popwreckoning

In Washington last year, two adjacent businesses on H Street Northeast, the tiny live music venue Red and Black Bar and the burlesque house Palace of Wonders joined forces to create a combined venue, the Red Palace. I’d seen some shows at the Red and Black and while it was intimate, the ambiance was nothing to write home about. The new and improved Red Palace, I am happy to report, is a revelation. The performance space is on the top floor of the place and is as intimate as my other favorite venue in the city, DC9 (no wonder, it’s owned by the same folks) and it cleans up real nice. For my first show at Red Palace, I was there Saturday night to see the band who provided my best gig of 2010, the Postelles of New York City.

There were two opening acts for the night. Toronto rock band Dinosaur Bones was up first. Bass player Branko Scekic endeared them to the audience by starting their set, whispering, “We’re Dinosaur Bones. And we’re from Canada. We’re a long way from home.” Enter the “awwws.” Interestingly, he was the one delivering the jokes for this band (not their singer Ben Fox), commenting how much he loved Washington, saying, “my favorite [thing to see in DC] is the Washington Monument, because everyone knows what it looks like, no dicking around.” Laughter.

But let’s talk about the music. Listening to them live the first time, I had trouble thinking of how I would describe them. They’ve got Led Zeppelin riffs; disaffected, post-grunge Aaron Lewis (Staind)-like vocals, and the occasional feel of Creed? “Royalty” was a sure highlight, what a sexy bass line and great guitars accompanying it. It’s also worth nothing their lead guitarist Joel Clifton has an uncanny resemblance to Megadeth‘s Dave Mustaine. Make of that what you will. The band’s debut album, My Divider, will be released soon.

Snowmine, the other opener, is a Brooklyn psych pop band. When I think of “Brooklyn” and “psych pop” I think of Bear in Heaven. Similar, but Snowmine has a more tropical vibe. Think Bear in Heaven meets Cut Copy. If Jurassic Park had a house band, it would sound like Snowmine. Their first track, “Danger in the Snow!”, began with prehistoric programmed rumblings. But most of their songs involve maraca and tambourine shaking and big beats, and I also thought of the new wave of Men at Work and Toto‘s “Africa” as possible reference points. Cool vibe. I was definitely into the more upbeat numbers like “Penny” and “The Hill.” They also have an album coming out soon, called Laminate Pink Animal. Check ‘em out.

It’s hard for me to comprehend that the guys of the Postelles are barely into their twenties. I’ve seen them three times now (once, opening for Hockey, and twice as a headliner), and they play like seasoned veterans. It may be because of the many times they’ve played in our town, they always get an amazing reception, and who doesn’t play a great show when you have a great audience? Their debut album has been delayed for a long while but rumor has it that it will finally be released in April; physical copies of The Postelles were available at the DC show.

They previewed two songs newer than those on the debut album, “Bum Bum Bum” and “Running Red Lights,” both of which were in the standard Postelles vein of classic rock ‘n’ roll. In these days of high-tech gadgets, programming, and autotune, it was so nice to see four guys singing and playing guitars, bass, and drums without relying on electronics. Their songs are so poppy and peppy, it’s impossible not to have a good time letting while this band is playing. The crowd, while interested in seeing the band, appeared stiff at the start of their set, but everyone was dancing by the time the band got to “Sleep on the Dance Floor” (with its killer bass line) and “White Night,” right before the encore. It wasn’t much of an encore, because as quickly as they had jumped offstage, they jumped right back on, singing “Boy’s Best Friend” (an ode to a ex-girlfriend who turns out to be a lesbian) and a raucous rendition of “Beat on the Brat” by the Ramones that will forever be cemented in my mind. (It’s not every day a faithful blogger like me gets to duet with one of my favorite bands!)

The Postelles Set List
Bum Bum Bum (new song)
Looking Glass
1, 2, 3 Stop
She She
Stella
Hey Little Sister
Hound Dog (Elvis Presley cover)
Running Red Lights (new song)
Sleep on the Dance Floor
White Night
//
Boy’s Best Friend
Beat on the Brat (Ramones cover)

Tour Dates
Feb 16 – Maxwell’s / Hoboken
Feb 18 – First Unitarian Church / Philadelphia

The Postelles: website | myspace | interview with | @ Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel | The Postelles Premiere First Promo Video, “White Night” | The Postelles Announce Fall North American Tour
Dinosaur Bones: myspace
Snowmine: website | myspace

Equally as important to the Lollapalooza experience as the time spent in Grant Park is the time spent at the Lollapalooza after parties. With the additional official and unofficial shows after it’s lights out at Grant, Lollapalooza becomes a 24 hour experience, three days of the week as festival goers pour the park’s gates into various clubs, venues and hotels throughout Chicago.

PopWreckoning made it to a few of the after shows. Friday, it was off to Belve Nights: a party at the Hard Rock Hotel that’s popular amongst some of the more VIP Lolla attendees. It helps that this Belve Night  featured a DJ set by Matt and Kim and performances from acts such as Neon Trees and Hockey to draw out a big crowd.

Neon Trees were an act that had already blown festival-goers away during their Lollapalooza set earlier that day. The act already seems to be following hot in the footsteps of similar band, The Killers. They continued to own the stage as the singer prowled the stage. The set was a brief five songs, but the band left the audience hungry for more.

Hockey followed Neon Trees with a pop rock set that was just a teaser for the even more energetic set they’d deliver in Grant Park the following day. Beginning with current single, “Song Away,” they band also played some new material and older tunes such as “Too Fake.” Hockey had their set cut short at Lolla 2009, so it was great to see them living up Lolla 2010 with extra performances.

Saturday night, PopWreckoning ventured out on the CTA to a free show at the Bottom Lounge. This show featured a  couple of amazing local acts and a few national acts – free for those who had RSVP. Gotta love free.

Though energy was waning quickly for many at this point (a long day walking the grounds at a festival spanning a park that’s over a mile-long will do that), each of the pop rock bands, The Spinto Band, Skybox and Jukebox the Ghost,  brought a fun quirkiness to their tunes and a contagious enthusiasm. The Spinto Band even divided the audience up into three parts to be a train at one point. Odd, but fun:

Skybox:

Jukebox the Ghost:

Sunday, PopWreckoning returned to the Hard Rock Hotel for another Belve Nights. This evening, Glassnote was bringing the best of its roster.

Among the performances was Mumford and Sons. This UK act is already being praised as one of the best Lolla acts in general and one listen to their harmonies, funky bass lines (upright bass lines, no less!) and heart-wrenching lyrics, it’s easy to see why. “Little Lion Man” is a good place to start for those unfamiliar with their tunes.

After Mumford, it was the crooning, experimental rock band The Temper Trap. Many are familiar with them for “Sweet Disposition,” which was on the “(500) Days of Summer” sound track. And while that song is indicative of some of the other fantastic, rollicking-guitar riffs they produce, it doesn’t really do them justice. Although, perhaps it is better that way because then audience members are extra surprised when the singer pours water on a tom drum and beats a spray of water and heavy beats midway through the set.

Perhaps the highlight of this evening was when Mumford and Sons returned to perform with The Temper Trap. It was like everyone at Belve Nights was a part of a big family: the band, audience members (both VIP and average folk) and even the staff on hand that night. It was extra special when Glassnote’s founder even came out and echoed the sentiment. What a perfect way to end Lollapalooza….well almost. There was a one final treat. Lollapalooza headliners and Glassnote members, Phoenix, though tardy to the party due to another aftershow performance, closed out the night with a DJ set. What a way to end 2010!

Sunday nature battled itself giving us both the coldest and hottest day of Lollapalooza. But there was still music to be heard! So a poncho-packed crowd stumbled through the mud to start their day dancing to “USA Boys,” with HEALTH. As the guys thrashed about the stage with the guitar-driven dance rock, my only thought was that they should have had one of the prime evening spots like similar acts in Cut Copy and Hot Chip. I couldn’t believe they were stuck in one of the earliest sets of the day. Not with how good they are and how popular I thought they were. I’m sure everyone has at least heard one of their remixes at one time or another.

I picked my way past puddles to Perry’s where Team Bayside High was getting ready for their DJ set. I have to give the kids at Perry’s props: the rain seemed to peak during this set, but it didn’t kill their dance buzz for a second. It helped that the DJ duo in Team Bayside High really knew how to interact with the crowd and get them amped up. There wasn’t a single mix that they played that slowed them down too much or killed the mood. As they smoothly went from Franz Ferdinand to a Mario theme, I could see why these guys were asked to play a permanent residence at Rehab in Chicago: they were diverse and fun. For a special treat at the end of their set, Moneypenny‘s Jess joined them to sing her part live on their new single “Party Professionals.” You can actually download the track free at Team Bayside’s site. (We also did an interview with Team Bayside High, so check back to PopWreckoning soon for more from these guys.)

Having seen many of the next acts several times before, I walked past Company of Thieves as their female singer belted out Oscar Wilde refrences, past the Dodos’ percussion heavy set that features a bowed vibraphone and ended up at the Hard Rock Hotel for lunch.

The place was more packed than it had been for the entire weekend. I set off to to investigate what was going on. Turns out one of the larger lobbys had been completely closed off as a “special VIP” had requested privacy while getting a new tattoo. So I went into the cafe to eat and enjoy some hip hop music from Chiddy Bang. Hip hop isn’t usually my thing because I’m a lyric gal and often times the lyrics are offensive, dumb or just downright vulgar. I didn’t have this problem with Chiddy Bang and actually found it witty. I particularly liked that there was a live drummer and not just pre-recorded backing tracks for the performance.

After the performance, I ventured back up to the closed lounge, which was still closed. I was about to ask a girl standing next to me if she knew what was going on, but a beefy, tall man ushered her out of the lobby just as I opened my mouth. Turns out that girl was Hayden Panettiere – you know, from Heroes, Remember the Titans, etc? And it also turns out that she was the “special VIP” who had shut down the room for her new tatt. I guess the cast of Scream 4 had come down to Lolla from filming in Michigan. A part of me wishes I had realized who she was sooner, but I’m also glad I didn’t. That’s kind of the cool thing about Lolla. Actors and musicians are just walking around. You never know who you’re going to rub shoulders with, but at that fest, we’re all equals. We’re all music lovers.

So, since I am such a big music lover, it was time to take my leave of the Hard Rock and head back to the fest for some more bands. Only this time, instead of walking back, I took the Vitamin Water Bus back. This was kind of a cool thing set up where you could relax, rehydrate and enjoy some DJ music going back and forth between the Hard Rock and the fest. I wish I had thought to use it sooner!

I continued my love of watching bands that make you dance by checking out Hockey, who started with “Song Away,” played a few new songs before amping people up with “Work” and “Too Fake.” This set was a lot tighter than their technical-difficulty filled set from the year before. After that I went over to Yeasayer.

If you should know anything about me, it’s that I’m always feeling Yeasayer: multiple vocals, big guitars, lots of synth and even bigger drums. Plus you can dance! What’s not to love? “O.N.E.” got people to stand up and dance through a majority of the set, but it was really “Ambling Alp,” that drove home their awesomeness as a set closer. As I turned to watched MUTEMATH on a neighboring stage, I couldn’t help, but feel a bit bored after the great set that Yeasayer had just delivered.

Fortunately, Frightened Rabbit restored my faith that there was still awesome after Yeasayer. They’re completely different from that dance rock sound and pretty much straight up indie rock. It’s the cool Scottish accents and sweet harmonies that make this band stand out.

But I couldn’t stay there long. I needed to see the shit show that would be Erykah Badu and a shit show it was. Blonde hair and a hideous green dress that no one in the world could pull off. And let’s be honest – her music is uninspired, so we all just were gathered there to see what she would wear and what diva moves she’d pull. This was a clusterfuck, so I made it as long as I could before heading into media to grab some water.

In media, I got a special treat. Festival founder and lead singer in Jane’s Addiction, Perry Farrell, was making the rounds and greeting people. It was so cool to see the icon acting so down-to-earth, especially with how big his Lolla project has become.

I exited media in time to see a bunch of hair bouncing, hear surprisingly killer vocals yowling and watch as hands whizzed through Zepplin-inspired guitar riffs. This was Wolfmother and this was awesome. No, it isn’t something I’ll listen to the CD over and over for, but it is something I’d watch live again.

From here, it was indie rock hour on the other side of the venue. So I trekked over to see MGMT, The National and my most anticipated: Arcade Fire.

MGMT is one of those acts where I really, really, really love the singles, but feel ho hum about the rest of their music and even their live show. I’ve seen them a few times and was disappointed and bored. I wasn’t expecting much at Lolla, but they completely took me by surprise. I don’t know if people complained enough or what, but they were a changed live band. They talked to the audience, interacted, and offered up spots for the crowd to take over singing duties. They even had a frog puppet! It was bizarre and shockingly fun. And yes, songs from the new album did receive a more lukewarm reaction, but I was reeling from the overall change in the band, that I could care less about that. Nice work, MGMT. Maybe you do deserve your fame.

As people flocked to the National on the neighboring stage, I moved closer to a better a spot for Arcade Fire. Sounds of “Blood Buzz Ohio” buzzed in my ear, and as much as I like the National, it wasn’t long before their music became exactly that: just a buzz. Their songs started to sound the same, but it might have been that I was just antsy for Arcade Fire to start.

Oh, Arcade Fire. You, with your bajillion members and insane amounts of instruments from accordion to violins to brass and more. Can I join your band?

Before the fest, one of my friends tried to insult the Arcade Fire by calling them, “The indie world’s Coldplay.” In other words, they meant the band was wildly popular, but without any real merit. You have to understand, this same friend is driven crazy by Coldplay’s unwillingness to use more than three chords. After seeing them live, I can attest, that Arcade Fire is not overhyped. They deserve all the attention they get.

While fireworks went off for other headliners and light shows blinded, Arcade Fire settled on a simple video backdrop and relied only on their music to dazzle. They fittingly started with “Ready to Start” and from there it was just one great song after another. Everything was tightly performed with jubilation. For a moment, I forget my painful blisters and just let their complex instrumentations swallow me. Fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end Lollapalooza 2010. Sorry Soundgarden – Arcade Fire is where it was at this year.

Now who’s ready for 2011?

…

Be sure to check out the rest of the Lollapalooza 2010 coverage on PopWreckoning.com. More posts and interviews!

The first day of Lollapalooza was basically goo goo for Gaga day. The line up was stacked with glam, synth-heavy, dance-loving bands leading up to the fashion icon’s performance and the crowd was packed of Lady Gaga wannabes. They could be found flooding performances by My Dear Disco and Semi Precious Weapons at the BMI Stage. Whipping it good to Devo and continuing the dance with Hot Chip before the queen’s own show.

However, though the blonde wigs and pleather jackets reigned supreme, there were still plenty of fans gathered rocking real leather jackets and tight black jeans, while they waited for their beloved the Strokes to reunite on the Budweiser stage. These were the fans that could be found singing along to “Dominoes” with the Big Pink or chilling on the lawn with the Black Keys. These were even the hipsters at Wavves and the Dirty Projectors.

And of course, you did have a smaller crowd that was prepared to bounce between both headliners.

For me, my day started with Chicago’s own BBU. I had flown in to Chicago from Kansas City and immediately hopped on a CTA train to drop my bags off where I was staying before heading to the fest. The train was packed and I was wedged between baseball and music fans. At one stop a large posse of people hopped on the train shouting, “Lolla, lolla, lolla.” They tried to get the train to join in. One of the women in the group laughed and shook her head, pretending to be embarrassed by the boys’ antics, but still having a great time. The group asked who was heading to the fest then revealed that they were BBU and that they’d be performing on the Perry’s Stage. Some older woman on the train, who had probably never listened to hip-hop before, asked what they sounded like and if they could sing for us. Guess what? They did. A very brief little rap before more chants of “Lolla!” It was fun, rather than annoying, to have the ride disrupted by this group and I was glad I got to have this unique introduction to a group that I probably would have otherwise skipped.

Eventually, I made it to my stop and dropped my bags off at my friends. Then it was immediately back on the train to ride to Monroe and the fest. Train delays, and then a ridiculously long walk to the press check-in meant that I missed more morning acts (These United States, Wavves, Javelin, Foxy Shazam, etc) than I would have liked and my feet were already sore before even walking to a single stage. I booked it to catch the tale end of the pop rock piano tunes of Jukebox the Ghost. The DC-trio plays songs that I think puts Ben Folds to shame. I stuck around waiting on My Dear Disco to take over after them on the BMI Stage. I had just spoken to the group the day before, and was excited to see that their music lived up to my expectations: unique instrumentations to craft fun dance songs that got the crowd moving despite the heat.

I then went on a trek down to the Hard Rock Hotel to grab a tasty bite to eat and a few drinks, while enjoying an acoustic set from the Constellations. This was the perfectly blend of jazz, blues and rock to accompany my meal. All the vocals blended together perfectly and single “Felicia,” was so upbeat and catchy, that I completely forgot my veggie wrap because I was so absorbed. After their set, I explored the rest of the music lounge. People were getting tattoos, enjoying DJs, getting massages, and having their hair-styled. It was a pretty sweet set up, but there was still plenty of music to be heard back at Grant Park.

Perhaps the most talked about incident of the day happened about midway through Friday. Gaga tour mates Semi Precious Weapons were owning the BMI Stage when the headliner herself joined them on stage. She did some impromptu drumming and singing, a little provocative dancing and then ended with a stage dive into the crowd. Insane! It was a great treat for the smaller crowd gathered there while the indie kids were listening to Neko Case sing with the New Pornographers and a little bit of an older crowd broke out their dome hats with Devo.

For me, the highlight of my day was the BMI Stage, but it was the performance of Neon Trees that I thought was the best. These guys are poised for success with their easily accessible songs perfectly crafted for singing and clapping along. Tyler, the lead singer, knows how to hold the crowd in the palm of his hand – or even the claw of his hand. He really takes the single, “Animal,” to heart and rawrs and claws at the audience. The band has the added perk that it not only sounds a bit like The Killers, but it also was discovered by the Killers.

Since I’ve seen the Black Keys multiple times this summer I excitedly ran over to watch Hot Chip. Fully ready to dance, I was a bit disappointed with the performance. Sure, Hot Chip played the singles and songs you wanted and yeah, it was cool to hear them dedicate a song to Gaga, but they were boring. They never moved. How can a dance band expect people to dance if they don’t even want to move to their own music? For all I knew, they were just playing CD recordings because there really was no reason for the band to be on the stage. Continuing the disappoint was Chromeo. Lots of lights, and it wasn’t so bad when it was just the music, but the vocals, I could have done without. They were obnoxious, repetitive and just didn’t offer anything of substance. I was more than over their nonsense and ready for my headliners: Lady Gaga and The Strokes.

I’m still processing the spectacle that was Lady Gaga, so check back in a few hours once I have my thoughts sorted. For now, enjoy a few photos from the performance.

Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga. What to say? Gaga’s Lolla show is pretty much the spectacle that she’s been touting across the country for her tour. It’s a mix of an actual concert and a Broadway production. The plot of the show is that Gaga and posse have to get to the Monster Ball-an incredible place where you can be your true self-but the car is broken down. Gaga, of course, says she can save the day and goes to tinker and play around in the engine, which doubles as a piano. The staging is cool, but it is all just a bit over the top as well. Dramatic pauses that lasted uncomfortably long left you praying that she’d just start singing already; gross, bloody photos graced the megascreens; and then there were motivational speeches. Oh My Gaga the speeches. Look, I give the lady props. She actually has some talent and knows how to work a crowd. Heck, she really knows how to work a piano. But the near-crying routine? I didn’t realize this was some weird motivational speaker I was watching. I thought I was supposed to at a concert. Too much. When Gaga started going off on how inspirational we all were and she started tearing up, that’s when I bailed. I needed music and I needed it to rock. Fortunately, the Strokes had me covered. It was moreso a visit to the classics of their catalogue, so sorry that I can’t give anything away about what to expect from a new Spring album. All that matters is that they still sound amazing, they kill the guitar solos and damn, is it good to have their no-nonsense rock back.

Check back for more updates and recaps from Lollapalooza Saturday, Sunday and the after shows.

With well-enunciated vocals, a wealth of pop hooks and synth heavy melody lines, it’s easy to fall in love with Neon Trees. With their newly released debut album, Habits, the band merges Hockey with The Killers in songs about sexual-longing. The Killers comparison might not be that great of a surprise considering they group first picked up buzz when the Vegas rockers took Neon Trees out on tour for a few dates.

Radio single, “Animal,” gives a good taste into the band’s character. Musically, they start with a hooky intro with big drums and a great cue for clapping along. When Tyler Glenn enters with the vocals, he spirals down the scale, while singing the lines, “Here we go again,” before singing about the routine anguish of falling for someone and being willing to accept any form of love you can get even if it will end in pain or be emotionally unrequited. And just as he says, with the “Here we go again,” this does become  a theme on the album. For example, in “Love and Affection,” he sings, “I just don’t understand why my love isn’t good enough.” This album is called “Habits,” so a theme of bad love decisions is appropriate. “Animal” also has some of the best lyrical presentation on the album. At one point, Glenn sings, “You’re killing me now,” but when he gets to “now,” he breaks it into “n-owwww.” By doing this it is like he is saying the “owwww” like he really is in pain.

Drummer Elaine Bradley is a real gem for this band. She seems to favor big drums like on opening number “1983,” but she also knows when to reel it in like on the more syncopated and jazzy brushes she uses on “In the Next Room.” One of the best parts of the album is on the last song, “Your Surrender,” when the bass and guitar drop out and its just her drumming against Glenn’s voice. And as if her drumming wasn’t enough of a great addition to the album, she also lends backing vocals.

“Our War” is the only number that seems to lose direction, as the development section is a bit boring compared to other songs on the album. However, the band makes up for this one dull number by following it with the brilliant “Sins of My Youth.” “Sins” changes up the intro pattern the band usually takes, and Glenn’s voice takes on more of a nasally quality like that of Nate Ruess‘ while he sings with piano and incorporates a fun stutter into the lyrics. As the tune builds up with guitar and drums, the band hits one of their catchiest choruses on the whole album. It also has a killer bass-line right before the “Would you love me still?” section of the tune making this song an all-around win.

These songs are just begging for singing along to, so if you’re ready to be hooked on a new group, check out Neon Trees. Neon Trees is also currently touring with 30 Seconds to Mars.

You can view the Tim Burton-inspired music video for “Animal” below:

Track Listing:
1. 1983
2. Animal
3. Girls and Boys in School
4. In the Next Room
5. Love and Affection
6. Our War
7. Sins of My Youth
8. Your Surrender

Like Passion Pit, Hockey is an American band I was introduced to last winter not by American radio but by the lovely Nemone Metaxas, one of my favorite DJs on BBC 6music. I loved the exuberant “Too Fake” the first time I heard its electronic dance pop goodness through my computer speakers. My interest in the Portland band was further piqued when I learned they had toured in the UK in early 2009 as support for Friendly Fires. The problem was getting a chance to see the band stateside. The band has toured North America a couple times now, but had never played in D.C., so when I got the alert a while back that they would be playing the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel, I was chomping at the bit.

The opening act for the night were the Postelles, a New York City band that Rolling Stone has described as “channel[ing] Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello and – more recently – the Arctic Monkeys and the Strokes, building songs from brief guitar stabs and sounding like the wound-up early hours of what will be a long Saturday night on the town. There are elements of both mod and post-punk, but the Postelles have a sneering attitude all their own…” Interesting description. Frankly, they sound to me more similar to New York-based indie rockers Locksley and Sunderland, England’s Frankie and the Heartstrings, bands that have gone back in time to perfect the ‘60s pop / rock ‘n’ roll band model.

Make no mistake: the Postelles have a sound all their own and they sound great live, led by lead singer/guitarist Daniel Balk’s yearning vocals. Sometimes I wish I had the talent to come up with a good pop melody. The Postelles definitely can, as evidenced by the guitar-jangly “Sleep on the Dance Floor,” one of their set’s highlights. The title of the song “Hey Little Sister” sounds like it was written by Lennon/McCartney (do “Hello Little Girl” and “Little Child” ring any bells?), and I thought it was just amazing live, guitarist David Dargahi taking on lead vocals and mixing things up a bit. In a way, I was glad the Constellations canceled, because that meant we got a longer set from the Postelles than fans in other cities. The band’s debut EP White Nights was released the first week of March on Capitol Records / Astralwerks and is available now.

The Postelles Set List
Looking Glass
White Nights
She She
New song
Beat on the Brat (Ramones cover)
Stella
Hey Little Sister
Can’t Stand Still
Sleep on the Dance Floor
1, 2, 3 Stop

Hockey were supposed to go on at 10 (with the Postelles at 9) but they didn’t actually get on stage until 10:40, fortuitous for latecomers who crammed in at the front of the stage. When the band came on stage to tinker with their instruments, lead singer Ben Grubin flashed me a grin, so I knew I was in for a good show. Their debut album Mind Chaos is such a fun, fun record that I had way too high expectations, envisioning that they’d all appear dressed as colorfully as their record with hats and bandannas, and be jumping all over the stage. No such luck.

Instead, Grubin came on in a trademark hoodie but soon peeled it off to reveal a stripy white and orange tunic over black jeans. He was bopping around the stage excitedly and man-handling his microphone reminiscent of another of my favorite musicians, Londoner Patrick Wolf. Alternately between guitar, harmonica (for the folky “Four Holy Photos,” proving the band’s versatility), and a percussion set-up, he was clearly the star of the night. Seeing that Wednesday was St. Patrick’s Day and the crowd at the RnR was rowdier than normal for a weeknight, a new song that I think is called “DJ” seemed entirely appropriate, introduced by Grubin as “[Irish] jig and bluegrass music.”

“3 A.M. Spanish” was a high point of their set, the bass lines from Brian White and hot beats from touring keyboardist Ryan Dolliver just fabulous with Grubin’s hip hoppy vocal approach, punctuated by yelps for the chorus. They also didn’t disappoint with my absolute favorite song from Mind Chaos, “Song Away.” If there was ever a song that could lift your spirits, this is definitely it, with its refrain of “tomorrow’s just a song away.” And really, it is, isn’t it?

Check out this video of the song from their performance at Lollapalooza last summer. I hope this explains why I don’t have too many good photos of him, the man cannot keep still! Just thinking about it, I’m so eager to see the band again very soon.

Hockey Set List
Work
Learn to Lose
Rebels Marry Young (new song)
3 A.M. Spanish
Four Holy Photos
DJ (new song)
Curse This City
Song Away
Preacher
Wanna Be Black
Everyone’s the Same Age
Too Fake
Put the Game Down

Tour Dates
Mar 21 – Snug Harbor / Charlotte
Mar 23 – Mercy Lounge / Nashville*
Mar 24 – Drunken Unicorn / Atlanta*
Mar 25 – Cafe 11 / St. Augustine, FL*
Mar 26 – Club Downunder / Tallahassee, FL*
Mar 27 – Bottletree / Birmingham*
Mar 29 – Thirsty Hippo / Hattiesburg, MS*
Mar 30 – Spanish Moon / Baton Rouge*
Apr 01 – Warehouse Live / Houston*
Apr 02 – Emo’s / Austin*
Apr 03 – Loft / Dallas*
Apr 05 – Brewing Company / Santa Fe*
Apr 06 – Larimer Lounge / Denver*
Apr 07 – Kilby Court / Salt Lake City
Apr 08 – Neurolux / Boise*
Apr 10 – Wonder Ballroom / Portland*
Apr 16 – Coachella Music Festival / Indio, CA
* with the Postelles

Hockey: website | myspace | @ Lollapalooza 2009 | interview with | @ Midland
The Postelles: website | myspace

While most people came to the Midland to hear the tune “The Underdog,” I was there to hear the underdog band of the night. As is to be expected when a radio station is promoting their holiday show, the bands playing the show tend to get extra radio play.

This was the case for the bands playing 96.5 the Buzz’s annual the Night the Buzz Stole X-Mas. However, while headliners Spoon got several tunes played in regular rotation, the Bravery had some of their older songs return to rotation along with news tunes, and Metric‘s “Help, I’m Alive” was played so often that I kind of wanted to beat my head with a hammer every time it was played, but there is another opener that wasn’t treated to the same luxury: Hockey. Sure, they were played in promotion, but it was only during the night shows. And anyone looking over the station playlist could see that while the other bands were played nearly every hour of the day, poor Hockey was more often than not stuck into the 3 a.m. slot.

I suspect that I might have been one of the few, if not the only one, who went to this show with the main intention of dancing to Hockey. Pre-show the people who had turned up in time to see the first band, appeared apathetic. They were just claiming close spots for one of the later bands. Hockey had a challenge before them with this audience whether they knew it or not.

Fortunately, Hockey’s live show is where they really shine, and while they can sound a little detached on record, live, they’re bursting with energy. Hockey brought the dance party with their synth heavy tunes. If you still haven’t heard of this new buzz band yet, they’re like a toned down Passion Pit without the shrill vocals and a more diverse Owl City minus the cheesy lyrics. In fact, this group would have been a great addition to one of the radio station’s early shows this fall that was supposed to feature Passion Pit and Owl City.

Hockey easily won over the crowd with their charming music and funky haircuts (look at the pictures and I think you’ll understand what I mean). If the hair didn’t win you over, then it was probably the singer surprising the crowd by grabbing some mallets and banging a tom that did the trick. It was a pity that they only had 30 minutes to play because it seemed they had just started the crowd dancing when everyone had to wind down again for a set change. Hockey set the bar high and while the remaining acts have more experience in the music world, they could all do to learn a thing or two about stage presence and audience interaction from Hockey.

Set List:
Work
3am Spanish
Learn to Lose
Song Away
Too Fake
Put the Game Down

When indie superstars Metric finally took the stage, the pick of a slow, dark number “Twilight Galaxy” to start was a buzz kill after Hockey’s effervescent performance. A few spotlights shrouded the band in blue shadows as singer Emily Haines buried her face in her keys. I was getting chills, but not in a good way. When opening, slow numbers are usually left out for a reason, and no one ever starts on one. “Help, I’m Alive” followed and with it came the extreme performance I had heard about that makes Metric great. As much as the song is overplayed, it brought a sense a relief because with it, Haines started tossing her hair and stomping around the stage in her gold boots and encouraging her band to milk their solos for all their worth. Yay for energy at last.

Musically, Metric’s very talented, and that was evident from their set. However, for how much I’ve heard about Metric’s greatness, this was the most disappointing set of the night. Aside from that awkward opening snoozer, the set as a whole lacked album-variety. Now don’t get me wrong, I understand the importance of promoting the new material, but Metric has a few albums under their belt and only one non-Fantasies tune, “Dead Disco” off of 2003′s Old World Underground, Where Are You Now, made the set. Seriously, what was the logic with that? I’m glad I’ve finally seen Metric and I don’t know if things are a bit different when it is a headlining, but as an opener, I was left scratching my head as rookie mistakes popped up in their otherwise suave posterior.

Set List:
Twilight Galaxy
Help I’m Alive
Gold Guns Girls
Gimme Sympathy
Sick Muse
Dead Disco
Stadium Love

Now for as much critic hate as The Bravery receives, Kansas City appears to love them. To their credit, it was refreshing to hear the band play an even mix of songs from all their albums that included radio-friendly tunes such as “Unconditional,” “Slow Poison” and “Honest Mistake” as well as some lesser known new songs. They also had a good light show that reflected off their pleather jackets in sync with each pound on the synth. The crowd danced through their whole set and ate up every swagger of singer Sam Endicott and swooned with the swings of his microphone that he unaffectedly held out toward the audience.

I have to give them credit for their warm audience reception. I personally find the band detached performers and Endicott’s vocals hollow. For the most part, their songs all blend together, but occasionally they have a stand out guitar riff like on the end of “Honest Mistake.” Unfortunately tonight, the mix was a bit off, so the guitar mushed into the rest of the instruments.

I did my best with the set list. I might be missing one song and for that I apologize.

Set List:
Unconditional
Adored
Hatefuck
Believe
Red Hands and White Knuckles
She’s So Bendable
Swollen Summer
Time Won’t Let Me Go
Slow Poison
Fearless
An Honest Mistake

Spoon has been around for practically my whole life, but this was my first opportunity to see them. Joined by Kansas City’s homeboy* Rob Pope (also of The Get Up Kids) on bass, Spoon took the stage without theatrics and dived into “Don’t You Evah.” (*I realize it is weird to call Pope  homeboy, but if Spoon can use “evah” in a song, I can call Pope a homeboy.)

After finally seeing this band, I was left scratching my head. Spoon’s set left me conflicted.

On the one hand, you have a group of able-bodied musicians performing smart tunes. Sure the vocal harmonies can be a bit gruff, but the band is all about the music. There are no distracting set pieces. Lights are minimal, but enough so the band is lit enough that you can see what they’re doing. There aren’t any surprise instruments. The set’s comprised of several new songs and a mix of older songs going all the way back to 2002 (they had to draw the line somewhere, I guess). Stage banter is kept to a minimum. The most anyone really talks is to occasionally announce a tune. This is a band playing songs for their fans. It is refreshing to hear the tunes delivered in such a pure form. Spoon sounds just as they do on recording.

But here’s the other hand. These tickets, when you throw in Ticketmaster surcharges, are costing people at least $35. An album costs less than $10 these days. So I have to believe, that people want a bit of a show when the buy a concert ticket. They want some element they can’t get on a record. That’s lacking from Spoon’s performance. And it tears me up that I just can’t accept the band as good for having a clean sound. I just think they could be great if they beefed up the performance a bit. There’s a threshold of success they’re not quite crossing with their bare bones approach to music.

Set List:
Don’t You Evah
Don’t Make Me a Target
I Turn My Camera On
Written in Reverse
Got Nuffin
Rhythm and Soul
The Beast and Dragon, Adored
Black Like Me
Is Love Forever
I Summon You
(The Mystery Zone – listed, but not played)
My Mathematical Mind
The Underdog
///
(Jonathan Fisk – listed, but not played)
Way We Get By
You Got Yr Cherry Bomb

As far as radio holiday shows go, I have to give the Buzz props on the diversity of the line up and for hosting the holiday show at such a beautiful venue that might as well be KC’s own Carnegie Hall. The interns in elf hats handing out Hockey vinyl and Metric and Spoon download cards wrapped in bows were an especially nice touch to end the night.

Band Info:
Hockey: website | myspace | @ lollapalooza | interview with
Metric: website | myspace
The Bravery: website | myspace
Spoon: website | myspace

You may already known them for that ubiquitous JC Penney’s commercial featuring “Too Fake” or maybe you witnessed them throwing beer at Lollapalooza. The band is Hockey and they are dropping their first US label release Mind Chaos, Sept. 14, so I dropped in on them at Lollapalooza to learn what this album and what they’re all about.

I spoke with bassist Jeremy “Jerm” Reynolds and drummer Anthony Stassi.
Bethany, PopWreckoning: What was your reaction with what happened with your Lollapalooza set?
Anthony Stassi, Hockey: Whatever. That happens.
PW: What goes through a band’s mind when you’re opening a huge fest and you lose tech support?
AS: Different bands do different things. I’ve never seen a band stand around and hang out.
Jeremy “Jerm” Reynolds, Hockey: We just hung out. We did a drum circle for awhile, which was positive.
AS: I ran a meeting behind the snares. We were like we shouldn’t just walk off, we’re trying to get people stay. We need to stay. So, I ran backstage, grabbed as many beers as I could possibly have and then I just ran up and started throwing beers in the crowd. People just loved that one.
PW: I’m sure they did. But what did the Lolla organizers think of it.
AS: I don’t care what the Lolla organizers think. I hate the organizers.
JR: The Lolla organizers lost power in our set for ten minutes.
AS: And our sound guy was a Bi…
PW: And I don’t think it was just you guys. Other bands seemed to have lots of sound problems.
AS: Really? See. I hope to get minors drunk on the behalf of Lollapalooza. If I had Ziploc bags of weed, I’d throw that too.
PW: People in the crowd would definitely like that.
JR: Oh sure. We made some fans today: “Oh the free beer band? Yeah! I love them. They’re great.”
PW: Oh yes, it is something that people will definitely talk about at least.
JR: Yeah.
PW: Played a few good songs then threw beer.
AS: Yeah. Hung out.

PW: Ok, so going off that Lolla hiccup, how do festivals compare to doing smaller club shows?
JR: Festivals are really great. Festivals are like summer camp and club shows are like school.
AS: You just have to accept festivals for what they are. No sound check—you’re going to sound bad. The monitors are going to be insane. You’re not going to think it is going well or whatever and you’re going to be playing to tons of people that don’t know you. If you accept that and get past that, then they’re the most fun shows in the world.
PW: I did see you guys at Bonnaroo, so I did get to see a full set from you.
JR: Oh nice, Bonnaroo.

PW: You guys just kind of exploded. You had Mind Chaos out for awhile on CD Baby and then it sold out and all of sudden you’re just everywhere on blogs and commercials.
AS: Yeah. That was just a little demo that we had and we recorded and put out in our basement. The album that is being put out in the fall is kind of half that and half new songs all mixed together. The other thing was totally in our basement and done by us. It is weird.
JR: It is weird. It was quick. We went from our basement in Portland to playing in the UK without anything else: without establishing ourselves in Portland, without establishing ourselves in the West Coast.

PW: Is it just easier to go to the UK first or was there a reason?
AS: A lot of reasons. We got played on BBC1 and The Guardian wrote us up.
JR: They have kind of a different system of there. They have naturalized radio, so if you get played on Radio 1, you’re everywhere. The US doesn’t work like that. It takes a lot more coordination and a lot more hard work to go to every city.

PW: Do you have a preference on a system? Do you wish the US had a naturalized system?
JR: I don’t know.
Dr: We don’t really know much about the US vs UK system.
AS: US seems like it is just big. It is overwhelming. There’s a lot compartmentalized areas.
PW: But you guys are getting help here and getting a lot of ad play.
JR: Yeah, just recently we got added to modern radio…alternative radio…whatever, here in the United States. Getting played here is kind of a big deal for us.

PW: So on the Mind Chaos that is coming out Sept. 15, I feel like I have seen tons of album covers for it. Did you guys do the album art and what is going on with it?
JR: I did the album art, actually. The four covers are all the cover. The cover is actually divided into four panels. The reason for that is that just as a theme, mind chaos is about many different ways of seeing the same thing. So, having a cover that is four covers is really just…it sort of just fits the concept. Also, four images is an ancient religious and philosophical kind of theme that we wanted to channel. It’s sort of like the history of human beings on the four covers starting in the left corner and moving into mind chaos, which is modernity: 2009 – white scribble.
PW: Interesting. Is philosophy something that’s always interested you?
JR: Yeah, yeah. I think there are a lot of references to religion and history and philosophy on the record and there are themes that creatively we like to reference.
PW: And you used crayon for the cover?
JR: I cut up old books. I got old books at garage sales and things like that and took the paper and glued it together. I used paint, crayons, marker and glue. It is all very childish, but it is just a hobby I guess.

PW: It’s cool. Now why did Mind Chaos’s release date get pushed back? It was supposed to come out earlier this summer, right?
JR: I think among other things, more dirty behind the scenes industry things, I think that we are such a new band to a lot of people. The idea was that we needed to tour and generate some kind of interest or at least get our name out there so that when the record finally does come out there will be people that are there that will be interested.
AS: We’re still finding stuff on the record that we hated. Awhile back it was us battling the label to delay it. We just like two weeks ago had a meltdown about one of our songs, so we went by ourselves into a studio and remixed it. We just totally redid and we were like, “You guys got to put this out. Put this on the record and take the other version off. You got to do it.” They were like, “What? You can’t do that. We’re about to release it.” And we were like, “You got to do it.” They were like, “Fine, but we have to push the record back.”

PW: So do you guys have a hard time listening to your original EP or demos?
AS: Oh, yeah.
EEEks-Virgins got super loud in the background with their sound check here.
AS: Do you have problems?
JR: No. It stands as an accomplishment for us and an appropriate representation of the band at the time.
AS: The other version came out and we got signed. The old version.
JR: We’ve remixed and stuff, so it is still there, but different. The songs are there. We’ll have to see happens in the big bad world.

PW: Working with Capitol and a label for this release–did they have a lot of say in it?
JR: Interestingly, they didn’t have much to say. They basically said, “Look we really like this record you put out by yourselves. We think there should be a few more songs. Otherwise, it’s great.” And we were like, “Sweet. That was easy.”
AS: One of the reasons we went with them was because they were one of the only labels that was like, “Don’t change anything.”
JR: It was cool. They liked us for who we were. They liked our basement album—our demo, basically. It was something that we did on our own and it was important to us, so it was important that it was something the label could get behind. We needed them to like us for that and not something we were going to become because what we were going to become was based on that. We worked hard to get it the way we want it to be.

PW: Ok, well, it is getting loud with The Virgins’ sound check behind us, I read somewhere that you were all vegan, is that right?
AS: Not anymore.
JR: The two of us were vegan for awhile and then I think one article said we were vegan and it spread into the world, which is fine.
AS: I liked it.
PW: Well that ruins my question. I was going to ask what festival-friendly vegan food there is.
AS: Most of them have gotten vegan friendly. We just did a bunch of festivals in the UK and a lot of them were some of the best places for it. They all had vegan options.
PW: Bonnaroo was really good about it.
AS: Oh yeah.
PW: This festival has been more meaty.
JR: Well it is Chicago.

PW: Ok, well, let’s be done so they can do sound check. I’m glad to have heard at least three songs today and hopefully I’ll here more in KC soon.
AS: Yeah.
PW: You here all three days?
JR: No, we’re leaving tomorrow for New York.
PW: Too bad. I know you’ve done a lot with Passion Pit and Friendly Fires.
AS: Yeah. It seems like we’re always following them around and staying in the same hotels.
PW: Haha. Well have a safe flight to New York.

Hockey: website | myspace | @ lollapalooza | tour dates