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Concert Review

Beggars save night from colossal failure

Kings Barcade hosted the kickoff of the Beggars and Colossus’s 2011 North Carolina statewide tour Thursday, Jan. 13. Fortunately for the audience, the opening act was worth the $6 admission price.

The Beggars, classified as punk/rock/soul on their MySpace page, is a five-piece band from Detroit proper. Almost 700 miles is a long way to come to play for the two dozen or so people milling around Kings at the beginning of the set, but the group didn’t seem to mind. Vocalist Steven Davis swaggered around the stage wearing a red polo, khaki pants and a pair of white wrist sweatbands looking like he could be right at home at a 1980s Sunday afternoon family reunion – until the music started. Davis and his band mates were, in a word, enthusiastic. The singer’s theatrics included frequent jumps into the audience, losing his loafers and socks on more than one occasion, tossing the microphone around, crawling on his knees across the stage, a string of “fuck, yeah!”s in between songs and a backwards somersault from the floor back onto the stage. With all the jumping around, he even split his pants (a fact they specifically requested to be put in this blog). Davis slipped off the stage at the start of the last song, returning with “super limited edition” tour merchandise – a six-song CD and spiffy black tee.

The 45-minute set opened with “Same Costume as Mine,” a quirky song about matching outfits punctuated by the superb saxophone work of Rod “Pool Party” Jones. That got the crowd pumped up and kept them there through “FRK,” “It’s All About Me,” “Gold (My Neck I’ll Hang Around),” “25 Miles,” “Us Dudes (Wee get so Rad),” “Sleepaway Camp” and “Thieves.” Their finale “Stop, Drop, Rock n’ Roll” had the crowd chanting the chorus and pumped for the show’s headliner.

Colossus lead singer Sean Buchanan joined the Beggars on stage for “Stop, Drop, Rock n’ Roll,” which gave the first hint of intoxication. He made it clear he had a few too many when he crashed in to the drum kit in the middle of the second song. After a brief interlude, Buchanan regained his composure and the show continued. When he knocked over another drum, the band called it quits after the fourth song. The lyrics weren’t coherent enough to get any song titles.

Those who saw Colossus before Thursday should choose to remember them from previous performances. For those experiencing the Raleigh rock/metal band for the first time, consider giving them another chance. Colossus really does display “talent like a Viking lets blood on a battlefield as Independent Weekly’s Bryan Reed wrote. While the crowd did grow from the original two dozen, perhaps it was best there were limited witnesses.

The 2011 North Carolina statewide tour continues Friday, Jan. 14 at Pinups in Greensboro and Saturday, Jan. 15 at Reggie’s in Wilmington. The Beggars conclude their trip of the Wolfpack state Sunday, Jan. 16 at the Reservoir in Carrboro. Colossus will play again Saturday, Feb. 5 for the second day of the Bull City Metal Fest at Casbah.

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Concert Review

Organos Brings Complex Pop To Kings

It was a frigid night on Friday, but that didn’t keep people from coming out to a great local bill happening at Kings.

Starting off the night were Soft Company. A local supergroup of sorts, with Missy Thangs of The Love Language serving as bandleader, backed by members of such defunct local acts as Lake Inferior and Violet Vector & The Lovely Lovelies, the band made their way through a set of mid-tempo songs  that brought to mind 70’s AM radio and classic pop. The highlight of the set was a song midway through (that I didn’t catch the name of) that slowly built to an epic couple minutes of wailing guitars and prolonged “oh"s from Thangs.

Taking a break between sets to play some pinball down in Neptunes, I came back up to find a curiously less full Kings. Josh Carpenter, who plays drums in Asheville band Floating Action, brought along his own set of original songs that brought to mind The Old Ceremony on a sugar rush. With a full album recorded and (hopefully) due out soon, he’s definitely one to keep an eye on in the coming year.

Organos finally came on around midnight to perform one of the best sets by a local band I’ve seen in recent memory. Maria Albani, her bass, and a couple pals encircled a table covered in various percussive instruments and a glockenspiel, while Reid Johnson from Schooner and Nathan White from Nathan Oliver played  intertwining guitar runs and Ginger Wagg, of Veelee, provided the back beat. The set ran through all of Organos’ debut, The Limbs EP, as well as several new songs. One of the best aspects of the show was how well the band played together. It’d be easy for the ramshackle songs on the EP to come across messy live, but the band performed them with an effortless grace that further revealed the subtleties and intricacies in the music. As a bonus, Albani’s between-song banter rivaled that of Bradford Cox’s in hilarity, making quips such as "this is our guitarist, Justin Bieber”(referring to White).

Overall, the warm tones found in the night’s music served as the perfect counter to the icy winds blowing outside.

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Concert Review

Minus The Bear packs Lincoln Theatre

On Tuesday, Nov. 30, I had the privilege of going to see Minus The Bear at Lincoln Theatre.  I arrived late but still managed to catch the second half of their opener, Tim Kasher.

The feeling I got from a lot of people around me was that Tim Kasher’s performance was not as good as was expected.  It was a rather low energy performance; although, I thought the sound was good and the his supporting band played tightly.

Excitement for Minus The Bear was palpable.  As soon as their banner was raised at the back of the stage, people began screaming and stomping the floor.  It made the entire theatre seem to pump with energy.  Since the theatre was nearly full, this excitement quickly turned into wildness as a large guy in front of me jumped around and then right into my digital camera (hence the lack of photos for this blog).  It was worth it, though, and as the house lights dimmed and the stage lights went up there was an explosion of cheering.

The performance itself seemed short, but the band played for a little over an hour including the encore. Minus The Bear standards like “The Game Needed Me” were performed as well as some newer songs from their album “Omni.”  The guitarist put on a great show of bravado in the use of his pedal system, and the band as a whole really brought everything they had to the set.  I danced and even forgot for awhile that my camera was broken, but the fun had to end eventually and when it did, the entire crowd seemed to be exhausted.  It would have been nice to have seen a longer set, but I still had a great time and have gained a greater appreciation for Minus The Bear after seeing their live show.

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Concert Review

Swell Kweller

Last night’s (Monday, November 29) Ben Kweller concert at the Cat’s Cradle was opened by Julia Nunes. She played most of her songs on a ukulele, but strummed her few chords so hard that it undermined the charm the instrument is supposed to have. She had the kind of vocal twangs that made “tonight” sound like “toe-night” and “right” like “wrought” – like a less pop/less active Kate Nash. Her music just isn’t my style. I failed to see the talent (which she called her self out on). Regardless, she had a large fan base in attendance of young girls and barely post-pubescent boys. People were really digging her. She talked a lot with an immature kind of humor, but did make me laugh a few times despite my disposition. My favorite song: a cover of “Build Me Up Buttercup.”

Ben Kweller…Ben Kweller is awesome. I made it out to this concert mainly out of nostalgia for how much I used to listen to him. He performed solo because as he said, “I just wanted to get out on the road without promoting a new album (of which he is in the process of finishing up), and play some oldies.” He laughed at “oldies,” and the crowd laughed with him. His performance was delightfully endearing.  He stopped in the middle of his first song (Commerce, TX) as he remembered he forgot to add an old friend to the guest list. He yelled the name into the microphone, and told the doorman to make sure this guy got in free (which he did, Ben saw him, there was a moment).  Ben also stopped talking in between songs when he saw his older son, Dorian.

He got Dorian up on stage, and let him walk around and lay by his feet as he played a heartwarming piano set (including Thirteen, In Other Words, Falling). I had a spot right at the stage, closest to the piano. My eyes may have welled up a little bit when he played “Thirteen.” It’s a beautiful song. He talked about how much he loves playing at Cat’s Cradle, and he mixed similar expressions into his lyrics a few times. He played crowd favorites, requests, and a few lesser-knowns.

Ben’s solo performance exposed his creative guitar play and position as a master pianist. The show was simple. One guy, playing one instrument at a time, could get pretty slow, but Ben pulled it off. Of all the shows I’ve been to at the Cradle, I have never heard/seen a crowd so quiet, attentive, respectful. Expect to see Ben Kweller back in North Carolina again soon after his new album drops. He’ll probably have a supporting crew, and it will be hella’ swell.

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Concert Review

Felix the Drum Machine RECAP

If you attempted to nap before going to Kings on Turkey Day then you most likely didn’t wake up. And you missed a great show. That’s okay. There is always next year.

Here is a recap!

The Revolutionary Sweethearts opened up the night. I was in love at first listen with this band for sure. After their set I immediately headed backstage to meet Brandy. I hope to see them at a Local Beer Local Band next year!

DJ Gonzo played before/inbetween/after sets. I remember he spun my favorite Veelee song, “Amber.” What a lovely listen that was!

As Brian Shaw pointed out, there were a lot of people there that he didn’t know or recognize. A good thing, indeed. Felix the Drum Machine’s annual Thanksgiving shows are evidently gaining a fan base.

Everyone was in costume: Brian C. in the space suit, Zack O. as some animal/superman combo, William C. in a black trench coat, and Brian S. as a Mr. America (or something like that) outfit. They were all super cute!

At the end of the night, I picked up my own cassette tape that Felix the Drum Machine was selling. The artwork completely original and unique. Best investment I’ve made in a while. See you next year!

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Concert Review

Fridays Are For Local Music

This past Friday (November 19) was a great day for local music in Raleigh. Hopefully most of you dropped by after work or class and came out to the Harris Field lawn to check out our November installment of Fridays on the Lawn featuring The Tender Fruit and The Tomahawks.  Despite the chillier weather, we experienced a great turnout as people came out with blankets and snuggies to enjoy the free pizza and music.

The Tender Fruit was represented solely by Christy Smith, an N.C. State graduate in English, who managed to hold her own as she worked the kick drum and strummed her guitar. Smith’s voice is really something to admire. On the band’s recent album, Flotsam & Krill, I was blown away by her vocal dynamics, especially on track “Get Out of the Car.” Performing live, she was equally as powerful and her set proved to be calming but also a pleasant juxtaposition against the grittier headliners, The Tomahawks. This past August, Indy Week covered an interesting story on Smith, her past relationship with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and how Flotsam& Krill is a response to Vernon’s hit album For Emma, Forever Ago. You can check out the article here.

Although the concert was over before 9 p.m., local music fans were in luck as Future Islands were headlining at Kings Barcade in downtown Raleigh that night as well. Well, that is, if they had bought a ticket in advance as the show was sold out. Although I missed the opener NAPS, I was greeted by the familiar and pleasant sounds of Veelee upon walking into Kings. Matt and Ginger focused their set on their newer songs off their latest album The Future Sight. Veelee recently opened for Merge Record’s powerhouse, Caribou, on Halloween, which is a sign there are bigger and better things awaiting them.

Lonnie Walker was the last band to perform before the headliners came on stage. The bands are well known friends as Walker and Future Islands recently put out a split 7" together. The crowd at this point of the night were getting into a frenzy. The front part of the stage where I had posted myself had become a dance floor. My head was particularly swaying to many of the tracks on Island’s recent album, In Evening Air. The night was everything to be expected of Future Islands: funny antics from lead singer Sam Herring, stage dancing, and great music.

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Concert Review

Javelin Fly High at Kings

Local label Denmark Records brought Brooklyn electro-pop duo Javelin to town this past Thursday, November 11, for their third Raleigh show in four months at the recently re-opened Kings. I unfortunately missed the Panda-Bear-but-less-weird sounds of local act It Is Rain In My Face, but arrived right in time to catch the start of Athens, Georgia’s Reptar. With bassist Ryan Engelberger M.I.A., the band still managed to put on an energetic show, keeping the crowd dancing with synth-pop reminiscent of Passion Pit, sans the obnoxious vocals. Dressed in a choir robe and multi-colored sunglasses, keyboard player William Kennedy bounced around with singer/guitarist Graham Ulicny like two kids hopped on Red Bull and Pixie Stix, their boundless energy clearly rubbing off on the crowd.

After a brief set break, Javelin kicked off their set of sample-heavy party jams. Mixing in older tracks such as “Radio” and “Soda Popinski” with newer cuts, including personal favorite “C Town”, the duo of George Langford and Tom van Buskirk never once let their set go into non-danceable territory during their nearly hour-long set. The duo also managed to drop in a few verses from songs other than their own, including Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage.” With a much larger turnout than the nearly-empty Small Black show a couple weeks before, the show proved to be a success for everyone—for Denmark, for Kings, for the fans, and especially for Javelin, who went so far as to ask, “Why haven’t we moved here yet?”

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Concert Review

Troika Saturday

This past Saturday marked the the last night of the local music festival Troika in downtown Durham. Despite the cold weather, Anastassia and I, AndyQ, had a glorious time running around from venue to venue listening to the Triangle’s finest local music. This is our collaborative blog on our experience.

The first place we went to was at the new Motorco Music Hall, which had a nice upscale warehouse lounge vibe going on.

Filthybird started the evening out nicely with some mellow music. It was fun to watch the lead singer with her short stature play such a huge guitar.

After Filthybird, some men in snazzy suits and well manicured beards came to the stage. With their four-part harmonies and fancy finger work on the fiddle, Chatham County Line managed to crank out some good ole bluegrass reminiscent of classic Avett Brothers.

It wasn’t surprising when we looked back at the crowd and saw that they had packed the house filled with swooning listeners.

We were in for a surprise when we headed over to The Casbah.

Gray Young completely changed the atmosphere of the evening with their garage rock cords that were evocative of Explosions in the Sky. With their awesome stage presence and edgy music, it was impossible to stand still. Seeing Gray Young right after a nice folksy band like Chatham was an eye opening experience to the wide range of local music in the Triangle, and both of us really appreciated that.

Then, we saw  The Loom from Brooklyn, who were well worth the walk to the Trotter Building, which was decorated nicely with lovely lanterns. I liked the band’s ability to start off with a mellow opening, only to build up to a crescendo of high energy horns, banjo, and drums. The “Middle Distance,” showcased their driving beats that backed haunting vocals. The sweet raspiness of the female vocalist accompanied by the male lead’s voice was very enjoyable.

Next, we ran back to The Motorco for Cassis Orange. This girly, but rough band was really fun to watch, with the singer dancing and jumping around. Their use of different and sometimes odd instruments came especially handy when a flutist joined them to cover Ke$ha’s “Tik-tok”. That was probably the best cover that I have heard, hands down.

Finally, after almost five hours of shows, the best was saved for last with Hammer No More the Finger. We had heard of them, but didn’t really know what to expect, and they definitely did not disappoint. It was obvious even from the beginning that they had a solid fan base in Durham. The venue was packed and a sort of mosh pit was forming. No one stood still because the guitar riffs and catchy songs were too good to not dance to.

In general, the festival not only presented some great local music, but it showcased the noteworthiness of downtown Durham, helping to disprove some people’s sentiments that Durham is Raleigh’s ghetto. We were very disappointed that there was not enough time in the night to listen to all the bands that performed.  We also went with fellow DJ Godrik, who would like to add “beer should have been cheaper”.

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Concert Review

A Parade of Wolves at Lincoln Theatre

Canadian indie rockers, Wolf Parade, made their way to Lincoln Theatre on Saturday night and deejays N!cole and Special K were there to cover the event. Upon arriving, we were greeted by the power chords of the opener band, Ogre You Asshole. Admittedly neither of us had heard of them before, and I personally was a bit confused by their garbled lyrics. As we made our way through the sea of people, it became apparent that these guys were not from around here. Unlike the headliner, Ogre You Asshole wasn’t even from this continent! Hailing from Nagano, Japan, the band members were over 6,500 miles away from home and on tour with Wolf Parade. Overall, they had the crowd swaying despite the fact most of the audience couldn’t understand the vocals.

After what seemed like a long time for setup, Wolf Parade finally made their way on stage. They opened with DJ N!cole’s favorite song, “You Are A Runner and I Am My Father’s Son” and continued their set with a mix of old songs and new songs off their latest album Expo 86 which released this past June. I personally thought there was a rise of energy in the crowd when they began to play “I’ll Believe In Anything” which continued on into a demanding encore later at the end of the show. Wolf Parade ended the night with “Modern World” and “Kissing the Beehive.”

The Final Recap: As best summarized by DJ N!cole, “It was a really good show.” Overall, there was quite a bit of drunkenness among the crowd at Lincoln and Wolf Parade looked like they were having a good time too. I also continued to hear a rumor about a girl throwing up all over the floor throughout the night.  However by the end of the show, the vocals and music had been crisp, the audience looked satisfied, our shoes were clean, and there was a pleasant ringing in my ears as we walked to the parking deck. Another successful night of music in Raleigh.

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Concert Review

Halloween Night With Caribou, Emeralds, and Veelee

Halloween in the triangle area is always a must-experience event. As luck would have it, one of my favorite bands, Caribou, played at Cat’s Cradle on Sunday night, so it was guaranteed to be even more celebratory than usual! Costumed characters adorned the streets; walking to the venue, I saw several renderings of Gaga, Devo, and even a fleet of dominoes. The costumes flowed into Cat’s Cradle as well. To my right was a feathery albatross, behind me, a gory zombie. The night was off to a festive start.

As Veelee opened at Cat’s Cradle, the crowd went wild. I’m a new-comer to the Raleigh music scene, so it was my first time hearing their groovy dance beats, but I was instantly hooked. I’m proud to say that they are now in my music library. “When you gonna come home,” and I was already dancing… on the opening act.

After a swift set break, Emeralds played. Boy, did they perform. Every newly synthesized chord was a new revelation—Animal Collective in the style of Philip Glass, who wouldn’t love that? The shimmery instrumental hodgepodge of beautiful textures rained down. My legs were going rubbery from breaking it down, the crowd moving in rhythm. And Caribou hadn’t even been spotted yet.

The headliner of the night played a flawless show spotted with familiar songs with a few throwbacks to their older albums. “Odessa” was of course a crowd favorite, but I adored hearing “Sun” live. The band members were of course in costume, each wearing awesome camouflage suits. It worked—I barely saw them. I was too occupied with dancing at a great show.