Shows That I’ve Peeped Lately
Over the past month or so I went to some real neato deato smeato concerts. (Are we still calling them concerts? What are the hipster losers calling them these days? Rawk shows? Gigs? Smegma?)
First up was Thursday and Far at Bowery Ballroom. Oh yeah and the terrible opening band, Midnight Masses. Some of the most boring music I’ve heard in a long time and their performance was even more boring. This is exactly the kind of crap that Pitchfork is going to tell you is so hip right now. It was kind of sad actually because all six members sang but they did the most boring harmonies and background lines possible. It’s really a waste to have that many people in a band that can sing and just have them doing “ahhhhhhhh” on one note for a whole song. So I’m sure this time next year this band will be huge and having Carrie Underwood open for them.
Far was amazing as expected. I’ve been listening to them for over ten years and it was great to finally see them live. They didn’t play any new material from their upcoming which was good idea I believe. I was surprised that at least half of the audience seemed to know the songs and that some mini pits broke out. It’s too bad that the only shirts they had were youth small since I clock in at over 500 pounds.
Thursday played their “breakthrough” album, Full Collapse, from front to back. Personally, I would have preferred to hear War All The Time instead but Full Collapse translates better live than the recording. Geoff, the singer from Thursday, had also joined Midnight Masses and Far each for a song so that was something that happened. After playing Full Collapse Thursday played about six more songs including Jet Black New Year, which is scientifically their best song for sure. I’ll be seeing them again in December and hopefully they’ll play some of the better songs off of Common Existence. Also playing that show will be Dillinger Escape Plan(!), Glassjaw(!!!!!!) and United Nations(?!). When we got flyers for this while waiting in line we thought it was a joke because the lineup is almost too good to be true.
Sorry ladies, take your tampon napkin somewhere else!
The next night I saw Far at the Mercury Lounge. The two opening were both crap in their own way. The first band was trying to do some Elvis Costello nerd pop nonsense and the second listened to way too much of Finch’s What It Is To Burn. Luckily Far destroyed everyone’s face. They got to pull out some more songs than the night before and even did a little of a bit new song, which was pretty chill and about Chi from the Deftones who has been in a coma for over a year now. I hope the new album isn’t junk and that they stop by to visit me again.
The last show I went to was Pinback at the Irving Plaza. I saw them there before and for a bigger venue it’s pretty cool. Pinback seemed kind of tired this time around. I’ve seen them about 10 times at this point and I’ve never heard them play the songs at the actual tempo that’s on the album before. Maybe they’re getting too comfortable on their new rock star tour bus. It was still a good show and Rob Crow can do no wrong in my eyes. Speaking of Rob Crow, he did some karaoke before the opening band and invited people from the audience to come up and sing a song as well. I thought it was a much better way to kill time before the opening band than staring at an empty stage for an hour. Once again, the opening band was junk. I really didn’t need to hear some more indie garage rock that Pitchfork probably loves. Pinback didn’t even have a new tour ep this time around. I mean if you’re going to tour behind the same album again you might as well take some more of my money.
Cockaoke.
I’m seeing Cave In this week. It should be a good show but I’ll be missing at least the first opening band since I’m playing a show in the city earlier in the evening. I probably won’t be missing much but you never know. I like to at least give the opening bands a chance even if their recorded material is crap. Some bands are just much better live and aren’t very good at capturing that on a cd. I’m looking at you One Minute Silence and Filter (besides Short Bus).
I’ll probably be seeing Melt-Banana again too. They always put on a great show and I feel a certain kinship with them. Wink…
Japanese princess?
Jackercrap 