Jan 31 2005

Stop, Drop and Roll

Quite a weekend. Much better than my last one, thanks.

Friday night I travelled up to the bustling metropolis of Baltimore with Miss Gl*mrocker to see The Bravery (aka The Next Big Thing) play at Fletcher's. It was my first time ever at Fletcher's and I liked it much better than the Ottobar. Much less of an ashtray. And guess what? The Bravery were the goods. In fact I'd say they were actually deserving of the hype that's getting tossed their way. They aren't exactly re-inventing the wheel with their sound but they had great energy and good tunes. I really enjoyed the show.
They wear their influences on their sleeve, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. They have a Strokes song, a Hot Hot Heat song, a Joy Division song, etc. I kept trying to think of a single band to compare their sound to and was leaning towards early (read:good) u2 but then the band knocked me for a loop during their encore with a spot on version of the INXS classic Don't Change that had the young 'uns in the crowd looking on with a confused look on their face. INXS is so effing best. Check that, pre-Welcome To Wherever You Are INXS is so effing best. But I digress...The Bravery, information leafblower approved and endorsed. Get those tickets for the Black Cat in March opening for Ash right now yo!

I bought the band's 3 song EP from iTunes on Saturday morning and it's so worth your $3. Buy It Here

Buy Don't Change from INXS here

Buy those four songs and download these two to complete your unofficial starter kit for The Bravery:
Public Service - This song has to be a single. Killer hook and chorus.
I Don't See No Ring On This Finger

Fun Fact: Although the band are "from New York" (really, who isn't these days) the lead singer and bassist are from the Baltimore area and pointed out their parents during the show.

Saturday I was supposed to go to Randi's bday party at Rhumba Cafe but it started snowing and the roads looked less than safe so I stayed in, drank some vino and watched the Celtics beat the Bulls for the second time this month. Chicago has lost only three games in January and two of them have been to PP and Co. That was a great win for us, now if we can just keep that momentum going.

Sunday I watched I Am Trying To Break Your Heart and although I enjoyed it, I still don't "get" Wilco. I found myself doing other things during the concert numbers but otherwise enjoyed watching the band deal with getting dropped and finding a new home. Sunday night I went to the Arcade Fire show at the 930 club with Glamourpuss and some of the DCist folk. I know the last thing the internets need is more bandwidth pointed at this band but what other choice do I have when a band lives up to all that hype? There's been plenty written about the band's music and not sure what I can add to that but I can tell you seeing this band perform live is something special.

I walked out of the venue wondering why all concerts aren't like theirs. And by that I mean here is a band putting on a show, an event, an experience. There were upwards of eight people on stage at all time, all of them doing something special on stage, whether it be drumming on whatever they could get their drum sticks on, staging mock fights or climbing down from the dressing room railing onto the stage. Visually, it was alot to take in. When is the last time you've seen a band use every available inch of the stage?

The band was so enthusiastic throughout the show it couldn't help but carry over into the crowd. Win talked about how they were doing Conan on Tuesday because Maroon 5 cancelled and talked about the absurdity of it all. You can tell they love what they do and appreciate everything that's being thrown at them right now. It's refreshing.

The high points of the show were a peppy No Cars Go and the incredible 1,2 punch of the Neighborhood #3 / Rebellion medley, but the best part of the show was as they were winding down the final song of their encore, the band lined up and walked out onto the floor (still playing) and walked through the crowd, up the stairs in the back of the venue and traipsed around the balcony on the way to their dressing room. And when the houselights came up and people were filing out of the venue, the band was in their dressing room STILL playing. Respect.

Buy the No Cars Go single from iTunes here

Buy the album from iTunes here

**UPDATE**Here is the DCist review.

Here's the Coachella lineup. Impressive but I don't think the headliners are anything special. Coldplay is the most boring live band on the planet.

Posted by Kyle in Permalink

Comments

Posted by: tom at January 31, 2005 10:20 AM

Posted by: matt at January 31, 2005 10:24 AM

Posted by: kev at January 31, 2005 12:52 PM

Posted by: Miss K at February 1, 2005 10:47 AM

Posted by: redboy at February 1, 2005 7:49 PM