The Triumph of Tired Eyes

I caught the tail end of The Kingdom who played an upbeat and quirky set of songs. I couldn’t put my finger on the music that they were doing but it was entertaining. Especially when the lead singer jumped into the sparse crowd to spew out one of his final songs.

I was in the same exact location at the front crowd, nestled between the stage monitors, as I was the last time I took the onslaught of sound by the Silversun Pickups. I was extremely excited to see them again and at a small venue. They predictably started the set with “Melatonin” and within seconds I became prepared for the energetic set. They kept the high level going by playing all their more dynamic songs first including “Well Thought of Twinkies”. They were incredible and played a very intense and tight set. Brian became more enraged towards the end and wound up jumping onto the table in front of me. He almost took the table down, and with his guitar in my face, I quickly grabbed the other end of it so that he didn’t fall. I didn’t want him to get hurt so that I could see the band again tomorrow. 🙂

Viva Voce is a duo originally from Alabama who play lo-fi indie pop. Despite the lack of members in the band, they create a huge sound on stage. Anita is a rock goddess and her guitar playing is intense. Their minimal approach to music is eclipsed by their exceedingly dark and sultry sounds that get layered within their compositions. They brought out a bassist to help play a few songs including “We Don’t Fuck Around”, which I found delightful. I reeeeeally liked this band. I’ll be sure to check em out tomorrow.

Pictures from the show.

Links:
http://www.silversunpickups.com/
http://www.vivavoce.com/

An intimate night of acoustic guitar and talented singers at a small venue in Brooklyn. I was more eager to see Death Vessel tonight since his last performance left me quite moved. This time he was not unaccompanied by a band and the focus rested on his gorgeous yet freakish high-pitched voice. He played a good set but near the end it got a bit tiresome and lacked energy.

The venue filled up quickly to see Jose Gonzalez who took the stage and quietly filled the room with his wonderful songs. I’ve seen this incredible singer many times so I won’t repeat myself on his beautiful combination of song structure and poetic lyrics. My only complaint is that he didn’t play any new songs and no new releases. Although he broke his speaking silence when he strummed a chord on his guitar and called it his “power chord”.

Links:
http://www.deathvessel.com/
http://www.jose-gonzalez.com/

I had a super great birthday. As the clock hit midnight to take me to 30, the radio played Nada Surf’s “Blankest Year” which I felt was a fitting song to start my new decade. I was still on my high from the Apes & Androids show and it marked the 1st night of a week long schedule of concerts I had planned for my celebration. As a treat, I’ve made a birthday mix to help with the festivities. 30 songs for 30 years. Check out the playlist if you want. Make your ipod happy and download the .zip file here. It’s a big file so be patient.

With a bellyful of whiskey, I started out my week of concert celebration with Apes & Androids. I was very excited to see them again live as they put on such a fun live show. Word has spread about this band since the last time I saw them as the very small Sin-e was extremely packed.
This time they didn’t have their large skeleton on stage and had less of their theatrics and rather focused on their music. Despite having a cheesy appearance, their music truly does hold up and it is quite addictive. Although they didn’t have all the “extras” in their stage performance, several audience members took it upon themselves to add flavor to the show by jumping into sleeping bags to dance and attack the crowd. This was a nod to their brilliant music video made for their song “Radio”.

Halfway through the set the lights were shut off and glow sticks were handed out to create a surreal and beautiful ambience for one of their slower songs. This night they couldn’t refuse the crowd’s applause and screams and they gave us an encore and handed out kazoos and proceeded to play the most unique cover of a song I can’t remember the name of. It was hilarious. Mabe it was the whiskey but I’m sure I danced with sleeping bags, got pegged with packets of sour patch kids, and dreamed of colored flourescent lights. Another downright fun show by these New Yorkers. Din na na na HEY! da na na na

Picture & Videos from the show.

Links:

video from their last show.

http://www.apesandandroids.com/

I was glad to show up in time to see Christine Fellows open up. She really surprised me with the range of songs and her strong voice. She seemed very comfortable on stage and had a good crowd. Eager to see her again live.

The Mountain Goats is a band I have been following for quite some time now and have seen John Darnielle perform live many times these past few years. He always puts on a strong performance, but tonight was truly special. Perfect sound, perfect crowd. With 2 sold out shows at Bowery, he commanded the audience with his simple and poetic songs. You could hear a pin drop during the performance and I have never heard the Bowery crowd so quiet. He played a selection of songs from most of his albums and several where the crowd sang along to. The silence was broken when the entire place stomped and screamed for an encore where John came out to play a few more solo and then gave us another encore. Probably the best show he’s ever put on.
Links:

http://www.christinefellows.com/ – nicely designed
Mountain Goats – 4AD

Portland Oregon’s Menomena recently got signed to Barsuk Records and will debut their new album in early 2007. I still think this is one of the best names for a band and their experimental indie jazz compliments the moniker. You can tell this trio is extremely creative and they enjoy playing with sound and it’s textures. Although it’s not that crazy, I feel their disruptive tempo changes and unique compositions are very accessible and enjoy feeling uneasy while tapping my feet when I listen to their songs. The show lacked the energy I witnessed last year at Sin-e and I got the vibe that the crowd didn’t like them as much as I had hoped, but then again, they were probably just waiting for the perfect indie pop songs of the Long Winters.

You can’t deny loving The Long Winters. Their catchy pop songs are perfectly crafted and you’ll find yourself singing along to the clever lyrics. Their new album “Putting The Days To Bed” is an extension of their Ultimatum EP and feels more personal than on the previous recordings. I got a taste of the new new stuff a few weeks ago at the Mercury Lounge and was happy that they were headling the Bowery Ballroom, which they have never done before. John Roderick’s nerdy demeanor and stage presence added more color to the show and stated that Seattle and New York have always been the most receptive to his music. He came out with an American Flag guitar and at one point played the blues per request becuase “He never needs an excuse to play the blues.” The band performed a multitude of songs from all their albums, playing and dodging the countless requests yelled out. As a thank you to their fans, they continued their tradition of not playing encores and proceeded to play for almost 2 hours! The band and the crowd was exhausted but it was worth every second.

Pictures from the show.

Links:

new site
http://www.menomena.com/
but I still like this old one better
http://www.menomena.com/menu2.html

The Long Winters