kitewithfish (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kitewithfish) wrote2008-02-29 10:04 am
kitewithfish) wrote2008-02-29 10:04 am
Maximum Black Concert: WIN
Friend Johanna the Swede mentioned before she went home to Stockholm for a bit last week that there was going to be a concert last night with a bunch of Canadian bands being sponsored by the Wiener Stadtwerkschaft.
Now, being me, I forgot all about this until she sent me a text message while I was at work yesterday to remind me. I decided at the last minute to go (in a move that apparently worried my roomie, because normally I come home on time and don't stay out late.)
It was GREAT. Myspace here: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=311628687
The Opening act, called Frog Eyes, was fair. The lead singer was unintelligible, and their bassist was not great. The keyboardist and the drummer were however intoxicating to watch- high energy, very creative, mixing in a bit of sweetness to the hard rock that was surprising and lovely. I think they would have been better off had they just let the drummer and keyboardist take over and move the strained vocals and mediocre guitar to the backburner, but they definitely have something to work with here, and I wish them luck.
Dirty Protectors was just amazing. Their lead male was fantastic and had a huge vocal range, the songs were creative in ways that I've never heard of, and they coordinated those three guitars to mind bogglingly high pitched beautiful music. They played very much to their strengths: vocals and guitar, but would occasionally let the drummer loose for some serious pounding at cross angles to the light tones of the rest. Lovely, lovely stuff: I want to see more from them.
Six Organs of Admittance was a two person guitar and vocals hard rock deal. It hurt. It just hurt. The vocals were awful and unintelligible, the guitar was dull, loud, ugly and uninspired. Low energy performance, no juice to these guys at all. Maybe more acceptable to those with a greater tolerance for hard rock, but that's not me, and I did not like them.
Deerhoof: UTTERLY GORGEOUS. This band put their drummer right up front, and they were absolutely right to: this guy was amazing to watch, beautiful creative and fun fun music. He was completely focused the entire time, and played with everything in him- he was using his elbows to hit the cymbals at some points because his hands were still busily rocking out! Excellent semi-techno female lead vocalist from a tiny Asian woman who also played great guitar and just physically threw herself into each and every note. Two other guys on guitar were also totally energized and beautiful support (and I really don't mean that as faint praise- this was a great band with a strong arrangement and they did absolutely right to highlight the amazing chemistry between the drummer and the female vocals/guitar.) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Plus: drummer read a very short thank-you and message of musical universality in very, very bad German. Quite cute. The crowd loved them.
Final Fantasy himself is a violinist and pianist who sings and samples back his live. LOVELOVELOVE. This guy was amazingly creative with the violin, the songs were sweet and sad and perfect. He looked incredible nervous, and flubbed a sample by hitting the wrong button, and was checking to make sure people could see... just seems like a real sweetheart. Highly recommended live for the great overhead projector creativity of his female partner.
Edited later for spelling (German computer is useless!).
Now, being me, I forgot all about this until she sent me a text message while I was at work yesterday to remind me. I decided at the last minute to go (in a move that apparently worried my roomie, because normally I come home on time and don't stay out late.)
It was GREAT. Myspace here: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=311628687
The Opening act, called Frog Eyes, was fair. The lead singer was unintelligible, and their bassist was not great. The keyboardist and the drummer were however intoxicating to watch- high energy, very creative, mixing in a bit of sweetness to the hard rock that was surprising and lovely. I think they would have been better off had they just let the drummer and keyboardist take over and move the strained vocals and mediocre guitar to the backburner, but they definitely have something to work with here, and I wish them luck.
Dirty Protectors was just amazing. Their lead male was fantastic and had a huge vocal range, the songs were creative in ways that I've never heard of, and they coordinated those three guitars to mind bogglingly high pitched beautiful music. They played very much to their strengths: vocals and guitar, but would occasionally let the drummer loose for some serious pounding at cross angles to the light tones of the rest. Lovely, lovely stuff: I want to see more from them.
Six Organs of Admittance was a two person guitar and vocals hard rock deal. It hurt. It just hurt. The vocals were awful and unintelligible, the guitar was dull, loud, ugly and uninspired. Low energy performance, no juice to these guys at all. Maybe more acceptable to those with a greater tolerance for hard rock, but that's not me, and I did not like them.
Deerhoof: UTTERLY GORGEOUS. This band put their drummer right up front, and they were absolutely right to: this guy was amazing to watch, beautiful creative and fun fun music. He was completely focused the entire time, and played with everything in him- he was using his elbows to hit the cymbals at some points because his hands were still busily rocking out! Excellent semi-techno female lead vocalist from a tiny Asian woman who also played great guitar and just physically threw herself into each and every note. Two other guys on guitar were also totally energized and beautiful support (and I really don't mean that as faint praise- this was a great band with a strong arrangement and they did absolutely right to highlight the amazing chemistry between the drummer and the female vocals/guitar.) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Plus: drummer read a very short thank-you and message of musical universality in very, very bad German. Quite cute. The crowd loved them.
Final Fantasy himself is a violinist and pianist who sings and samples back his live. LOVELOVELOVE. This guy was amazingly creative with the violin, the songs were sweet and sad and perfect. He looked incredible nervous, and flubbed a sample by hitting the wrong button, and was checking to make sure people could see... just seems like a real sweetheart. Highly recommended live for the great overhead projector creativity of his female partner.
Edited later for spelling (German computer is useless!).