current tune: coheed and cambria - welcome home
apparently competition from other epic prog emo bands has forced coheed and cambria to add strings to their music. also, due to my having my head in the sand, i have just now noticed that coheed's 3rd album is already out, as is the accompanying graphic novel.
anyhue, the show last night:
Wolf Parade:
as good as i knew the show had to be, it was better. hearing people say they're the next arcade fire actually makes sense now. the difference between the album version of "modern world" and the demo version is about like the difference between the album and the show. case in point: "this heart's on fire" on album, it's a slow, drawling, bruce sprinsteen "i am trying to sound passionate" piece of shit. live, it's a crazy stomping rock anthem. it's a shame the audience wasn't as into it as the singer was, gulping down beer in between twitching out verses. granted, they were pretty into it for an indie show opening band. and the "i'm to cool to enjoy this" commentary by the really tall guys next to us did turn me on to the fact that the band formed in victoria, so now the wifest can actually have something good to point to about victoria. or not. anyways, definately a great rock show.
The Arcade Fire:
the arcade fire are not a rock band. they are gods. they are evolved from equal parts rock, theatre, and orchestra.
there's nothing like seeing a band for the first time. except seeing them closer, 20° cooler, and in the right setting. watching our new roommate's (set designer) wide eyed stares at the set she could see waiting to descend around the arcade fire was pretty cool. their set was basically a recreation of their parent's living rooms, in warm incandescent lights and upholstered couches. very awesome, very fitting. the show itself was absolutely perfect, with mock beating, eatings, make-outs and all manner of melodramatic posturing. stripped down, straight ahead rock is fun and all, but i like Shows. Performances. something to reward my paying $30 admission and $12.50 for two drinks.
5 Comments
:O
There were mock beatings and makeouts?
I saw a little bit of strangulation because Darcy told me to try to adjust myself so that I could see a certain part of the stage, but for the most part I could only see the members who were standing still. Next time I’m wearing 5″ heels or something.
There are several really good Victoria bands. Unfortunately, none of them make up for the fact that Hot Hot Heat came out of Victoria. Until that whole travesty’s forgotten, I’m going to continue to give the vague “western Canada” answer when people ask me where I moved from.
yeah, the napoleon dynamite looking guy, and the guy who dresses like he’s in marching band beat each other with helmets on during laika, and the chellist beats everybody with his bow.
and i _think_ the french horn player was making out with somebody behind the french horn at one point, and he definately gave somebody a vampire bite earlier in the show.
also, it could be worse. your city could be known for R.E.O. Speedwagon.
p.s.
this guy has a detailed breakdown of the beatings. (i ♥ technorati)
I’ve never heard of either of those bands. How would you describe their style?
wolf parade is weird and retro sounding, or maybe that’s just the keyboards talking. they’re dancy and intense and… yeah.
i don’t do “sounds like” descriptions, but i don’t know what kind of descriptions i do.
the arcade fire used to be typical indie pop, then they moved to montreal. (home of godspeed you! black emperor). the best description of GY!BE is “part post-rock, part something-as-yet-unheard-of”. arcade fire seems to have picked that up from hanging out with them (not the post-rock part). i was joking about them in the beginning with the quip about “epic prog emo bands”. they’re on a permanent creschendo, always more intense and emotional and terrible than the measure before. there’s nothing like them.
check out the pitchfork reviews of both bands if you want descriptions that actually make sense.
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