I know by this point (11/5) it was no longer Roctober, but decided to tag this on because it was the 5th straight week I had a show to see.
Ra Ra Riot @ 9:30 Club
I am beginning to think that I am cursed to never see these guys play a full set again for the rest of my life. I discovered Ra Ra Riot nearly 4 years ago when they opened for Jukebox the Ghost at Rock and Roll Hotel or vice versa, I can't remember. I instantly fell in love with their brand of Baroque Pop, as well as their female violinist and cellist (call me!). Their use of the strings to accent their bouncy pop. I am always surprised by the darker lyrical content in their catchy music, but it seems to work well for them.
At any rate, every subsequent time Ra Ra Riot has played the DC area, I have been out of town. When I was able to see them open for Cold War Kids and Death Cab for Cutie at DAR Constitution Hall, we came late only to catch 2-3 songs of the set. This time was no different. My concert going companion asked me if it was an early show out of the blue on the day of the show, so I looked it up only to discover that the show was indeed an early show. When we got to the venue they were mid set (although I believe we were able to catch at least 3/4 of the set). I did not have much time to give The Orchard much of a listen, but it seems to be a natural progression. I was actually rather impressed with vocals from cellist, Alexandra Lawn. I heard nearly every song I wanted except for my favorite, Can't You Tell. I will continue to try to see a full set from these upstarts from Upstate New York. If nothing else, but to continue my ever expanding collection of their concert tees (sooo comfortable, and stylish to boot).
Friday, December 31, 2010
Roctoberfest: Weeks 3 and 4
Matt and Kim @ 9:30 Club
I've had the privilege of seeing Matt and Kim a few times by this point. I have a good time every time they play. We (two friends and I) arrived early for a listening party for their new album, Sidewalks. This, it turns out, was not such a great idea. The venue was too loud and filled with underage shrieks and giggles to clearly hear anything and the listening party was more of background music. Frankly, I wish I had spent the time drinking over at Duffy's with my other friends.
Some rapper opened for the band. I don't remember his name, nor do I really remember his act except for 2 things: His DJ was really good (he spun a few songs on his own to get the crowd going and he did well) and he and his cohorts were whipping water into the crowd to get them rowdy. All it served to do was annoy me to get splashed in the face with water every seven minutes. I should have called them Ol' Faithful with that kind of regularity.
My poor friend, Helen, was crushed amongst a writhing throng of underage kids as soon as the Brooklyn Duo took the stage, and wasted almost no time retreating to a less smush-happy part of the floor. I managed to stick it out until they played Grand. The second song of the set was Good Old Fashioned Nightmare. Dozens of kid jumped to the front of the floor in a frenzy. Kim went crazy for it, and actually encouraged more to do so, which turned the floor into a frothy, sweaty mess. Shortly afterward, I nearly had my eye gouged out by a short guy with a birthday hat on pogoing in front of me. Kim came out, walking on the hands of the crowd and did a little booty shaking for us. I had to laugh as the underage kids who had pushed to the front were too weak to hold her up once she started shaking it in earnest.
I was rather surprised that during the entire set, they only played one song off the new album (nearly exhausting the first two), one that they play at every DC show. I didn't mind, as I still feel that though Cameras is really good, I still prefer the first two albums to Sidewalks.
I still get a kick out of these kids every time they roll through. You're never gonna find more enthusiastic people playing music for others. They're effervescent without being saccharine. Here's to you Matt & Kim.
Local Natives @ 9:30 Club
I have been waiting to see these guys since I missed them play at Rock and Roll Hotel earlier this year. I had a surreal experience during the opening act. My friends were checking out these girls that were dancing near us, and admittedly they were looking pretty good if it weren't for the wildly flailing hippy dancing. Even more odd, they approached me and knew my name. It became readily evident that they knew my little brother from college and that we had actually met at one point. There were a few awkward moments where they took pictures with me almost assuredly texting them to my brother, and me being unsure as whether to ask them to stay and hang out or to just let them go. We opted for the latter.
Initial impressions of the band were: Lead singer looks a little like Joaquin Phoenix from where I was standing. The band was bigger than I had initially imagined. The hype about the live show put on by these guys was not just hype but well-deserved word of mouth. Their booming afro-funk beats coupled with their choral choruses were a perfect mix. They also found ample opportunities to rip forth with little rock-out moments. They murdered the crowd with Sunhands and pretty much solidified my patronage for future shows.
I was initially torn on the decision to go to this show. Phantogram was playing Black Cat the same night, but in the end, I was very happy with my decision.
I've had the privilege of seeing Matt and Kim a few times by this point. I have a good time every time they play. We (two friends and I) arrived early for a listening party for their new album, Sidewalks. This, it turns out, was not such a great idea. The venue was too loud and filled with underage shrieks and giggles to clearly hear anything and the listening party was more of background music. Frankly, I wish I had spent the time drinking over at Duffy's with my other friends.
Some rapper opened for the band. I don't remember his name, nor do I really remember his act except for 2 things: His DJ was really good (he spun a few songs on his own to get the crowd going and he did well) and he and his cohorts were whipping water into the crowd to get them rowdy. All it served to do was annoy me to get splashed in the face with water every seven minutes. I should have called them Ol' Faithful with that kind of regularity.
My poor friend, Helen, was crushed amongst a writhing throng of underage kids as soon as the Brooklyn Duo took the stage, and wasted almost no time retreating to a less smush-happy part of the floor. I managed to stick it out until they played Grand. The second song of the set was Good Old Fashioned Nightmare. Dozens of kid jumped to the front of the floor in a frenzy. Kim went crazy for it, and actually encouraged more to do so, which turned the floor into a frothy, sweaty mess. Shortly afterward, I nearly had my eye gouged out by a short guy with a birthday hat on pogoing in front of me. Kim came out, walking on the hands of the crowd and did a little booty shaking for us. I had to laugh as the underage kids who had pushed to the front were too weak to hold her up once she started shaking it in earnest.
I was rather surprised that during the entire set, they only played one song off the new album (nearly exhausting the first two), one that they play at every DC show. I didn't mind, as I still feel that though Cameras is really good, I still prefer the first two albums to Sidewalks.
I still get a kick out of these kids every time they roll through. You're never gonna find more enthusiastic people playing music for others. They're effervescent without being saccharine. Here's to you Matt & Kim.
Local Natives @ 9:30 Club
I have been waiting to see these guys since I missed them play at Rock and Roll Hotel earlier this year. I had a surreal experience during the opening act. My friends were checking out these girls that were dancing near us, and admittedly they were looking pretty good if it weren't for the wildly flailing hippy dancing. Even more odd, they approached me and knew my name. It became readily evident that they knew my little brother from college and that we had actually met at one point. There were a few awkward moments where they took pictures with me almost assuredly texting them to my brother, and me being unsure as whether to ask them to stay and hang out or to just let them go. We opted for the latter.
Initial impressions of the band were: Lead singer looks a little like Joaquin Phoenix from where I was standing. The band was bigger than I had initially imagined. The hype about the live show put on by these guys was not just hype but well-deserved word of mouth. Their booming afro-funk beats coupled with their choral choruses were a perfect mix. They also found ample opportunities to rip forth with little rock-out moments. They murdered the crowd with Sunhands and pretty much solidified my patronage for future shows.
I was initially torn on the decision to go to this show. Phantogram was playing Black Cat the same night, but in the end, I was very happy with my decision.
Roctoberfest: Week 2
The Thermals @ Black Cat
I have seen the Thermals before, at Black Cat even. It even made my top 5 concerts of last year. So understand me when I say, that this concert through the last one in the pit, and stomped it to a bloody mess.
I was joined by my cohort from last year's concert to enjoy this one promoting their new album, Personal Life. Each of their albums deals with a theme ranging from religion, to death, to the current theme of intimacy and relationships. The Thermals continue to provide angsty post punk that brings you back to rocking out with your friends in black t-shirts damning "the man". While it maintains that feel, the new album serves up some pretty heavy lyrics with strong content.
Last year's concert was a slug to the mouth. It played loud fast with almost no pauses. Lead singer, Hutch Harris, was somewhat subdued only giving song names and brief "thank yous". This time he was more than actively engaged with the crowd, breaking several strings and gallivanting around the stage while providing some wicked guitars. The pit was bigger this year, although my friends were not as into the idea of going in this year. I must say that it was a good call because some poor bastard lost his shoe and stepped on a broken glass or something. We saw him hobbling out of the venue with a bloody near gangrenous foot. If The Thermals continue to produce a product this high energy and cathartic, I will continue to buy tickets well in advance.
Jukebox the Ghost @ Black Cat
I had tickets to this show, but as mentioned above, my friend from last year's Thermals' show was in town, so I decided to skip the show. I had just watched a streaming acoustic set of them online, and was just so exhausted by the schedule that I just decided to skip the show. Full disclosure: this would be another solo show for me, and while I am now inoculated to the experience, it's not something I enjoy more than hanging with good friends.
I have seen the Thermals before, at Black Cat even. It even made my top 5 concerts of last year. So understand me when I say, that this concert through the last one in the pit, and stomped it to a bloody mess.
I was joined by my cohort from last year's concert to enjoy this one promoting their new album, Personal Life. Each of their albums deals with a theme ranging from religion, to death, to the current theme of intimacy and relationships. The Thermals continue to provide angsty post punk that brings you back to rocking out with your friends in black t-shirts damning "the man". While it maintains that feel, the new album serves up some pretty heavy lyrics with strong content.
Last year's concert was a slug to the mouth. It played loud fast with almost no pauses. Lead singer, Hutch Harris, was somewhat subdued only giving song names and brief "thank yous". This time he was more than actively engaged with the crowd, breaking several strings and gallivanting around the stage while providing some wicked guitars. The pit was bigger this year, although my friends were not as into the idea of going in this year. I must say that it was a good call because some poor bastard lost his shoe and stepped on a broken glass or something. We saw him hobbling out of the venue with a bloody near gangrenous foot. If The Thermals continue to produce a product this high energy and cathartic, I will continue to buy tickets well in advance.
Jukebox the Ghost @ Black Cat
I had tickets to this show, but as mentioned above, my friend from last year's Thermals' show was in town, so I decided to skip the show. I had just watched a streaming acoustic set of them online, and was just so exhausted by the schedule that I just decided to skip the show. Full disclosure: this would be another solo show for me, and while I am now inoculated to the experience, it's not something I enjoy more than hanging with good friends.
Posting update
Apologies to everyone for my lack of posting for the last quarter. I've had a few blogs ready to go, simply waiting for pics. As I still don't have some of the pics I will be posting blogs without them, and hopefully add them in later.
Roctoberfest: Week 1 Continues
The xx @ 9:30 Club
I was able to get tickets to this sold out show relatively early and had been anticipating it for quite some time as I had already missed The xx play at the Sixth and I Synagogue, and open for Hot Chip at 9:30. I got into The xx at the beginning of the year having just missed the hype of 2009. I love their debut album. Subversive, dark, with not a single wasted note. It was surprising that such a young band had developed such a mature sound.
I was surprised at how loud the band could get. The band came on stage with just three members (missing second guitarist/keyboardist, Baria Qureshi) and played a heavily expanded version of the album's Intro. I was expecting them to sound virtually exactly the same as the album with a few embellishments here and there; and I was not surprised. The concert itself was played very well, and I had a great time. Is it an act I feel I need to see again? Not likely (especially if rumors of their breakup are true). Highlights included Intro, Islands, and Stars. The lighting played heavily on the interplay between Romy and Oliver with spots trading between the two as they sang. It was a neat trick, but slightly overplayed.
Ratatat and Dom @ 9:30 Club
It was slightly embarrassing to return to 9:30 two days later for another show and have the ticket taker recognize me. I had just had two slices of pizza off D.C. Slices' food truck at the BYT Curbside Cook Off. My companion was feeling somewhat sick, but knew he would have caught major shit from me had he bailed. He toughed it out and we went to the show anyway.
Full disclosure about my knowledge of Dom: I knew barely anything about them outside having listened to their EP a few times during the summer. I thought I had heard from someone that they were a band from New Zealand and frankly, the lead singer sounded like a girl to me on the album. That being said, I was confused when a bunch of what looked to be like male tweens stepped on stage and announced they were from Worcester, Massachusetts. Their sound was somewhat harder than off the album (which I liked) and made most of their songs unrecognizable to me. At this point, I just wrote it off to a case of mistaken identity, and perhaps there were just two bands touring with that name. If the band was really from New Zealand then I don't think it would be out of the realm of possibility to have two bands touring the with same name. I was of course wrong. When the band closed with Living in America it became clear the bands were one in the same, and I had just gotten some bad information.
I had never been to a Ratatat show before, or anything remotely resembling an electropop show before. I don't usually listen to a whole lot of instrumental music, but I had heard too many good things about their shows that I just had to check them out. I had only started listening to their most recent album, which I actually do find pretty good. We ran into two of our friends while at the concert only to have them swept away later by the crushing wave of bodies that started moving as soon as the music started. One of them looked completely miserable as she was being pressed between two large gentleman and a couple that had pushed their way to the front only to stop directly in front of her. We made an attempt to shove directly in front of them. Having just done the same thing, it was funny to see them struggle with the desire to call us out but realizing they could not do so without incriminating themselves. Alas, the crowds proved too crazy for our friend and she relegated herself to the bar area while Pete and I soldiered on.
The visuals during a Ratatat show are strange and absurd ranging from large jungle cats, to foppish dandies playing stringed instruments, to big bootie hoes shaking it all on transparent plastic walls that allowed for projections from behind. I found the most entertaining parts of the show to be when both members engaged in drum duets at the front of the stage. The show was exhausting, but super fun. Again, another show I feel like I don't need to revisit now that I've had the experience though.
I was able to get tickets to this sold out show relatively early and had been anticipating it for quite some time as I had already missed The xx play at the Sixth and I Synagogue, and open for Hot Chip at 9:30. I got into The xx at the beginning of the year having just missed the hype of 2009. I love their debut album. Subversive, dark, with not a single wasted note. It was surprising that such a young band had developed such a mature sound.
I was surprised at how loud the band could get. The band came on stage with just three members (missing second guitarist/keyboardist, Baria Qureshi) and played a heavily expanded version of the album's Intro. I was expecting them to sound virtually exactly the same as the album with a few embellishments here and there; and I was not surprised. The concert itself was played very well, and I had a great time. Is it an act I feel I need to see again? Not likely (especially if rumors of their breakup are true). Highlights included Intro, Islands, and Stars. The lighting played heavily on the interplay between Romy and Oliver with spots trading between the two as they sang. It was a neat trick, but slightly overplayed.
Ratatat and Dom @ 9:30 Club
It was slightly embarrassing to return to 9:30 two days later for another show and have the ticket taker recognize me. I had just had two slices of pizza off D.C. Slices' food truck at the BYT Curbside Cook Off. My companion was feeling somewhat sick, but knew he would have caught major shit from me had he bailed. He toughed it out and we went to the show anyway.
Full disclosure about my knowledge of Dom: I knew barely anything about them outside having listened to their EP a few times during the summer. I thought I had heard from someone that they were a band from New Zealand and frankly, the lead singer sounded like a girl to me on the album. That being said, I was confused when a bunch of what looked to be like male tweens stepped on stage and announced they were from Worcester, Massachusetts. Their sound was somewhat harder than off the album (which I liked) and made most of their songs unrecognizable to me. At this point, I just wrote it off to a case of mistaken identity, and perhaps there were just two bands touring with that name. If the band was really from New Zealand then I don't think it would be out of the realm of possibility to have two bands touring the with same name. I was of course wrong. When the band closed with Living in America it became clear the bands were one in the same, and I had just gotten some bad information.
I had never been to a Ratatat show before, or anything remotely resembling an electropop show before. I don't usually listen to a whole lot of instrumental music, but I had heard too many good things about their shows that I just had to check them out. I had only started listening to their most recent album, which I actually do find pretty good. We ran into two of our friends while at the concert only to have them swept away later by the crushing wave of bodies that started moving as soon as the music started. One of them looked completely miserable as she was being pressed between two large gentleman and a couple that had pushed their way to the front only to stop directly in front of her. We made an attempt to shove directly in front of them. Having just done the same thing, it was funny to see them struggle with the desire to call us out but realizing they could not do so without incriminating themselves. Alas, the crowds proved too crazy for our friend and she relegated herself to the bar area while Pete and I soldiered on.
The visuals during a Ratatat show are strange and absurd ranging from large jungle cats, to foppish dandies playing stringed instruments, to big bootie hoes shaking it all on transparent plastic walls that allowed for projections from behind. I found the most entertaining parts of the show to be when both members engaged in drum duets at the front of the stage. The show was exhausting, but super fun. Again, another show I feel like I don't need to revisit now that I've had the experience though.
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