The Black Keys 4/25/12 at the Frank Erwin Center
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:
Review: Cursive w/ Cymbals Eat Guitars & Conduits
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.
SXSW Music officially kicks off today in Austin, Texas. I will posting as often as I can during this week but if not will be back Sunday. Follow me on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/rooftopplaylist
Earlier this year the Indie-pop duo Tennis released their second album Young & Old. When I first heard Cape Dory – their first album release – early last year, I couldn’t help but become a fan almost instantly. In this new album, the lo-fi vocal technique from Alaina Moore gives her vocals a sort of classic sound as if she were a singer from the 1930’s or 40’s much like Tennis’ previous album. Her vocals really flow well with the clean-sounding guitars and medium tempo drum sounds. Overall this album didn’t really have any change of pace from their previous album but that is not a bad thing by any means. However, sometimes artists leave something to be desired when they have the same or similar sounds in their music.
South By Southwest (SXSW) Band:
Sometimes in my search for good music I find an album that starts off strong and has everything good going for it and then just falls flat. Some Nights by the band Fun is one of those albums. Recently the song “We Are Young” from this album was featured in the commercial for the Chevy Sonic and at least here in Austin, Texas is being overplayed and coming close to being another “Pumped up Kicks” by Foster the People. Unfortunately, that seems to be the strongest song this album features. Granted there are a few tracks that are OKAY like the first track of the album Some Nights which has a beginning vocal from the band that reminds me of Kansas’ “Carry on My Wayward Son” The track itself has a good beat to it and is very percussion-heavy. As the album continues, though, it seems to fall flat. After the track ironically called “It Gets Better,” the album slowly falls short. Overall the instrumentation seems to be all over the place from one track to the next, which in some cases works, but in this case it doesn’t do it for me.
South By Southwest (SXSW) Band:
Titus Andronicus is a punk rock/indie rock band New Jersey formed in 2005. I could not help but instantly like this band after hearing “A More Perfect Union,” the first track from their 2010 album The Monitor. The vocals in that song remind me of one of my favorite bands Desaparecidos fronted by Conor Oberst. The old-school punk rock and indie-rock influences in Titus Andronicus’ music are easily noticeable. Titus Andronicus has the trademark sound of old-school punk rock with the guitar-heavy sound and an overall stripped down arrangement of instruments. Later this year the band is going to be releasing a new album: LP3.
South By Southwest (SXSW) Band:
If you have a soft spot for classic rock Howlin’ Rain’s The Russian Wilds is a band to check out. They have been around since 2006 but their recent album has to be one of their best to date. From the very beginning, you get the guitar-heavy sound, lengthy guitar solos and harmonizing vocals that a lot of classic rock bands had in the ‘70s and ’80s. Howlin’ Rain is so good at achieving this sound, if you listen to this band on vinyl it might just transport you to the time the 45rpm record dominated.
Favorite Tracks: Self Made Man and Cherokee Werewolf
Trevino is a four-piece band with a rock sound that is different from what I consistently listen to but I’m really liking it. Fusing a hint of pop-punk influences with a traditional, guitar-heavy sound, Trevino is the perfect playlist addition for the rock music fan looking for strong lyrics and a good melodic sound, with a variety of musical influences, and smooth vocals. You can find a few of their songs on their page on Reverb Nation at http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/1416856. The band has also been invited to play at Crow Bar in Austin, Texas during SXSW. The band is asking for donations from fans to help fund their trip. If you’d like to donate to the cause, go to their donation page at http://ronbenet.bedroomradio.com/post/18334687312/help-trevino-play-sxsw-gas-is-expensive.
Mind Spiders - Meltdown
It has been awhile since I heard good lo-fi, post-punk/surf rock music that I can sit through from start to finish without getting bored. Mind Spiders (from Fort Worth, Texas) take the key components of the aforementioned genres and produce a blend of great hooks, nice synth, and brassy vocals, that in turn makes for a album that is definitely not boring and gives you the right blend of sounds to shout and move to.
Listen to the album below and purchase it at: http://www.greennoiserecords.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=23803&osCsid=c739e7aa6508f73ee39fa78fd62395e7
