Fall Concert Recap

I haven't done a good job of keeping up with concert write ups lately. It hasn't been for lack of opportunities though. I have made it to all the ones I planned on going to in my post from August with one exception, the Punch Brothers, and I added one that I wasn't originally planning on, TV on the Radio. The shows were all good in their own way. If I had to rank them, I'd probably go as follows:
1.) TV on the Radio - This show far exceeded my expectations. I didn't know what to expect, but of the bands I saw, I had the least attachment to their music, and my expectations were low. They had incredible energy and really really great musicianship. The crowd was really into it all the way through and the Lakewood Theater is a great place to see a show. Additionally, the opening band, The Dirtbombs, were a sight to see on their own. Even if TVOTR would have been average, The Dirtbombs would have made the show worth seeing.

2.) Why? - Like TV on the Radio, they are another band I had no idea what to expect. I didn't think they would be able to reproduce much of their sound live, but I was pleasantly suprised. There wasn't much improvisation to the show, but they were able to pull off some amazing stuff with just three members. The crowd was a bit of a pain, but the show was a blast. Who knew they drew so much of the frat crowd?

3.) The Mountain Goats - If Kaki King's opening/co-headlining set not been about an hour too long, I might have enjoyed this show more. The Mountain Goats were everything I expected them to be. The people were everything I expected them to be. I love the music and was very pleased at how entertaining it was to see and hear John Darnielle talk about the songs. He had the crowd eating up every dark dry word he sang, and even tried to be Morrissey for a tune.

4.) R.E.M. - I was really tired the night of R.E.M. I don't know why I was so tired, but I was. That paired with seats that were a long way away knocked this show down a couple of notches. That isn't to say that the show wasn't worth every penny though. They are legends, and played tons of songs I never thought I would ever get to hear live. I left the show and remain very pleased that I finally got to see them. After realizing that the rest of the crowd brought cameras, I was really bummed I didn't bring mine.

5.) The New Year - The New Year is the kind of band that isn't the most exciting band in the world to see. Their slow, textured music doesn't necessarily draw huge crowds, and isn't for everyone. They don't say much from the stage. They are incredible musicians and songwriters though. I think about half of the members of every local opening band I have ever seen around here were at that show. They certainly have the respect of that crowd, and I was glad to be there.

All in all, if the New Year show was the worst show I saw over these past couple of months, I have had a stinking great run of shows. I'm glad to get the chance to make it out to see bands play. Every one of these shows was worth a few hours of lost sleep. It is nice to live somewhere that gets this much great stuff coming through. Sure we don't get everything I would like to see, but it certainly beats everywhere else I have lived.

There isn't too much else on the horizon that I am planning on. I'm definintely psyched to catch Danielson in a couple of weeks. Seeing Daniel Smith perform in any incarnation never gets old. The only other show on the schedule is the Polyphonic Spree Christmas Extravaganza. The last two have certainly made me ready for a third. Anybody want to join me for either one? Both bands are the kind that even if you don't like them on disc, you will have a ton of fun seeing them live. Come give them a shot.