liveSeptember 27th, 2011 by Phantasmo MuteMath – Live at The Met, Pawtucket, Rhode Island – Sept. 20, 2011By sheer luck, a week-long trip to Boston with some friends coincided with MuteMath’s ‘Odd Soul Introduction Tour’ making its way along the east coast. Thankfully, I received the email announcement with tour dates, did a quick Google search to find a close location and discovered that Pawtucket, Rhode Island was only an hour away from Boston! Ticket purchased, car rented and off I went down I-95 to The Met. In my attempt to beat rush hour traffic, I arrived at The Met several hours before the show started. However, this proved to be perfect timing, as I was able to slip inside the doors of the club, watch the band’s sound check, snap some photos and chat up the band, who were extremely gracious and appreciative of such a long-distance journey. The Met looked to be the perfect venue for a small club tour, with the band slightly elevated on a small stage that was absolutely crammed with every single musical instrument and electronic gadget one could imagine. Showtime was scheduled for 9:00 PM, though it was 9:45 PM and the band was nowhere in sight. Finally, the lights finally dimmed, incense was lit on stage and the band made their entrance – which was well worth the wait. While the entire crowd faced the stage waiting for the band to emerge, the front doors of the club behind the crowd burst open. The band entered from outside the club, each member playing a different percussion instrument like a marching band, parted the audience like the Red Sea, weaving through the cheering, awed crowd and made their way to the stage. Drummer Darren King took to his throne in signature style, instantly strapping his monitor headphones onto his head with duct tape. They wasted no time, blasting into new song Prytania, followed by an electronic, blues-inflected Blood Pressure courtesy of new (and amazing) guitarist Todd Gummerman. I had a perfect spot to watch the show, directly up against the stage and standing close enough to drummer Darren King that I could hand him a drumstick if he happened to drop one while beating the living hell out of his drums (which happened!). Inches from the band proved to be the ideal position as I was able to get excellent photo and video footage, as well as witness the beast that is Darren King. I had seen video footage of him playing before, but it was nothing compared to seeing him perform live. The man is a MACHINE. Watching him behind the kit was a jaw-dropping experience. Eyes closed, mind focused, he was all over the place – climbing onto the piano with a drum, beating his sticks on the stage post behind him, and dumping a bottle of water on his drums for Reset, soaking everyone and everything around him, including me. Multi-instrumentalist/lead vocalist Paul Meany was a firecracker, pumping the crowd up, doing hand-stands on his piano and offering his keytar to the crowd to play. Bass player Roy Mitchell-Cardenas was incredible, though it’s not fair to simply call him a bass player, as he was as diverse as the rest of the band, jumping behind the drum kit, picking up the guitar, and manipulating all kinds of secret MuteMath electronic instruments that I wouldn’t have the faintest idea how to operate. Todd fit in perfectly with the rest of the band, playing different instruments all over the stage, adding great backing vocals and incredible guitar licks. I couldn’t believe how tight they were, yet also so fluid and loose with their music…it was like the songs were living and breathing as they played. The crowd was definitely into the show, screaming along to older songs (Control, Noticed, Spotlight) and even new songs that sounded just as good (Odd Soul, Blood Pressure). The band powered through a sweat-soaked, hyperactive 75 minute set, culminating with an absolutely face-melting rendition of Typical that seemed to never end, and no one wanted it to! Finally, the band exited the stage, only to return a few minutes later for a 3-song encore, the crowd begging for more. Paul expressed his appreciation to the crowd, and it was nice to get props from the stage as he thanked everyone for travelling to the show, “even as far as Alaska!” which, I have to admit, was pretty rad to hear. They then launched into Chaos (a personal favorite), Break the Same, and Quarantine, finally ending a phenomenal show as Darren was kind enough to hand me back a drumstick as he left the stage. Thanks very much, Darren! 4,581 miles is a long distance to travel for a concert, but I’d go twice that without hesitation to see MuteMath again. This was, without a doubt, the best live show I have ever seen. It wasn’t a concert, it was an experience. I have never seen a band put so much heart, soul and energy into a performance and the intimate venue was certainly a bonus. If you have the opportunity to catch MuteMath on the ‘Odd Soul Introduction Tour’, without a doubt, GO. You will not be disappointed. SETLIST Here’s video of the band performing ‘You Are Mine’ – sorry you can only see the back of Paul’s head. April 14th, 2011 by Shopping Bag The Joy Formidable Live in ChicagoI got the chance to see one of my favorite new bands from Wales while I was in Chicago recently. The Joy Formidable put on a great show and should not be missed. The energy of the albums is amplified 100x when you see them on stage, and their performance was flawless. The Lincoln Hall venue where I saw them was small but had outstanding sound & acoustics. Find a couple more on YouTube. July 6th, 2010 by Shopping Bag Daytrotter Sessions“One band a day, every day, 28 Daytrotter Session songs each week.” Just listen to the performance of one of my favorite bands Far. They take away the many sonic layers that blanket the album version of “At Night We Live” and perform songs with guitars and trap set that sounds like it’s being played for you in your bedroom as you drift off to sleep. The space and airiness of the recordings are at once strange (to our used-to-hearing-over-produced-recorded-music ears), disarming, and totally gorgeous. I also have to mention comical but true to life illustrations of each band sketched by Johnnie Cluney. Classic! |
