The Vancouver band Elias is putting on a daylong concert tomorrow (Friday, Dec 18th). The concert will run from 10am - 6pm outside of Library Square, in three set-up stages. Elias will be playing with other local Vancouver bands, Said the Whale, Adaline and We Are The City.
Elias has been running the "Give me truth" campaign, which is dedicated to helping War Child. War Child is a charity that helps war-affected children. Elias has a "Give me truth" petition online and if you sign it, you will receive a free download package that contains two songs and a video.
The main purpose of the Busking For Change concert is to raise money for the War Child charity. It's a great purpose and it's a cool location. I really wish I could attend but I'm away in Seattle right now. Hopefully the weather holds up for the concert.
If you're interested in going, there is the full schedule of who's playing at what time on Facebook.
When I found out The Xx and Friendly Fires were playing together, I was slightly surprised. Only because the two bands give off different vibes and energy. The Xx are very good but very slow. While Friendly Fires are really upbeat, they don't really have any slow songs.
It was almost like I went to two completely different concerts tonight. I relaxed during The Xx and thirty minutes later, I went crazy with Friendly Fires.
The Xx
I enjoyed most of the songs The Xx played. "Shelter", "Crystalised", "Heart Skipped a Beat", and "Night Time" were all performed excellently. The quality of their songs was very good. But to be honest, I don't have much else to say. I don't really remember much of their part of the concert except for that it sounded good. There was nothing bad about it but nothing too special about it either.
It did seem like a lot of people came just to see The Xx though. I think they should've headlined their own show at a smaller venue. They could've easily filled the Biltmore.
Friendly Fires
The original three-piece band, Friendly Fires, was definitely more memorable, mainly because of their energy, and maybe because I like their music a little more (no offense to The Xx). The Xx was very good but the energy was mediocre compared to Friendly Fires.
As soon as they started out, I was happy. The lead singer, Ed Macfarlane, dances so hard; it's so awesome. He's so energetic that it's contagious. And it isn't only him either, the rest of the band members have loads of energy as well, especially the guitarist, Edd Gibson. As for the drummer, Jack Savidge, he bangs it all out on the drums.
My one complaint about the Friendly Fires part of the show is: the vocal acoustics were very quiet. At first, you could barely hear Macfarlane. Then, someone slightly turned the volume knob so you could hear the vocals but they still weren't as loud as I would've liked them to be.
Besides the vocal acoustics issue, I really enjoyed this concert. I liked the cool ending they added to "Photobooth". They had trumpet and saxophone players performing in the background. This is gonna sound intense but it was euphoric.
Macfarlane introduced "White Diamonds" by saying it was inspired by German techno. When he said that, I really wondered which song it could be and I guess it makes sense that out of all their songs, this would be the one that falls into that category. But apparently, a couple of their other songs are influenced by German techno as well. Who would've known? I was really glad they played their new song, "Kiss of Life", as well. This song is really fun to dance to. It just makes me want to stomp around.
At first, I was kind of disappointed that "Ex Lover" was the encore song. That's because it's not my most favourite song on their album, Friendly Fires. But the band performed it so well that I've changed my mind. Gibson ran through the audience near the end of this song, and right by me. I'm not gonna lie, I thought about reaching out to grab him but I resisted.
The band has jumped into the audience the last two times I saw them as well so I definitely expected at least one of them to go into the audience. The first time I saw them at Richards' on Richards, Gibson and Macfarlane went into the audience and performed but that was back when they weren't as popular (they were opening for Lykke Li at the time).
Out of all the songs performed, "On Board" was probably my favourite. They really got the audience pumped on this one. At the end of this song, I just went nuts. I posted the video to this song at the end of this entry, which you should definitely check out.
I was exhausted by the end of the concert from dancing and singing so hard. Thank you, Friendly Fires. I needed that.
After Fool's Gold dragged their show on for a little too long, Metronomy lit up the stage at the Red Room with chest lights and personality. The UK band had visited Vancouver last January and played a crazy show at the Biltmore Cabaret. This time, I was excited to see that they were playing at a venue that was constructed a little better for a concert but to my surprise, it wasn't as packed as their last show. Considering it was a Tuesday night, it was impressive that at least the die hard fans showed up anyway.
They started the show with "Night Out Intro" and transcended it into "Heart Rate Rapid", which was performed fairly well. My two favourite songs, "The End of You Too" and "Back on the Motorway", weren't performed as well as some of the other songs. I felt like songs from Pip Paine (pay back the £5000 you owe) and from the new EP, Not Made For Love, were performed better than songs from Nights Out. I know the band has recently acquired two new members and has decided to drop their computer as a live band member. But when I saw them in January, I felt like the computer did a better job on these two songs. It just seems like the band needs to practice some of their songs a little more.
Besides a couple songs that weren't played that well, there were plenty that were played well. "You Could Easily Have Me", "What Do I Do Now", and "Holiday" were all played excellently. "What Do I Do Now" had a sweet live twist to it. Joseph Mount (vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist) talked to the audience a lot, which was nice. I always like it when the band speaks to the audience. He even invited everyone out to play pool with them at the end of the show. Mount also introduced the new, and old, members of the band while the beginning of "A Thing For Me" (the Breakbot remix) was playing in the background, which ended up transitioning into the original "A Thing For Me." Very nice touch.
The band had those little push lights on their chests; the same push lights that appear in the "Trick or Treatz" video. These lights were synchronized with the beats of the music. I thought this was very cool, obviously.
I know I'm probably making it sound like the band needs their computer back asap but that isn't really what I meant. Really, I just think they need to practice a little more. I really think the band will be phenomenal live once they all get on the same page. I still danced a lot and ended up sweating. And to be honest, that was the most I've sweated and danced in a long time. I remember the last Metronomy concert was the same; a nice sweaty dance fest. So besides my two favourite songs not sounding as good as I had hoped, the concert was still enjoyable for the most part.
Opening for one of Canada's favourite acts (Elliott Brood), The Wooden Sky took the stage after the progressive, almost acid rock-like band, Sleepy Sun. The Wooden Sky is a four-piece band from Toronto. They have recently released their second album, If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone and it's an album that deserves a description that's similar to this review of their live performance.
Every time I enter the under layer of the Biltmore Cabaret, I always feel like I'm being transported into a different world. Maybe it's the hot atmosphere, the red lighting or something I can't put my finger on but whatever it is, depending on the band playing, I can be transported into other worlds that the Biltmore can't do on its own. The Wooden Sky did just that. Each of their songs reminded of a different city. When they first started, I felt as if I was in the Maritime provinces again, listening to a family jam session. Then, they played "Angels" and I was all of a sudden in Romania. Each song painted a new image in my head. Songs like, "Lock and Key", brought me to the deserts of Las Vegas, and others like, "The Late King Henry", took me to the edge of the Mississippi River. The band's music could be described as wanderer's music, due to the way it made my brain travel. "Angels" and "Lock and Key" were probably my favourite out of all the songs that were played. I liked the electric guitar solo in "Lock and Key" and the imagery that "Angels" sketched for me.
To be honest, I liked the Wooden Sky more than Elliott Brood. No offense to Elliott Brood but I enjoyed Gavin Gardiner's delectably cracking voice a little more than Sasso's raspy one. The Wooden Sky performed very well and they were well-received by the audience. I was surprised to here how hard the audience was clapping and cheering at the end of their show. I wasn't surprised because I thought they didn't deserve it or anything (because they definitely did) but surprised just because that doesn't usually happen. I'm sure anyone who's been to a concert will understand what I mean by this. You're always pleasantly surprised when the opening band is good. They had former Mother Mother member, Debra Jean Creelman, join them on stage. It was kind of hard to hear her but it's the thought that counts.
With chords hanging from the ceiling and sweaty plaid shirts on the ground, The Wooden Sky performed to impress. Their songs invited the audience to join them in their wander through cities of different emotions.
The Wooden Sky - Oh my god - It still means a lot to me
Every once and a while, I enjoy listening to something that isn't an electrified dance beat. When I was contacted about Here Is What Is, I was pleasantly surprised after listening to a sample of their EP, Done Before It Starts. The band is described as "genre-bending, experimental indie rock", which I would agree with to a certain extent.
The band was created in Vancouver and their formation was catalyzed by the bassist, Josh Cole (who attended Capilano College/University in North Vancouver).
For a good majority of last night's concert at the Media Club, my mind floated along with the music. I don't think this is a bad thing. I do enjoy going to a concert and letting my imagination travel with the music. With the wavering guitar sounds and soft, long vocals in songs like "Done Before It Starts", "Lucy and the Lost Lions", and "Please Wake Up"; it's hard not to let your imagination take control of your thoughts.
"You Can't Not Dance" was a song that stood out. This tune has a steady, catchy beat that emits pure emotion. The female vocalist/guitarist, stated that the audience should dance at this point but no one seemed to take this advice (unless there were a few at the front I couldn't see), me being one of them. With no offense to the band, this song isn't exactly a song I would dance to, which isn't a bad thing. It's a great song. It's most definitely my favourite aside from "Final Fantasy." It's just a fairly slow beat that really just makes me want to bob my head, move my shoulders a little and let my mind dance to.
All-in-all, the concert was well-performed. Perhaps it's because the band consists of siblings and good friends, but they all seem to be on the same musical page. Here Is What Is is going on tour to promote their new EP and I'm sure by the end of the tour, they will be heading towards bigger and better things.
Amidst the hot and sweaty atmosphere of the Biltmore, La Roux and her band mates took the stage in hopes of getting everyone even hotter and sweatier. The show started with "Tigerlily", which was performed well but I felt as if La Roux (a.k.a. Elly Jackson) was a little timid at first. This could've definitely been due to the heat. Though, once she performed "Colourless Colour" she started to adapt to the heat and break out. At this point, her energy built up and the concert got significantly better and more impressive.
"Bulletproof" was a great song to end with. The entire audience was pumped up and started jumping up and down. At the end of the song, Jackson somewhat joined the audience by standing at the front of the stage, gripping the low ceiling of the Biltmore, pumping the audience up with the beat and her fist. The ceiling almost looked like it was going to break. I don't know if it was because Elly Jackson is so strong or because the Biltmore is so old. This left me wanting more but I think she ran out of songs to perform and she was also doing a CD signing session after the concert. She performed all of her songs from her first, and only album at the moment, La Roux. I'm going to admit I really love La Roux's lyrics. They are clear and real. Elly Jackson isn't the only person who should be credited to the lyrics though. Ben Langmaid, the co-writer and co-producer of La Roux, also helps out with the production and creation of the electropop songs and lyrics.
Even though it was ridiculously hot and sweaty, the concert was great. "Colourless Colour" and "Bulletproof" were by far my favourite songs that were performed. Next time La Roux hits up Vancouver, I would like to see her/them perform at the Commodore. Hopefully, her fan base grows a little more and the next show can be even more bulletproof then the last.
Last night, two-thirds of the Brooklyn band, Chairlift, opened up for Sébastien Tellier. Unfortunately, their guitarist got held up at the border. So the band compensated by splitting their set in half with covers and original stuff. They played Chris Isaack's "Wicked Game", Snoop Dogg's "Sensual Seduction" (which was fairly well-done in my opinion) and other great hits. Considering they were missing a band member, Chairlift did a good job making up for it and keeping the crowd somewhat entertained before Sébastien Tellier came on.
Mr. Tellier started his set with "Kilometer", which got some people moving. Not many people in the crowd were grooving to the music. Everyone was just watching him. Maybe it's his successfully marketed image or his unique persona that captivates people and puts them in a state of awe. Though, I was kind of surprised at the lack of people that were there. I thought this show would've been sold out but it really didn't look like it was. Apparently, his fan base needs to grow a little more in Vancouver.
Throughout the concert, Sébastien Tellier was drinking a bottle of white wine to himself. He spoke in between songs about...I don't really know what. His accent was either too strong or I just couldn't hear very well. By the end of the show, he was lying on his keyboard and after the encore he was standing on it. I also think it's important to mention the dry guitar humping that took place.
Most of the songs he performed were from the latest album, Sexuality. But of course, he played his most popular song, "La Ritournelle", which I've been listening to on repeat the whole morning. "L'amour et la violence" and "Sexual Sportswear" were probably my two favourite songs that were performed. I also really liked how the originally four minute song, "Une Heure", was stretched out to a ten minute song.
I would say the entirety of this concert was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed every song that was played and his eccentric characteristics that attributed each song. However, I was a little nervous at how intoxicated he seemed to be. I thought maybe he wouldn't be able to perform as well but thankfully, I was wrong.
Sébastien Tellier - La Ritournelle (Radio Version)
We arrived at the end of the Golden Filter's set, which from what I saw and heard sounded pretty good.
The Presets started their set with "Talk Like That", which is one of my favourite songs. We were up at the front for half of this song where the crowd was extremely physical. Once the song started up, everyone began to jump, sway and push. We wanted more room to bust some dance moves so we moved off to the side where I surprisingly took better pictures than I did at the front (probably because at the front, I was getting pushed so much that my camera couldn't focus properly). But after a while I gave up on taking pictures and just danced extremely hard to the music.
With the colourful strobe lights and intense music, The Presets pumped the crowd up very easily. Everyone was jumping and dancing (minus two losers in front of us but we'll pretend they weren't really there). Another cool thing about this concert was that the Presets seemed genuinely stoked on how energetic and excited the Vancouver crowd was. Keep in mind, I think about 50% of this crowd was from Australia, the home country of the Presets. At one point, one audience member got on their friend's shoulders and held up an Australian flag. But almost everyone, including the Vancouver peeps, was jumping and dancing to the music.
My favourite song of the show was probably "If I Know You". It was performed slightly different from the recorded version; this was really nice on my eardrums. I felt like I was lost in the music. Yea, sounds so corny but sometimes you just feel these things at concerts. I'm sure we can all admit to it.
Before The Presets left the stage, they played "My People" which obviously left everyone wanting more because it's such a pumping song. After about a minute or two of persuading the duo back onto the stage, they came back out and performed "Anywhere", which was also performed really well. And once again, I was lost in it.
They played every song from their newest album, Apocalypso, which was awesome. After this concert, I actually felt high and I was completely sober. The lights, band members and music got my adrenalin flowing or something. Or maybe I was just dehydrated and delusional from all the dancing and jumping. Either way, it proves how awesome this concert was. The Presets - Anywhere
Until White Lies came onto the stage before Friendly Fires, I was pretty confused about who was the headlining band of this concert. I thought the band, White Lies, was headlining and apparently so did the first opening band, The Soft Pack, who introduced White Lies as Friendly Fires. But after looking at other reviews of this tour, it seems the bands switched it up when it came to who was the headlining band. In Toronto, White Lies headlined and the reviewer of CHARTattack claimed that Friendly Fires should've instead. I'm glad Friendly Fires headlined in Vancouver. The only crappy thing about them headlining was that we had to wait until 11:20pm or so to see them (after being there since 8:30pm). But as soon as Friendly Fires got on the stage, their contagious energy spread throughout the crowd and almost everyone was dancing; that was one thing I was really stoked on. I was totally expecting to be one of the few people dancing, but I was wrong. I was surrounded by sweaty, dancing people throughout the entire show.
I saw Friendly Fires open for Lykke Li last October and I was very impressed with Ed Macfarlane's (lead singer) dancing and energy. So I was pretty excited to see what they would do for their show in Vancouver. They definitely lived up to their previous performance with Lykke Li; I would say they even surpassed it. Ed Macfarlane got down to perform and dance in the crowd twice. And the guitarist, Edd Gibson, ran through all of Richard's during the encore of "All I Need." Pretty awesome.
In my opinion, the songs that were best performed were "On Board", "Lovesick" and "Skeleton Boy" (the video for "Skeleton Boy" is pretty sweet, check it out below). I've woken up with these songs in my head since Thursday morning (only two days but still pretty significant in my mind). I think this band does need a little more recognition then they already receive. When people asked me who I was seeing and I told them, Friendly Fires, almost no one had heard of them. So hopefully this post will encourage you to check out their video for "Skeleton Boy" and Myspace. If they come back to Vancouver, I highly suggest attending their concert. It is guaranteed to be full of energy, spontaneity and dancing.
Once the Tom Fun Orchestra took the stage of Pub 340, I got really excited (though, I had a hard time showing it because it was passed one in the morning). But I was slightly discouraged when the DJ (or sound technician) wouldn't turn off the background music. After like five minutes of this, it became VERY apparent how annoyed the band was because of this. But in due time, all was well and the band started playing their upbeat "cluster rock" music.
After a couple of songs, most of the band left Carmen Townsend (vocalist/guitarist), "Shakey" Shane O'Handley (bassist) and Tommy Stallion (the drummer) to play some of Carmen's solo work. This stuff was nice to hear but quite different from Tom Fun Orchestra. It was more acoustic and very dream-like. It seemed Carmen was originally only going to play one of her songs and continue with the Tom Fun Orchestra after her song was done but this didn't work out so smoothly. Carmen just ended up playing two songs instead while the rest of the band increased their level of intoxication.
The combination of Townsend's and Ian MacDougall's (main vocalist/guitarist) was as pleasing as it is in the original recordings of this band's music. I really do like the fiddle as well especially in the song, "Last Of The Curious Thieves." The sound wasn't too great but I'm blaming the venue for that.
Tom Fun's live performance definitely had a maritime aura emanating throughout the venue. In the dim environment, I felt like I wasn't really in Vancouver but more like I was in one of the Maritime provinces again; which was something I definitely enjoyed. Also, fitting eight people on that stage didn't seem as difficult as I thought it would. It didn't look THAT packed.
Besides the sound problems and time scheduling of Pub 340, Tom Fun Orchestra was a pretty good time. It was full of unique dance moves and offerings of mustache rides and kissing booths. It also provided a relief to those Valentine's Day frustrations by producing a concert full of sonic aphrodisiac music for the hungry ears of the audience.
When Lykke Li first came to Vancouver, she played the Red Room. After that, her fan base grew quickly and a couple of months later, she played Richard's. Now, another couple of months later, her fan base has grown even more to sell-out the Commodore.
The opening band, Wildbirds & Peacedrums, was just a vocalist and a percussionist. The vocalist's voice was very nice to listen to. Cool idea, but I found their songs would build up with no peak therefore; not very satisfying.
As for Lykke, I enjoyed her show at Richard's more than the one at the Commodore; that could be because the Commodore isn't as intimate as Richard's. But I also felt like her performance was stronger at Richard's. Don't get me wrong though, the concert last night was great and a lot of fun but the one at Richard's seemed to be of better quality.
Though, the lighting at the Commodore was much better (obviously). When she started, it was like an alien spaceship was landing; smoke was everywhere and the lights were bright and in our eyes. Then, Lykke Li suddenly appeared out of the smoke and her band members followed her after she went from "Melodies & Desires" to "Dance Dance Dance" (which is very similar to the beginning of the show at Richard's). The crowd wasn't as into dancing as they should've been and she noticed that as well. But once she performed "Let it Fall" and stopped the song, requesting that she needed dancers behind her, many girls flocked to the stage to dance behind Lykke. That, right there, was very cool. And when I saw the amount of girls flocking to the stage, I thought the back-up dancer idea would become a disaster quickly but it didn't. It was very smooth and civil.
One song that really got me excited that I really didn't think she would play was "Knocked Up." Not many other people seemed to be that excited for this song though. She did a short cover of Lil' Wayne's "A Milli" which was just funny (and fun) more than anything. I also love her live version of "Window Blues"; it's very intense. And this time, she got most of the audience to sing along to the chorus ("un, deux, trois...quatre, cinq, six") which worked fairly well.
Her encore consisted of "Time Flies" transcending into "Tonight" which was done very well ("Tonight" has been stuck in my head ever since and I like it). And she ended the concert asking if we were satisfied and performed A Tribe Called Quest's "Can I kick it?" (the same way she ended her show at Richard's).
This concert just proved to me once more how great of an artist Lykke Li is. I love the spontaneity and uniqueness (I was really surprised when she got a bunch of girls from the audience up on the stage to dance with her). I like how her live songs are different from her recorded songs. I really think she needs to release a live album, ASAP!
Disregarding the intoxication of the Biltmore Cabaret, Metronomy and Fan Death played a sweet concert. Even though some audience members decided to intentionally let their drinks loose on the dance floor (which left us smelling like booze and sweat for the rest of the night), it added to the overall scene of the concert; out-of-control, stinky and drunk. Explanation of the side picture: thanks to the low ceiling of the Biltmore, I ended up only "successfully" taking pictures of the rambunctious crowd rather than Metronomy or Fan Death.
The bands:
Fan Death is a bigger Vancouver band than I had anticipated. Apparently, the lead singer, Dandi Wind, helped produce Metronomy's video, "Radio Ladio". She has also done some work with Lady Sovereign. Fan Death is also supposed to be playing at the Bourbon next week and Dandi Wind is playing at Pub 340 Jan. 30th.
When Metronomy took the stage, people started dancing on speakers, crowd surfing and walking on the ceiling (no joke). Half of the crowd was freaking out while the other half just stood there in disgust/shock/amaze at the freak-out session that was going on around them. Metronomy played well throughout the whole show but by the end of it, they seemed a little tired. They mentioned the Lil' Wayne concert that was also happening the same night and joked around that they were going to play the song that made them famous, "A Milli" (which actually was Metronomy's song called "Back on the motorway"; not one of the songs that made them famous). Out of all the songs they played, I enjoyed "The end of you too" the most (which is an instrumental with around 5 different levels of intensity; trust me, it's a good one).
So overall, it was a sweet concert full of an extreme amount of dancing. I wished the encore was more than one song ("You could easily have me") but besides that, it was good and definitely worth $20.
Date: October 28th, 2008 Where: Richard's on Richards Who: Friendly Fires & Lykke Li Why: Because we like good music and good dancing
The opening band for Lykke Li was a band from the UK called Friendly Fires. Their set was full of energy (I think they said something about being on the road for 2 hours so that explains why they went nuts on stage). The singer was literally everywhere; busting moves all over the place. At one point, he got down in the audience and performed down there. Everyone backed away and gave him a nice little circle to perform in. All in all, Friendly Fires was a pleasant surprise. They got the audience pumped up and ready for Lykke Li. Lykke Li's band started off the show with the intro to "Melodies & Desires". Lykke Li built up her entrance by coming out when they were transitioning from "Melodies & Desires" to "Dance, Dance, Dance." "Dance, Dance, Dance" was exciting because they made it really intense live (most of the other songs were intensified as well). Besides some minor sound quality issues, I was very impressed by the overall live performance of the show. Every song they performed from her album, Youth Novels, was performed with more energy and a heavier beat; they all had a different live twist to them. She also added a kazoo to some of her songs (this kazoo was hanging around her neck in the bundle of necklaces she had on; very stylish). She was also all over the stage dancing away, busting many moves. She did a cover of Vampire Weekend - "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" which was interesting. She also covered A Tribe Called Quest - "Can I Kick it?" which seems to be a solid cover she regularly performs now. "Can I Kick it?" was played in her encore and it was a great way to leave the stage. To be honest, her show has been the best show I've seen in a while. I still find it hard to believe that she had a hard time starting off her career at first.
Bend Sinister is a band from Vancouver that deserves your appreciation. Their music is like modernized glam/old school rock. They released their newest album, Stories of Brothers, Tales of Lovers, on October 21st. The official CD Release party occurred at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver (an interesting venue for a rock concert) on October 25th.
The show started with The Old Familiar which appeared to be Jon Bunyan's band (the former guitarist for Bend Sinister). It was pretty much Jon Bunyan performing with another guy who occasionally played a stand-up bass. It was pretty good but like he warned us before almost every song he played, it was very "mellow" (especially compared to the following bands).
Then, The Green Hour Band hit the stage. Accompanied by psychedelic visuals of oil on an overhead projector, they rocked out like a blatant version of old BRMC and Oasis mixed together. When they were playing, I felt like I was in a movie. At the front of the stage, a group of people smoking weed, cigarettes and drinking beer; were dancing around. And with the stereotypical hippies in the front, the crazy visuals and rockin' music, I felt like I was in a different decade.
Bend Sinister started their show off with the same song that starts off their album, "The News". They played Stories of Brothers, Tales of Lovers from start to finish along with entertaining visuals from old movies throughout the whole show (minus the encore). At first, I was surprised at how well everything was put together; the visuals matched up perfectly with the music but then, I remembered that I shouldn't have been surprised considering Dan Moxon (vocalist/keyboardist) is a film major from SFU and enjoys film scores.
Along with the visuals, the band was rocking out hardcore on the theatre stage. At one point, Dan Moxon lost his headband due to head banging and hammering on one of the three keyboards/organs he was playing on. Jon Bunyan played with the band in a couple of songs; he mainly performed with them in the song he wrote, "Because Because." They also had two women dressed in similar attire singing back-up vocals and a set of string instrumentals in the back.
I felt a little lost at times; only because I was at a rock concert in a movie theatre. I wasn't really sure how to act. I wanted to rock out but I felt like I had to conform to the comfort of my theatre seat. Some audience members went to the front of the stage but they were mainly taking photos or just getting a closer look. Even though I felt restricted, I think this added another element to the concert (I also think it was something the band was going for). Audience members were coerced to rock out to the music in their heads with the visuals standing by. I kind of liked how this messed with my head at one point. When "Dr. Lee" was playing, I was completely absorbed in the visuals and actually forgot I was at a concert. About halfway through the song, extra lights came on and I snapped out of it. I came back to the concert amazed.
Overall, the concert was very good, unique and entertaining. Besides the occasional sinking mic, the concert flowed smoothly and was performed very well. I was especially impressed with the visuals and the intense onstage performance.
I suggest you definitely check out Bend Sinister's MYSPACE and when they play Vancouver again, check out their show.
The concert I made such a big deal about and still am making a big deal about
My friend and I arrived at the Commodore Ballroom too early (once again). We chilled out for a bit and tried to take pictures of ourselves but failed every time so we decided to get some redbull. After we got our redbull, the first band, Heartbreak, started to play. They consisted of two people, one guy who appreciated anonymous Canadian dance music and another guy who just played around with his laptop, synths and occasionally contributed the odd back-up vocal. They were pretty good but what made them so good and entertaining was the singer. He was dressed in tight dress clothes and knew how to dance. This guy was really getting into his music; so into it that I couldn't help but laugh a little (but I was laughing with him, not at him...).
After Heartbreak played, the crowd started to move closer to the stage and The Presets came on within half an hour. They started off with "Talk like that" and followed up with "Down Down Down"; these two intense songs started the concert off nicely and it got more intense as the night went on. The Presets had hypnotizing lights and images of creepy skulls on a video screen which went perfectly with their chilling, electronic music.
Once the Presets finished up their set, Cut Copy got to the stage in due time. But once they came on, it was really hard to dance in the crowd. All we could do was jump around and hit other people. So we decided to move to the back so we could dance to our full potential. Once we got there, we could appreciate the concert and music a lot more because we didn't have someone's elbow on our shoulders. Cut Copy was excited and ready to take on the crowd with their melodic dance music. They also had captivating lights and interesting, colourful images on a screen. Out of all the songs they played, I enjoyed "Out there on the ice" and "Lights & Music" the most (maybe because they are my two favourite songs). Cut Copy's live music produces more feelings of elation than I thought possible.
And now, I can't stop listening to the Presets or Cut Copy. I'm mostly loving "Talk like that" by The Presets. The alluring beat and inappropriate lyrics keep me moving and working on lame school work I've procrastinated. "Talk Like That"
It's quite unfortunate that the two venues I've seen this band perform at were places dedicated to drunkenness. The first time I saw this band, it was at the late Chair Factory (may it rest in shitty peace). Sorry if I offended anyone with that comment but this venue was pretty bad. Ok, maybe it was alright for the occasional dance party for 100-200 people. But for a "concert" with more than 300 people it was pretty stupid. This venue only had two unisex bathroom stalls and there were no in-and-out privileges. So when I saw them perform at the Chair Factory, I was enjoying the music but I really wasn't into the skeezy environment so I left early to go somewhere where more than two bathroom stalls existed. The second time I saw them was at good ol' Pub 340, another wonderful place full of cheap booze. This time was a lot better than the time at the Chair Factory, probably because there were less people and the sound was A LOT better. Though, I didn't get to watch the whole performance due to circumstances that don't need to be mentioned.
The Clips are a band from Vancouver that I think your ears need and want to hear. I have to admit that I really enjoy their music live. I would like to see them again in a better venue. One of the band member's, Edo Van Breeman (vocals and keyboards), is doing a solo act at Richard's on Richards on Sept 25 but after that, it looks like the band is heading to the east for the Pop Montreal Festival (which I really wish I could go to). But I'm sure they will be back soon.
This is one of my favourite songs. Check it. The Clips - Wire If you want to check out more of their stuff, there is a link to their myspace below. The Clips Myspace
We waited around for hours, got soaked in the rain and were almost trampled a couple of times; but I would say it was all worth it. In all honesty, this concert WAS GREAT. Not like I was expecting it to be bad or anything, but when we got there and The Liars played first I was a little discouraged. I forgot how much they suck. I can barely find any good things to say about them. All I can do is compare them to At the Drive-in under one circumstance: they're like a really really really shitty version of At the Drive-in. But yea, even when I was thinking about who I would prefer as an opening band for Radiohead, I came to the conclusion that Radiohead should just be playing alone. They don't need any supporting bands. The fans pretty much proved this as well. All the "early birds" were kept in a cage before the gates were opened to Thunderbird Stadium and when they were finally let through, they ran for their lives towards the stage. It was hilarious but a little scary because some people weren't watching where they were going. Obviously, people were too excited to see Radiohead and The Liars shouldn't have even been considered as an opening act. It didn't rain during The Liars set but it rained the whole time during Radiohead's. But I thought the rain was nice. I didn't mind getting soaked while enjoying the spectacular performance. The rain also went well with a lot of the songs that were performed. The synchronized lights were amazing. They hung from the stage and radiated many different colours in different patterns. I also really enjoyed the video screens. Thom Yorke can make some awesomely hideous faces and the screens let the audience observe these faces to their full potential. I felt high looking at the lights and listening to the music (proof that you don't need drugs, you just need Radiohead). Though, I wasn't really digging Jigsaw Falling into Place and Bodysnatchers which kind of sucked because they are two of my favourite songs from In Rainbows. I felt like the band could've made them more epic. Maybe it was where I was standing because apparently other people thought otherwise. Exit Music (For a Film) was performed beautifully. This song and Paranoid Android were probably my two favourite song performances of the night. They played Paranoid Android at the end of the concert and they let the audience choose between this song or Idioteque. Paranoid Android won and it was practically perfect with the rain falling down and people putting their hands in the air to catch/accept the rain.
"rain down, rain down come on, rain down on me from a great height from a great height"
After filling ourselves with burgers and fries, we headed over to Richards' on Richards where good ol' Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley were going to play. We were pretty anxious to see him and were disappointed to find out there was an opening band called...Dree? (I dont even know...she muffled her name once and Conor Oberst yelled it about 6 times but all I could make out was Dree). Anyways, she wasn't that great. There was a little too much echoing and "ooo-ing". Also, some obnoxious lamewads unfortunately placed themselves behind us. It seemed like they thought they were at a hockey game instead of at a Conor Oberst concert. When Jenny told one of them to back off, he responded "you're at a rock n' roll concert. If you didn't want someone on you, you should be at the back" Wait a minute...I definitely wouldn't classify this as "rock n' roll". I would take that comment into consideration if we were at an actual "rock" concert but I think you may be lost budday. And I liked how Conor Oberst coincidentally played a slow song after the lamewad made that comment which pretty much shut him up.
Oberst and the Mystic Valley's first four to five songs were well-played and upbeat. "Lenders in the Temple" was acoustically played by only Oberst and the keyboardist which made it eerily wonderful and enjoyable. But after that, it seemed to go slowly downhill, then peaked again when he played the frantic song "I don't want to die (in a hospital)", and then went downhill again. The reason why it went slightly downhill was because Oberst seemed to be jacked up on something. He spat on the crowd and his band, which was questionable. He also messed up on the song "Milk Thistle" and didn't provide a sufficient recovery to this mess-up.
Overall, the concert was OK but I definitely wasn't sad when it ended. I did enjoy the first half of Oberst's set and "I don't want to die (in a hospital)" but the rest of it was mediocre and at one point, it looked like Oberst was going to throw up. Let's tuck the concert away to the side for a moment and talk about his new album. It's a self-titled album which can be streamed off his official website. This album is pretty good. The lyrics are creative and entertaining (I think the lyrics are a lot better than Bright Eyes lyrics; Bright Eyes is a little too emo for me, no offense to all you Bright Eyes fans). My top three songs off this album are:
The music posted on this blog is for promotional use only; I post it because I think it deserves to be recognized and appreciated. I also think it will make your life even more amazing if you listen to it. If you enjoy something that is posted on this blog you can purchase it/more from iTunes or Amazon.ca
If you are a musician or a record company and want the songs that I have posted removed, please let me know and I will remove them (remixourlives@live.com).
"remix 1. to mix again. 2. to mix and re-record the elements of (a musical recording) in a different way." - Dictionary.com
Let's not really change the base of who we are but just make ourselves more vibrant, more exuberant, more explicit and above all, let's make ourselves stronger.
I've put a heavy definition on the word remix; let's value and embrace this definition with music.
To a certain extent, our lives revolve around music. And this blog mainly revolves around music that has the potential to enhance our lives.
The Vancouver band Elias is putting on a daylong concert tomorrow (Friday, Dec 18th). The concert will run from 10am - 6pm outside of Library Square, in three set-up stages. Elias will be playing with other local Vancouver bands, Said the Whale, Adaline and We Are The City.
