Last time I saw real Estate they were opening for Woods at Market Hotel. I liked them well enough then to catch them at another Todd P show this weekend, featuring a total of 4 bands, although we only saw 3 of them.
Big Troubles was on stage when we got there, and they were going at it (EDIT: A very concerned commenter has brought it to my attention that this band was Big Troubles, not Liam the Younger as previously posted. When we walked in and asked at the door who was on stage we were told that it was Liam the Younger. My apologies to Liam the Younger for any trouble this may have caused.) They weren't bad, but they did need some help in the vocals department. Both of the singers were a little bit weak. Neither projected enough and there wasn't any balance, you could barely hear the poor kids. I am going to chalk it up to a little bit of inexperience and a little bit of nerves.
Family Portrait was up next, and in my opinion, they stole the show. Their music has a lot of variety and a lot of energy. Styles swing from 60's surfer songs to Nirvana inspired rock songs. Despite the range of influences, it was still a consistent sound, and enjoyable the whole way through. I look forward to hearing more from these boys (guys? we were guessing at their ages, and the results were inconclusive). Whatever they are doing, I hope playing Todd P basement shows is the springboard for a real record. Stay tuned, I'll be following up on them.
Real Estate headlined the show. Here's the thing about them: they are extremely consistent in their sound. They all sort of blend together a little bit. They put on a good show technically, despite a crowd of adoring fans, people weren't getting into it. On another note, they had some er...supporters there who were sort of shouting in between songs and it was rather unprofessional. I don't want to be that uptight person at a show...but I feel like these guys are probably going to do very well for themselves in the next couple of years and the time to establish themselves as professionals is now. As far as their musical performance was concerned they played like top notch gentleman, I think they just need to get their friends under control a little bit.
A few words about Monster Island Basement: I miss Market Hotel. It had such character (i think that character was old nicotine) and it was a good shape so that you were never in a bad sopt. MIB has lots of suppor beams, and a weird corner stage that makes it easy to be in a blind zone or stuck right next to a speaker. I'll take it over nothing for sure, but I amholding out hope that Todd P can get proper licensing in place for MH so that it will come back to life. Without the nicotine.
xx The Elephant
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
You missed Liam The Younger, the band you are talking about first is Big Troubles. Learn to fact-check or turn and ask the person next to you who is playing. Not being able to fully hear the vocals can be attributed neither to "nerves" nor "inexperience" but instead to the style of music and volume they were playing mixed with a sound guy who may not have been doing his job. Just because you do not understand the aesthetic a band is striving for does not mean that the band is nervous or incapable of playing well.
Furthermore, concerning your comments on the Real Estate crowd: if you are paying less than ten dollars to see a band in a sweaty un-air conditioned basement that as far as I know functions as an aerobics studio by day I don't know if complaining about a drunk and excitable crowd is really valid. If you want good sound, a frozen silent crowd and flawless sight-lines you should probably stick to the shows on your 'show list'. People get drunk and enjoy themselves, at least they weren't knocking others to the ground. Also, it was a rock and roll show.
ElephantWhale makes me wish, once again, that there was a standardized test that bloggers were required to pass before spewing their unlearned and inexperienced opinions and writing all over the web.
- Jack
Hi Jack,
Thanks for your comments. We did in fact ask who was on stage when we got there, so if we were told incorrectly, my apologies.
I'm going to have to disagree with you on the standardized test for bloggers: I'm pretty sure you chose to read my opinion. I certainly didn't sit you down and force it down your throat. You are welcome to start a blog and disagree with anything that I say, that's the great thing about the internet. You googled your band or friend's band and are pissed that I didn't write a glowing review. Feel free to continue to write whatever comments you wish on my blog, as this is an open forum for discussions about music. If you'd like to invite me to see Big Troubles again next time they play I will happily give them a second chance.
Best of Luck with your band!
The Elephant
hi. thanks for taking my time to read me. you are a smarting men. i enjkoyed the toughts on the music all of the show - epesially the family picutre. i agreed with yur idea of surf-nirvan apeically of their older apearance with i agreed questionable.
next - moving, on, i had a few concerns regardied the big troubles of whoms i tih great. when tey having to ma sing it can be blended to fit an estetic like the other guy says, okay? but i mosly get what you had to rite about that.
her mouth was red lik an apl!
- thats an analefgy for what i hearing from big troubles now i limtensing from their mespace.com songs which now hearding their vocals moreso therefre i understand this f theit music, -- a things i must have your misteunderstoood from their music songs all f whic wuld be better understod if yur hustory of music was ff alll a better reference to time. that said, i think with some better ideas regarding your sense of musiucca histries then yju understand big trbkes, also family portraits.
so now that i em new around i do epresiat what you and your colleagues are having happen, even if you and sometins of thm d nt alwayc get it?
cum see the bands
tahnks,
also i thim i'm started blog two now soon?
-Mike
responding to JJ Hendersen...
"the sound" is only "bad" at monster island basement because you're predisposed to think it will be bad, because you file it under "d.i.y. space" in your head.
in fact, the PA there and the acoustics there are superior to many city venues. definitely better than Glasslands or Death by Audio.
most remarks about "the sound" are about the commenter wanting to project insider status and sound like he's a knowledgeable show veteran, rather than any actual, side-by-side comparison of one venue's sound versus another's.
Post a Comment