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BLACK UMFOLOSI @ Le National
By Andrij Radio (aka DJ Dreeko) - West African Hour - 07/15/2008
Black Umfolosi are an a capella group that hail from Zimbabwe. With five members, all incredible singers, the band’s style is similar to Ladysmith Black Mambazo with rich and warm harmonies. They also love to dance, and so they entertained the crowd at Le National with their various dance styles. Besides the music and the dancing, thes show also had another great virtue: the engaging presence of the band. I’ve seen a lot of shows lately, at the Jazz Fest and at Nuits D’Afrique, and Black Umfolosi standout as the group that I saw which was most successful in developing a warm and intimate rapport with the audience. They talked of their homeland and of Montreal, and were extremely funny when they danced and sang, describing and imitating, through movement, humorous situations. Most groups see it as pivotal to establish a connection with the audience, and sometimes their efforts, and the audiences, can seem a little forced. But not so with Black Umfolosi, who seemed very natural and authentic in their affection. Their music, which featured strong voices surrounded by silence, encouraged a sense of intimacy.
Black Umfolosi started their set with a song about a steam train, acting out the movements of being on a train (including the conductor’s steam whistle pulling) and thus producing some very martial-arts style dancing. They followed this with a haunting song filled with sadness and hope about being alone in the darkness and crying all night, and being rescued by the love of friends. The lights on the stage were very dim, and you couldn’t see their faces, giving the song a very mysterious feeling. They then sang a song about Zimbabwe and it became apparent by some of the jubilant cries that went out that they weren’t the only people from there. They encouraged people to dance, saying it didn’t matter what style we danced, and then they made fun of the crowd, saying the Montreal way to dance was to cross one’s arms and tap one’s foot. I thought that was pretty funny, and I’m sure in Zimbabwe the crowd reacts a lot more physically, but their music really didn’t strike me as dancy at all, so I just danced in the Montreal style. Then they sang the old national anthem of Zimbabwe, to more cries of excitement from the Zimbabweans in the audience. When they announced a song about flirting with a woman, I noticed a fair number of women getting excited around me.
After a brief interlude, the band sang a song about summer, and each member of the group took a turn at center stage and danced in his own fashion. The crowd went wild for their dancing and the humour they conveyed through it. After this came a number of songs with interesting lyrics, speaking of parties in Zimbabwe, orphan lives and the instability of the current political scene. Starting to wrap things up, they bust out “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” encouraging everyone to sing, and I was happy to oblige (it was my favorite song as a child). Just when I thought it was about to end, the group busted out some gumboot dancing, which is and amazing dance style similar to tap except with gumboots being slapped by ones hands to create a rhythm. They were all decked out in coal miner suits, since the gumboot evolved from coal miners in South Africa who would dance along to the work songs they’d chant.
All in all, it was a great show, and although the music was not very energetic, the onstage presence of the group was as good as onstage presence can be, with the dancing bringing a lively feel to the night. Black Umfolosi is not the kind of group you would see for dancing or partying, but a great band to sit back and appreciate on a more reflective, spectator level. I also noticed that the ladies went wild when the performers took their shirts off and I wondered if this was like the South African equivalent of a boy band. Five guys who just sing and do choreographed dancing together…Sound familiar?
Check out Andrij on the West African Hour every Wednesday from 12-1pm
SALAAM @ Ballatou
By Luca Petryshyn (aka DJ Spooky) - West African Hour - 07/16/2008
Salaam, a nine-piece band that plays a unique musical style mixing jazz, blues and funk with “gnawa” -- a traditional Moroccan trance musical style, are a fan favourite at Nuits d’Afrique. As for the legend behind genre, the story tells of a big old Moroccan sultan who created an army of slaves from west and North Africa sometime around the sixteenth century, and it was these slaves that ended up jamming the musical styles of their origins into the style we today call gnawa. However, Salaam could not be called old school traditional because they expand on gnawa incredibly, bringing in a saxophone, trumpet, electric bass and more. All these instruments combined over a trance foundation produce a music that everybody can dance to.
At their show during the festival, Salaam mesmerized the crowd with their dramatic percussive entrance, walking through the crowd in North African garb. Right away, their music had everyone swinging. The rich variety of percussive instruments and the high quality of musicianship make Salaam difficult to ignore; within moments of them hitting the stage, the dance floor filled up with people of all ages. Eventually, halfway through the night, front man, Nazir, who emigrated to Montréal in 1992 and writes most of the songs, played for the first time in public a few special songs with a rare Moroccan guitar. One great thing at their live show was the fantastic trumpet player who, along with the saxophonist, created a thick party dance vibe over the many percussive instruments. The mix up between gnawa and more modern musical forms worked well, and if people weren’t dancing half way through the set, they couldn’t help but feverishly bob their heads.
Salaam had an intermission in the middle of their show, and when they came back after their first set, the room was ready for more, being even more packed with latecomers who could only find a spot on the dance floor. Festival organizers at Nuits d’Afrique have a great set-up, letting bands play for an hour and half and strongly encourage an encore. Consequently, the show did not go on too long and neither was it too short but ended at a perfect time. Overall, Salaam were delightfully enjoyable and anyone who has an interest in the music of the Mahgreb should make and effort to see one of their many shows.
Tune in to more African music on West African Hour every Wednesday from 12pm-1pm.
CALEXICO @ Le National
By Simon Howell - A Listening Ear - 07/07/2008
Since the late 90's, Calexico -- formed by Joey Burns and John Convertino of Giant Sand -- have been steadily churning out their own blend of horn-infused folk-rock, which touches on traditional Mexican music as well as more typical American folk influences. Their live show, as it turns out, is a fairly straightforward replica of their recorded sound, albeit with a few left turns here and there.
One of them came at the show's very outset, with Burns and Convertino entering alone to play a quick little surf-rock instrumental. Afterwards, the other four members strolled onstage to main the guitars, horns and pedal steel as the set began in earnest. Feast of Wire, their breakthrough, still holds a considerable sway over their setlist, including spirited takes on "Quattro (World Drifts In)" and "Black Heart." The highlight of the Feast material, however, was definitely the radically transformed "Not Even Stevie Nicks" -- a modest acoustic ditty on record, here performed as a three-guitar monster of a track.
At least one track from the upcoming Carried to Dust was performed -- a tricksy little number called "Two Silver Trees," indicating a continuation of the more strongly song-based approach evidenced on their most recent release, Garden Ruin. The set also featured two prominent covers -- Love's "Alone Again Or" (which is featured on their Convict Pool EP), and Bob Dylan's "Going to Acapulco," which they had previously recorded with My Morning Jacket's Jim James for the I'm Not There soundtrack. For help on the latter, they brought openers Woodpigeon onstage to sing backup and play violin, upping the onstage personnel to twelve for that particular number.
Special mention must be made of Burns, who has to be one of the most polished live singers I've ever witnessed. While he was aided by Le National's fine acoustics and routinely excellent sound work, he was always pitch-perfect and confident on the mic (though his stage moves verged on the corny at many instances). The trumpet work, which was featured on nearly every track they played, was also phenomenal. Calexico's appeal is based more on their "indie-mariachi" sound than on individual songs so naturally some sections of the set ran together (something that could have been fixed with a little setlist manipulation). Regardless, their dogged professionalism and lush instrumentation make them a must-see act for any fans of folk-based music, even if they'll likely leave many hip types cold.
Tune in to A Listening Ear with Simon every Friday from 2pm - 4pm
CALEXICO + Woodpigeon @ Le National
By Andrij Radio - West African Hour - 07/07/2008
When I got to Le National at 8:30, the opening band, Woodpigeon, was unfortunately already half-way done their set. I was surprised since almost every show I’ve been to in Montreal starts at least an hour after it’s supposed to, but maybe that’s what comes out of mostly going to shows put on by art students. I’d never heard Woodpigeon before, but they were certainly an appropriate opener for Calexico, style-wise. An eight member ensemble featuring all the usual instruments (guitar, drums, bass and keyboards), Woodpigeon also featured a violin, and half of the members in the band sang, often producing very bluegrass-y harmonies. Like Calexico, they played fairly relaxed alternative country, but so relaxed that I started getting quite bored even though I only watched them play for half an hour. Though Woodpigeon had a formidable enveloping sound, the four harmonizing voices providing a full and resonant quality to the music, they did not convey a lot of energy or passion onstage. Besides them not really being my style of music, I just felt like there was nothing special to their performance, nothing that would make seeing them live better than listening to a recording. One personal highlight was a song in which they took their style to a more experimental edge, doing some ambient, Sonic Youth-style guitar work.
The interlude between the end of their set and the beginning of Calexico’s seemed to go on forever. Since I didn’t have any friends around to talk to, I did some hamstring stretches and gazed around the venue. I also chuckled every time the crowd started shouting when some roadie came on stage to set up for Calexico. You can really tell that people are eager for a performance when they start hooting and hollering at the guy tuning the guitar.
Calexico began their set with just two members of the band, lead vocalist and guitarist Joey Burns, and percussionist John Convertino, burning up some 60’s style instrumental surf rock. I love surf guitar, and was surprised and enthusiastic. Then the rest of the band came onstage, bringing with them a steel guitar, a bass, some vibes, trumpets, and an accordion (it seems that many members of the band are multi-instrumentalists). True to their name (Calexico = California/Mexico), the band served up a spicy dish of alternative country mixed with Mexican rhythms and melodies. Paul Niehaus provided the country with his haunting pedal steel, while Jacob Valenzuela and Martin Wenk supplied the definitive Mexican qualities with their piercing trumpets. At one point, I really felt like I was in a Clint Eastwood movie. The band played five or six tracks from their album Feast of Wire -- which is the only Calexico album I actually know well -- and those seemed to be the tracks the audience responded most to. Joey Burns kept up a great rapport with the audience throughout the performance, often complimenting our fair city (he said the secret of our greatness was our disco), and at one point even singing an entire song apart from the rest of the band, in French, all about hanging out here. He either really loves Montreal or is really good at talking up the audience of any given city. Unlike Woodpigeon, Calexico was relaxed musically, but nonetheless conveyed a lot of energy onstage. Towards the end of the set my only disappointment was that there had been no dance-y music, but then Calexico started busting out some new songs that got the crowd moving, and my thirst to dance was quenched.
I don’t like country, including most alternative country that I’ve heard, but I love Calexico, which suggests to me that they have a broader appeal than most alternative country bands, partly due to the Mexican qualities, partly due to their experimentalism, and partly due to the highly original songwriting style of Burns and Convertino. Despite Woodpigeons lackluster performance, this was a great show. The sound was good, the visuals were great (a dark greenish-yellow set the tone for Calexico’s desert style), and there was even some dancing. They are definitely an act worth checking out.
Check out Andrij on the West African Hour every Wednesday from 12-1pm
MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE @ Le Medley
By Michelle Ayoub - 06/29/2008
“Yes, NO, do-do-do-do!”
Le Medley, June 29th 2008. The band: Mindless Self Indulgence, touring in support of their new album If. I am still undecided on whether I am the perfect person to write this review, or the absolute worse. On the one hand, I vividly recall sneaking in to seven dollar shows in bars years before I was of age to see this band, on the other hand, I vividly recall sneaking in to seven dollar shows in bars years before I was of age to see this band.
From the moment I walked in, I had a bad feeling. Having seen this band more times than one may deem healthy, I have seen the evolution of the audience. It took no time to notice that gone were the days of naughty word pre-show chants, and ultimately, the same band/crowd relationship I had grown to know and love. The obnoxiousness, for lack of a better term, that was usually felt amongst fans waiting for MSI to take the stage was not only not shared with the rest of the crowd, but was not well received by those surrounding my friends and I. When the crowd started chanting “MSI” and we, along with a few scattered voices chimed in with the complementary “sucks,” we got many a dirty looks. A prime example of the many elements that made the whole night just feel wrong.
Bad feelings about the crowd aside, the band appeared onstage and delivered a good performance. This is where my difficulty to decide whether or not I should be the one penning this review. No one can take away from Mindless Self Indulgence’s abilities to put on one hell of a show. They always have a phenomenal amount of energy and great showmanship, and Sunday’s show was no exception. The negative aspects of the show, then, had nothing to do with the band, but rather with the audience. MSI had no difficulty in getting the crowd moving, but it is the way the crowd reacted, the way it moved that, in my opinion, affected my feelings about the entire show.
I always remember MSI concerts as massive sing-a-longs mixed with nudity, obscenities, and at least one audience member being somewhat violated on stage. In regards to the sing-a-longs, the set list left little to be desired. Only four songs pre-You’ll Rebel To Anything were played the entire night, and they seemed for the most part completely unknown to the audience. Again, I felt weird looks and stares when singing along to older songs, most notably “Planet of the Apes” (from 1999’s Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy). At first, I thought they just chose less known “older” material, but all doubt about this was destroyed when singer Jimmy Urine asked for a francophone to get on stage to translate for him. Enthusiastically, a girl jumped on stage and the band began to play “Faggot” (again from Frankenstein Girls). The blank stare on their chosen translator’s face was priceless, but more importantly, painful. She was a prime example of how the crowd had dramatically changed. And again, dirty looks when my friends and I chanted “Tapette” during the chorus.
I know this should not take away anything from the band, but I find it difficult not to point these details out. To hear pre-pubescent girls scream out their love for Urine or Steve Righ? instead of yelling out insults and to see people trying to reach for Urine when he opens is arms to the crown instead of everyone spitting in unison still kind of gets to me.
In the band’s defence, on top of a good performance on their part, they did poke fun at their new fans. Oh so many Hot Topic-style jokes were cracked at the crowd’s expense, but it seems that instead of said crowd being in on it like in the past and jumping in on the flame wars, they just laugh along because “the singer is like, so totally talking about us.”
If I had not been familiar with the band beforehand, I most probably would have given this show an excellent review. Good energy and an overall happy crowd -- what else counts in the grand scheme of things? Unfortunately, I have been into this band too long, from a time where their bassist was a cute blonde chick named Vanessa (that’s a damn long time for those not familiar with the band). So to see what I used to refer to as the ultimate fan/band relationship become what I saw at Le Medley...I have to say, I wish time travel was possible. Not only for myself, but any fan who discovered MSI a bit too late.
Mindless Self Indulgence are still a must-see at least once in a lifetime. Their live performance is well delivered and is thus worth the money (although I should stay away from the merch booth if money is Tight). Be warned though; do not expect the same experience of yesteryear MSI, as seen on the many bootlegs and YouTube videos floating around online. They’re still damn good, but something has died…and it’s not just the gerbil in Jimmy’s butt (from the Alienating Our Audience tour no doubt).
KAIL - True Hollywood Squares
By Brian Joseph - Phantastiq Cypha - 04/21/2008
Before we begin my review of True Hollywood Squares, may I make reference to the fact that a lyricist can spit some serious metaphors; however, there is a difference between metaphors and similes. For example, "you are my sunshine" is a metaphor, whereas "your eyes are like the sun" is a simile. With that said, Kail has a knack for similes. From beginning to end, his style is graceful and comedic, yet he doesn’t lose any roughness around the edges. Hailing from South Central, Kail has some big shoes to represent and represent it he does. We start off the album with an introduction to the host and contestants, who carry us through the game that is the album. With a colourful wise guy who drops lines such as “use that to blow your father with” and “I oughtta whack you upside the head with a canoe paddle,” its obvious that as serious an album this is, it’s also made to crack you up.
The tracks are solid for the most part, from “The Realest Muthafuckin' Tour Guide Ever” to “Wendy,” which have impressive lyrics and meanings behind the tracks. For some reason though, I lose it when it gets to “Sweet Dick Willy”; maybe it’s the fake commercial before it, or the fact that I don’t feel “Sweet Dick Willy” and “Motorola Twins” are as strong as the other tracks. Whatever the case, it feels like they are the album’s b-sides. Luckily, the album then moves onto “Cola (The Rhapsody)” and all is forgiven. Easily my favorite track on the album, “Cola” is a rap about relationships. What really makes the song is the female vocalist, whose deadpan delivery makes Kail’s over-the-top stressed singing technique a winning combination. Besides “Cola,” “Peter Pennyworth” is another great track. The song starts with a somewhat simple chant over a good tempo, which then turns into a harder beat midway and doesn’t take away from his flow.
I don’t often do album reviews because I don’t think someone can tell you if an album is good -- you have to listen to it yourself. The same goes for Kail. I can tell you how much I appreciate the album, the production, and how I look forward to more of his stuff; however, only you can take a listen, form an opinion, and start telling people how great he is, because you will. Kail isn’t someone to sleep on, and if this album is any indication of what he’s got, we can look forward to a lot more solid releases.
Tune in to Phantastiq Cypha with Brian every Friday from 9am-12pm
MY MORNING JACKET @ Le National
By Ricky D - The Naked Lunch - 06/17/2008
The difference between the fifth studio album from the Louisville, Kentucky quintet and all previous work is the influence of producers James and Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, U2), who stray away from the synths on some of My Morning Jacket’s past work and instead, try to emulate their full, live sound. This just might be the reason why this time around, the band outdid themselves once again on their 2008 North American tour.
With over two hours of back-to-back songs from their newest album, Evil Urges, the band left me wondering once again: why aren’t they playing for larger crowds? Opening with the title track from their latest release, the band's sound was tight and focused from the get-go and it never let up; the concert was a non-stop ride, giving us catchy tunes such as "I'm Amazed" and "Thank You Too."
Although My Morning Jacket first emerged in 1998 and have been compared to followers of Neil Young, the band has since embraced everything from neo-psychedelia and Americana to funk, prog, and reggae. Bringing these influences and styles together live made for one of the best concerts of the year. Jim James amazing performance confirmed that he still has one of the best male vocals in the business (giving nods to artists such as Prince and the Godfather of Soul). There’s also something to be said about a band that easily shifts from alt-country / indie rock to delivering an eight-minute long, sexy and tripped out electro-funk track reminiscent of 80’s new wave. Maybe this is why I love them so much.
With a twenty song setlist, the band was sure to deliver enough tracks from previous albums to keep fans happy. The list included “Laylow,” “Lowdown,” “Gideon,” “Highly Suspicious,” two encores, and finally “One Big Holiday” before the band sent us home more than satisfied.
Tune in The Naked Lunch with Ricky D every Thursday from 10am – 12pm
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE @ Quai Jacques Cartier
By Lindsay Wood - Through Being Cool - 06/06/2008
You know the feeling you get when you finally get the chance to see a band you just keep missing (because either the band got injured on a previous tour, or you happened to take an extra work shift without realizing that it was on the same night as the show)? That’s the feeling I had when I saw Death Cab for Cutie. We were finally able to be in the same place at the same time on their most recent Montreal visit, meeting when “soul meets body” at the Quai Jacques Cartier.
There weren’t as many people at the show as I expected, but then again, the weather had been pretty questionable for the past few weeks. It was grey and cool outside, as though the forces of Ben Gibbard were fighting off the rain. As soon as the group came on, though, it was love at first sight. One of the best things for me is when a band sounds as good live as they do on CD, and Death Cab did just that. They sounded amazing, playing a great mix of songs, both new and old.
There was little bit of acoustic in their set, but unfortunately, not too much banter. It didn’t feel very personal. Actually, it felt more like a band that had never played here before, which is hardly the case for Death Cab. I didn’t feel like they were playing for me, and I wasn’t as lost in their songs as I had hoped to be. I mean, I was by the end of the concert because I had a few beers, but the boys from Bellingham, Washington weren’t able to evoke that emotion in me from their music.
All in all, the band sounded good and I can’t say I was disappointed, though I had expected more from them. A few more songs would have helped, but otherwise, it was worth the metro trip down to the pier.
(If you like emo kids in glasses, AA shirts and REALLY tight pants, it would have been worth it for you. Holy -- was there a dress code I didn’t know about?)
Tune in to Through Being Cool with Lindsay every Monday from 12pm - 2pm
SHEARWATER - Rook
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By Simon Howell - A Listening Ear - 06/03/2008
Seven years ago, Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff teamed up to create Shearwater's debut album, The Dissolving Room. It wasn't very good -- Meiburg seemed incapable of stringing together a decent melody, opting instead to warble aimlessly, and Sheff seemed to devote only his most maudlin material to the project -- even as Okkervil River cranked out their brilliant early releases. Only their third album, the sprawling Winged Life, felt like an evenhanded collaboration between the two, with Meiburg gaining confidence with sterling, lyrical tracks like "The World in 1984" and surreal banjo workout "Whipping Boy." Then, as the Sheff-led Okkervil River grew in stature with their breakthrough fourth album, Black Sheep Boy, Sheff left Shearwater, leaving Meiburg to steer Shearwater's follow-up without him, even as Meiburg remained in Sheff's more popular group (providing a distinctive caterwaul on tracks like "All the Latest Toughs" and The Stage Names' closer "John Allyn Smith Sails.")
The resultant record, Palo Santo, turned out to be a mild sleeper hit, eventually earning a profile-boosting partial re-release (and partial remaster) courtesy of new label, Matador. The record boasted a markedly more jagged sound than Meiburg's past work, juxtaposing his crystalline tenor with blasts of feedback and spare orchestral flourishes. The songs themselves brimmed with equal parts menace and tenderness. Recently, and likely to no one's surprise, Meiburg announced his departure from Okkervil River, citing the impossibility of properly promoting his own work while playing in both bands.
With Rook, Meiburg, along with bandmates Thor Harris and Kimberly Burke, assert their complete independence not only from the work of their associates but from the greater paradigms of indie rock. Instead of constructing a world and working within its borders, Rook feels palpably engaged with the one we actually inhabit -- likely stemming from Meiburg's background as an ornithologist and nature enthusiast. On "Rooks," Meiburg tells of nature's revenge on human aggressors ("the ambulance man said there's nowhere to flee for your life / so we stay inside and sleep until the world of man is paralyzed") and by the song's end, has made his allegiance known: "let the kingdom come tonight / let this dream be realized."
With "Rooks" as the centerpiece of a swift opening trio (including startling opener "On the Death of the Waters," which uses piercing horns to announce the album's arrival much as Elbow did on Seldom Seen Kid opener "Starlings"), "Home Life" finally allows for some breathing room, peppering its seven minutes with lively percussion, gamelan, oboe, and a soaring string arrangement, and Meiburg's vocals at their most ornate. Unlike many lushly orchestrated records, Rook never feels compressed or overstuffed, and never lets any one element overwhelm all others. Meiburg is also careful not to overstuff the record with maudlin material, carefully sequencing left-turns like terse rocker "Century Eyes" and screeching instrumental "South Col." By the time Rook runs out of its brief 39-minute runtime with blissful closer "The Hunter's Star," we're left wondering if Sheff will fare as well without Meiburg. The Stage Names was among the best records of last year, and now Rook stands at least as tall in this one.
[This article was first published on Simon's blog.]
Tune in to A Listening Ear with Simon every Friday from 2pm - 4pm
MATTHEW GOOD AND HIS BAND @ Club Soda
By Michelle Ayoub - Ravenous Medicine - 05/30/2008
As I sit to write this review, I realize that it will be quite the task, because following last Friday’s performance at Club Soda, I am just a tad bit giddy. Considering how many shows yours truly has seen over the years, going from itsy-bitsy productions to big-budget extravaganzas, from mellow indie rock concerts to the most obscure metal shows featuring bands from parts of Europe no one knew existed, I think that’s really saying something for Matthew Good and his band.
I arrived at the venue to see that it was ready to burst. As with the previous times I have seen Matt Good, backed by a band or solo, I was surprised that there were still tickets available at the door. It was the crowd, I believe, that really made the show. Old and young, male and female, this crowd was one of the most energetic I have seen in a while. Every single song had most, if not everyone, in the venue singing along, amplifying the already great delivery of several of the songs, especially those of the Matthew Good Band era such as “Load Me Up” and “Hello Time Bomb”, both off Beautiful Midnight.
However, an energetic crowd is nothing without a strong performance to feed off of. While I have heard many people say that Matt Good is a boring frontman, I have to strongly disagree. Whether he’s performing solo acoustic sets or shows with a band backing him (as was the case at this show), Good has such charisma and strong stage presence that he does not need to make any great effort to get the crowd going. He topped it off with what I find to be an exemplary case of a great performer/audience relationship -- the Vancouver native came on stage with a Montreal Canadians T-shirt, stating that everyone back home hates him because he is a die-hard Habs fan.
If you are anything like me, you go into shows with a list of songs you just have to hear or the world will stop spinning. The set list did not disappoint. It covered the majority of Matt Good’s career, focusing mostly on his solo works but not forgetting to give Matthew Good Band fans their fill with songs such as “Everything is Automatic,” and “Apparitions.” Many tracks from Good’s most recent album, Hospital Music, were covered and again, each song was well-received by the audience.
Having worked on and seen quite few tours and shows, I always appreciate a good set-up. Keeping it simple with a few extra touches seems to be often overlooked. The lighting, which comprised of a series of lines of lights on ceiling high pillars behind the band, really stood out for me, accompanying each song well. From the first song, I found this lighting choice to be very effective, and it was confirmed during “Alert Status Red,” when the lights all flashed red during the chorus. Cheesy? Perhaps. Effective and awesome? Totally. Sound-wise, I unfortunately have no good things to say. Considering the fact that despite a nice layout for the venue, Club Soda does not have the best acoustics in the world, I cannot say it was the worst live sound I have ever heard. While it did manage to get on my nerves at some times (God bless earplugs), it never threatened the overall experience of the show. In fact, I would be willing to bet a fair sum of money that if you asked most people in the crowd, they probably did not noticed much.
Overall, my only real disappointment of the evening was not getting to hear “Strange Days,” but believe you me, although I spent a good portion of the set hoping it would be next, it did not come anywhere near ruining my experience. As I said, this was not the first time I have seen Matt Good live, and to summarize, I think it just about says it all that next time around, I will be first in line to grab tickets.
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