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
The first step to enjoying UME is educating yourself the proper way to pronounce their name. That would be as follows: ooo-may.
