Rooftop Playlist

Better late than never:

Last Wednesday I caught The Black Keys at the Frank Erwin Center for the 3rd time in 2 years. Though I do not count the 2nd time, as it was hot outside in New Orleans and part of me was jamming out just to keep from passing out. I was skeptical at first because I still cannot fathom the idea of the band doing an arena tour, especially when one of the arenas is the Frank Erwin Center.

For a band that claims to be all about “good” music, I don’t understand why they would subject their great sound to such an awful venue with acoustics that are hit or miss. In the last few months I have seen two shows at the Frank Erwin Center besides The Black Keys, both of which were not terrible but not up to par. I will say this; the arena is not made for rap, and Drake sounded mediocre, while Radiohead sounded crisp but their sound still lacked fluidity, but neither performer was at fault.

Fortunately, The Black Keys’ music works for an arena like the Frank Erwin Center. The Black Keys are rock-and-roll-heavy with a lot of soul. Their sound, though not perfect, works with the acoustics of the venue. Putting my venue griping aside, The Black Keys can rock any space. I saw them in a more intimate setting during their Brothers Tour and it was by far the best show I saw in 2010. The same goes for their El Camino Tour.

The one thing that arena concerts force you to do is sit there and engage with music. Auerbach and Carney do exactly that; they both have a massive stage presence. The sound was loud and it amplified their usually brash, hard-hitting chords and pounding drums. Their set list (which you can see below) was heavily on El Camino and Brothers, but they added a few songs from various albums here and there. The Black Keys hit every note and key in stride. The encore was visually beautiful as they lit up the arena with their signature huge disco ball(s). With these guys, 90 minutes of music just isn’t enough.

Setlist: the highlighted denotes encore songs:

“Everlasting Light” by The Black Keys at the Frank Erwin Center:

Saturday April 14th I checked out Cursive along with two other bands; The Conduits and Cymbals Eat Guitars at Mohawk’s in Austin, Texas. Cursive is one of my favorite bands or maybe it is just Tim Kasher I am a fan of because as he said at the show he’s an asshole but for me that is part of his charm. I have seen Tim Kasher twice since I have been in Austin; his solo tour and, twice in Phoenix as Cursive and The Good Life prior to moving to Austin. It would be an understatement to say I am a huge fan of his music as each of his respective musical acts differs lyrically, vocally and musically.

Each band had almost a full hour-long set and the energy in the venue was high all the way from beginning to end. The Conduits kicked off the night with a great set. Their sound was rather bass-heavy but that could have been because it was a live performance and not an album. All the band members had great stage presence, particularly the bassist who seemed to be enjoying herself every song. I wish I could say the same for the lead singer who appeared to lack enthusiasm.

Next up was Cymbals Eat Guitars and they brought the energy level up even higher with their performance. Their performance was a bit heavier both musically and vocally. And to my surprise their sound seemed straight out of their albums. Lead singer Joseph D’Agostino’s high-range vocals fit perfectly with the guitar-heavy sound from the entire band. He even took time between songs to interact with the crowd, even if the crowd seemed to be made up of douche bags. But D’Agostino took it with a smile.

I don’t mean to take anything away from either of those two bands but I have to say the highlight of the night was definitely Cursive’s performance. The energy in the crowd and the whole venue was definitely at its peak by the time Kasher and the rest of the band hit the stage. I was impressed with the set list that was heavy on the best of their new stuff and the peak of their old stuff. Their set clocked in just under an hour and a half with an upbeat, vigorously played tempo. The 5-piece band of Cursive looked and sounded in sync playing off each other’s energy with raw energy and finesse. The highlight of the night was hearing Tim Kasher throw in a little TLC with his song “Art is Hard.” Who knew “No Scrub” could fit so nicely with Cursive’s hard-hitting progressive rock.

Check out Cursive’s new album I AM GEMINI.

Friday I saw Los Campesinos! and Parenthetical Girls at The Parish in Austin, Texas.

I went in not knowing Parenthetical Girls and went out knowing I probably would not listen to them again but would not mind seeing them live again. Let me explain. Their music was not my kind of thing; their sound is experimental pop but lacks quality, very bland, and some pretentious sounding lyrics (I mean look at the band’s name). But the constant theatrics and banter with the audience i.e. Comparing Austin to their current location Portland, Oregon “1. Laziness 2. Suspended Adolescence 3. Good looking people over 30” marching around The Parish, talking about semen smelling trees, and swinging from speakers made their 30+ minute set enjoyable.

I would not call myself a “hardcore fan” of Los Campesinos! I did not particularly care for their latest release Hello Sadness as a whole but have enjoyed the albums in-between their first release. My hope was that they would play enough stuff from their other albums to satisfy my urge, which they did. One of the main things I enjoy about their music is that it has dark undertones mixed with an upbeat sound, even added that one-step dance, hands in the air feel. But not Saturday and it wasn’t for a lack of trying, Los Campesinos! just seemed to lack steam and their sound quality at times seemed to be amiss. They just did not have consistent momentum in their first night of two night performances at The Parish. I did not stay for the encore and I must have looked at my phone a few times during their under 80 minute set. I’ll be honest; if it had not been raining I probably would have left early, which is disappointing because they ARE a good band….just maybe on CD only.

Check out their new video for “Songs About Your Girlfriend” off their new album, Hello Sadness. It reminded me why I went to the show in the first place.