'm generally pretty hard on these guys, but I had nothing to be hard on them about on this night. They worked hard to promote. They sold tickets. They brought a crowd. And they sounded GREAT on stage. I think this band might be a better big-stage band than on the smaller DIY stages around the state. St. Andrews Hall didn't scare them (as it has for many others). Their intricate guitar work sounded HUGE on the big system. Brian and Devin don't explore much of the stage, but I think it's because they're worried that Scott might knock them over. He bounced around like a muppet (that's a compliment), and the band was on point the entire 6 song set.
Bad Veins - Cool surprise. Think "The Killers" without all the arena glitz and glam. Raw and tight. They were a two piece band who played with a reel-to-reel machine in the middle, which filled in the sound for them (bass, keys, backup vocals, effects). I kept calling it an "analog iPod". Cool idea. Good band.
Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band - My wife calls Kevin my "man-crush". While that might take it a little too far, I definitely see Kevin as doing no wrong. This would be my sixth time seeing KD, third with the band. Every single time we've done a show for him, it's been completely different. Even the band is different everytime. The first band tour he did was very orchestral, with lots of folks on stage. The second time, I thought it was more about being tight and precise and even a little twangy (with the Get Up Kids). This time, it was all about being loud and noisy. Touring with a 4 piece version of the band, you lost a lot of the intricate alternate instrumentation, but it was replaced with straight up rock and roll.
Starting with "Brother's Blood", "Carnival", and "Another Bag of Bones" is a trio of heaven for me, and Kevin explained it as "the most difficult 3 song start we could do". It set the tone for a blazing set. Loved every second.
Thrice - This band is flawless. Every time. I've never heard them miss a note, and they sound bigger than every single band in the history of earth. OK, maybe that's exaggerating a little, but I've seen them three times now, and they've always been the best band of the night. That includes being better than Brand New, Circa Survive, and on this night, the aforementioned "man-crush".
The set was surprisingly heavy. I thought that with this lineup, Thrice would dial it back a bit, explore some of the deeper cuts on some of the more indie and alt. country sounding discs. The 19-song set was very well balanced, with 4 or 5 songs from Beggars, but also heavily sampling songs from the Alchemy Index, Vheissu, and the Artist and the Ambulance. They even dipped into an older song I wasn't familiar with to close the initial set. I'm glad they didn't give in to the neanderthals who yell "Deadbolt!" in between every song. They brought enough heavy material to keep those folks happy, and had more than enough lighter fare for those of us who aren't into bruising each other anymore.
The thing that amazes me about Thrice is that they're the best in the biz at anything they try. Alt-country twang-fests like "Come All Ye Weary" would fit perfectly alongside bands like Lucero and Murder by Death. The heavier tracks, like "The Earth Will Shake" and "Hold Fast Hope" are as heavy as any band out there. And though they didn't dip into them, the digital/techno-sounding stuff from the Water album on Alchemy Index would fit right in at a Death Cab show.
So I'll say this now. The only band I've ever seen that's better live than Thrice is Muse. Can't compliment much higher than that.
This was an amazing weekend of music, and I needed it greatly, especially heading into this upcoming week of A Skylit Drive and Cute Is What We Aim For.
