popwreckoning

Casey kidnapped the Republic Tigers and got a quick interview between sets at the Atlantic Records/Chop-Shop Showcase. Listen!

. “Interview with: The Republic Tigers

Their EP, No Land’s Man, was released on April 18. Pick up a copy at your local record store or hit up iTunes.

Saturday at SXSW was a day of great excitement mixed with a little sadness. This was the final day of the festival, which meant there some big heavyweights to look forward to, but this was also it. When the music stops on this day, it’s time to go back to reality.

I had big plans for Saturday, and sorry folks, but they didn’t include Kanye. I didn’t really care to trek all the way out to that venue just to gain street ‘cred.’ Saturday I was anticipating seeing Community’s Donald Glover rap, Panic! at the Disco‘s return with just two of the original members and of course, some of my favorite local bands.

I began my day on a very sunny rooftop (hello, sunburn) to interview some of the fantastic artists on Big Picture Media‘s roster. PopWreckoning talked to bands such as LoveBettie, Death on Two Wheels and more. We even talked to a representative from To Write Love on Her Arms. You will find those interviews posted on PopWreckoning in the come days.

After grabbing some much needed coffee after the interviews, I decided to check out the PureVolume House. I hadn’t been yet this year and was feeling guilty for already missing out on so much of their amazing lineup. PureVolume throws one of the best parties at the fest. After grabbing some free pop chips and and a drink, I found a nice spot to watch James Vincent McMurrow. I had heard the name, but had yet to actually hear any of the music. The vocals were amazing – just beautiful. The gentle folk tunes performed a nice backdrop for this guy’s standout voice.

Home Video followed with some fun pop rock songs, but I had to head out after just a song because I had a long walk to catch one of my favorite formerly-local bands.

I hope these guys know how much I love them, because it was quite a trek across the interstate to find the tiny park that the Noise FM were about to play in. My poor feet! This Chicago trio (formerly of Lawrence, Kan.) delivers fun indie dance rock songs. Singer/guitarist Alex Ward‘s voice was a little scratchy from the jam-packed week of performances, but it was still fun and his sore throat didn’t stop his good humor – there were plenty of jokes to be had about the Pabst sponsorship.

From there it was back to the main stretch of the fest to catch the ever-so-wonderful Chop Shop/Atlantic Records Showcase. (PopWreckoning has interviews to come from that showcase as well, so keep an eye out). Scars on 45 had just started when I made my way in. The six-piece British band quickly had me hooked with their catchy indie pop tunes with passionate lyrics.

After Scars on 45, I caught another performance from Kansas City’s very own the Republic Tigers. I had already caught them at SXSW at the Central Presbyterian Church, which was an ok performance, but the guys seemed a lot more together for this one. It was a huge improvement and especially showed on their newer songs, which were a lot more engaging this time around. Perhaps all they needed was that extra rehearsal, but boy, what a difference it made. “Merrymake It With Me” especially stands out from the new material and really gets you dancing.

My final Chop Shop/Atlantic performance was the rock/punk act the Joy Formidable. Frontwoman Ritzy Bryan was mesmerizing to watch as she executed some beautiful dynamic control. The petite woman has some power to her pipes.

A brief phone charge and a giant water later, I found myself in line in front of Red 7. A group of us were eagerly anticipating seeing one of our favorite NBC comedy stars: Donald Glover. But instead of performing comedy, we’d get to see him rap. Unfortunately there seemed to be some confusion about what line we were supposed to be in. Our line had merged with a line for the Beauty Bar’s “secret show.” The secret act? Death from Above 1979. It was very tempting to stay in the line I had accidentally ended up in for Death from Above 1979. Very. But I was excited about Glover and there were like 20 other acts I wanted to still see that night. If I went to DFA, I’d be committing myself to only seeing them after a long wait. I tweeted what I was considering, but settled on finding the correct line for Glover.

Some running around with a group of Glover fans and we finally found where we were supposed to be for Glover’s performance as Childish Gambino. By some crazy luck, once inside the venue, I found myself standing right next to Glover’s “Community” co-star: Danny Pudi. Nicest and most genuine guy ever. He talked to everyone around him, answered tons of questions and took photos with a people with a very authentic smile. It was great to see him there supporting his best friend, not only on television, but in real life as well. When it came time for Childish Gambino to start, Glover began with, “Alright. Where’s my boy, Danny? Let’s get a light on Danny.” A spotlight found where Pudi was standing and everyone cheered. With a big grin, Glover finally set into his first rap.

Glover’s rapping isn’t quite as smooth as his acting, but he has a lot of potential. His lyrics are hilarious and filled with pop culture refrences. Some roughness to his voice and occassional rushing of the lyrics against the music where his primary flaws, but those are things that I have no doubt he can work out with more practice and chances on stage. This was, after all, one of his first live performances as Childish Gambino.

From Childish Gambino, I found myself at Stubbs. I had no idea who was about to perform, but there was a group of guys very, very excited in the front row. I asked them the band about to play. “Tres Mountains!” they excitedly responded. They looked a bit aghast when my face still didn’t register any sign of recognition. “Pearl Jam‘s guitarist!” They finally cheered together. I admit, the music was not my type of thing. The guitar solos were pretty amazing, so I get the excitement there, but as a whole, the songs really blended after awhile: none really stood out.

In complete contrast to Tres Mountains, the band that followed blew me away. Awolnation came out and the way the audience responded, you would have thought that this was some sort of legendary act that had been around for years – not some band that just got their first single on the radio just a few months prior. Perhaps some of the excitement was carryover for singer Aaron Bruno, who started Awolnation as a solo project after his other band, Under the Influence of Giants, went on hiatus. Awolnation is atmospheric indie rock – there’s almost a spacey quality to it, but it is also very heavy, and thusly, grounded. It isn’t what I’d usually call danceable, but there’s an element of dance to it at times. It’s a big blend of a bunch of different genres and these guys pull it off well.

Bruno is very charismatic on stage. A stretch of his arms produces a wild cheer from the crowd. A reach out of the microphone gets a huge chorus response. Bruno was also the first musician that I heard bring up the tragedy of the earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan. He not only voiced his concern and support of the country, but he also wrote it on his arm.

The band I was most eager for at Stubbs was Panic! at the Disco. I know that I lose hipster points for liking such mainstream music, but I can’t help it; they’re fun. This performance was a of particular interest to me because not only were they debuting several new songs, but it was also one of their first performances since the band was reduced to just two of the original members: singer/pianist Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith. Two friends filled in on the bass and guitar parts vacated by the former bandmates.

This was a ridiculously fun set. We laughed, sang and danced. Urie has one of the most animated faces that I’ve ever seen in music. Even when he flubbed some lyrics on a new song and had to peek at a cheat sheet, it was still a fun moment. I also really enjoyed when he squeezed in “super moon,” into of his lyrics: “your eyes are the size of the super moon.” This band has come a long ways from when I first saw them six years ago and brushed them off as Fall Out Boy ripoffs. I stand corrected for my younger self’s comment.

To end out my night, I decided I would hole up at the PureVolume House. They had a great lineup planned to close out the evening. One of my favorite violinists, Owen Pallett was finishing tuning when I arrived. I found some friends at the venue and found a spot to watch Pallett. They had never even heard of him and were a bit wary of a guy with a violin, doubting he could really rock out. Their jaws dropped once he began playing. Pallett is a one-man show, but he creates his full sound by engaging in loops. He plays out a line on the violin and records it. Then plays it back as he plays or sings something new. It’s fun to watch him build songs on stage. His music is sweet and breathtaking. For those unfamiliar, you might recognize his signature sound on some early Arcade Fire work. He used to heavily involved with their string arrangements and he even wrote one of his songs about the love story of Will and Regine from that band.

I had already caught a Cults set during SXSW, but they continued to impress with their mysterious lyrics and lo-fi indie rock.

It was getting late and I was ready to grab some Z’s before having to drive back home the next day. However, I was determined to make SXSW go out with a bang, so I planned on sticking around for PureVolume’s final band of the night: Das Racist. Some DJ kept the crowd awake and moving, but what should have been a fifteen minute started to turn into over an hour. Finally, the duo in Das Rascist jumped up on the stage. After all the anticipation, this was my biggest flop of SXSW. These guys were so drunk that they were barely together and coherent. It was a complete mess. Some drunk kids up front still seemed to enjoy it, but after waiting for as long as I did for the shit show, I quickly left after two songs. This was not worth it, but at least I saw plenty of other amazing acts to make up for it.

My phone had died ages ago, shortly after my last tweet about possibly seeing Death From Above 1979. So I was surprised when I had tons of missed calls, missed texts and missed tweets about what happened to me. True, I hadn’t meant to be out past four – dumb Das Racist’s fault – but the amount of worry about my whereabouts seemed a bit much. Turns out the Death from Above 1979 set turned into a riot and police had to come pepper spray and taser some of the crowd. People thought I might have been a part of that because of my last tweet. Eeks. Maybe I ended out my night the right way after all. Regardless, this was a very memorable experience and I look forward to seeing what future years at SXSW bring.
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Check back for interviews from SXSW. You can see more from PopWreckoning’s Bethany and her experience at SXSW at the following links: Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. Check out more photos from Saturday, March 19 below:

SXSW – a time to explore, see new music, and eat a ton of street food. Also a time to meet new people and hang out with friends you wouldn’t normally get to see. Amongst all of the official SXSW showcases there are tons and tons of unofficial parties, official parties, unofficial showcases, and other cities showcasing their own talent. That’s exactly what Kansas City did.

Friday: First stop of the day, the MidCoast Takeover showcase at Liberty Bar on East Sixth. A ton of Kansas City, Lawrence and Chicago bands all drove or flew or transported down to Austin for the unofficial showcase. Seeing a band from Kansas City play in Austin at this huge festival is a little surreal to me. They’re friends and people that I see night after night at bars or at restaurants having dinner.

The first band I saw was the Slowdown. I’ve been hearing their name a lot lately but hadn’t had the chance to see them yet. Even though the sun was hot and burning my skin, they grabbed my attention enough to stand outside for the set. For more information and to listen go to their Facebook.

I missed most of Auternus‘ set due to the need of food, and of course, the free Boulevard.

Apparently it was a day to see bands that I hadn’t seen before. Even though I feel like I should have. Next up, the Republic Tigers. I absolutely love watching these guys. Vocalist Kenn Jankowski‘s energy on stage combined with the rest of the band just makes me… happy. Seemed like everyone else had the same impression too, dancing along with new tunes from their upcoming EP.

Oh, Appleseed Cast. How I kick myself for not going to a show sooner. I’ve missed out on so much. They absolutely blew me away. Actually, I don’t even have words to describe how awesome it was. They’re such an influential band to every other band that I listen to now. I had friends from New York, Chicago, and all over the country at this showcase just to see them.

The rest of my day consisted of wandering around Sixth Street, eating veggie dogs and hanging with friends. Kind of a slower midday for me when it came to shows.

Tried to make it back to Liberty Bar in time for the Beautiful Bodies, but didn’t get there until right as they were loading out. However, I did get to catch Cowboy Indian Bear‘s set. And per usual, they didn’t disappoint.

Back to the west side of the bridge for Junius at Valhalla. I had never heard of these guys, but my friend convinced me to go. I’m really glad I did too. It was intense, and heavy. I loved it.

Saturday seemed the longest and busiest day out of the entire week. Woke up late, rushed to get downtown for a few interviews with the Big Picture Media group. Look for those sometime in the next week.

That hot sun burning on my skin that I mentioned earlier? It officially conquered it’s goal and gave me a pretty bad sunburn.

Now on to the highlight of my day, the No Sleep Records Showcase. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stay for the whole day like I wanted to due to other interviews scheduled. I did, however, get the chance to see Former Thieves. I’d been looking forward to seeing their new set all week. All songs except one were off their highly anticipated album, The Language That We Speak which will be available online and in stores on April 19. Needless to say, this album will fucking slay. They’re set was so damn good. They were in sync with each other and had a great stage presence. My favorite performance of the day.

I also saw Into It. Over It. play again on the inside stage. He gets better and better each time I see him.

After Evan’s set I walked to the Atlantic/Chop Shop Showcase to do a few interviews. Watched the Republic Tigers set and I think I liked it this time around better than the day before.

Joy Formidable played after the Republic Tigers. I couldn’t get close enough to see without lifting my camera up over the crowd that formed close to the stage. Good thing it didn’t make a difference to enjoying their set. Front-woman Ritzy Bryan‘s energy swept through the crowd and picked everyone off their feet.

Portugal. The Man headlined the showcase. I was slightly disappointed that we didn’t get a preview of their new album set to release sometime this year.

I ended up back at Liberty to catch my friend Sheppa (from the Nomathmatic)’s DJ set. Then danced the night away with friends! A perfect evening to end the week of SXSW.

Oh, and one more thing. On Sunday we had the most delicious crepes! I can’t decide if it was the crepes themselves or the atmosphere, or quite possible our totally awesomely French waiter.

See you next time, Austin.

For more SXSW photos check out my Flickr HERE.

After seeing about 23 bands in one day, I fancied myself some sort of concert attending superhero. Powers: stamina (able to stand for an entire day), superhearing (can stand in front of speakers and not turn immediately deaf) and the ability to see the future (able to pick out the next big thing). You know what would have been a good superpower? The ability to fly…or maybe something like Nightcrawler’s power where I can just pop myself wherever I want to go. Thursday, we faced the fierce supervillain known as  ”traffic” and his extra evil sidekick, “the good-luck-trying-to-park monster.” After a ferocious battle, we finally made it downtown and found a place to park.

I was already frustrated – in the time it took us to park, I missed a handful of bands I wanted to see. Feeling defeated with yet to see a single band for the day, my friend insisted we’d feel better with coffee in our systems. The hits just kept coming – the coffee/breakfast taco place we walked to had just finished serving breakfast. NO BREAKFAST TACOS? How to go on? It was like some cosmic SXSW-being had found my Kryptonite and took away my breakfast tacos. Perhaps if I had gotten more sleep, I would have realized that in Texas almost every other building or food trailer has tacos and all was not lost, but at that point in time, it really felt like the end of the world.

We ordered our coffee, sat down and I half-heartedly ate my sandwich off the lunch menu. Midway through our meal, my friend perked up. “Bethany, do you know who is sitting next to us?” I cast a casual glance at a table of what looked to me to be your everyday SXSW goers – sunglasses, toms shoes, suits and really skinny guys. A few of the guys had their backs to me and my previously mentioned superpowers didn’t involve x-ray vision to see who those guys were.

“That’s Michael Cera.”

I listened to the voice. Sure enough, that was moviestar Michael Cera was sitting next to us with his band Mister Heavenly, while I just sat around looking like a depressed hobo because I didn’t get to eat my daily tacos.

But you don’t care about my ridiculous obsession with breakfast tacos, so let’s get to the music.

We finally moved on from breakfast. I wanted to check out Foster the People at the MTV Garage, but the line was huge to get in and I don’t really do lines…at least not that early in the day, so we walked a few more blocks and ended up at the IFC house where we were under the impression that Wye Oak was about to play. Well, there were quite a few people at the IFC house enjoying the free drinks and a lot of other people looked busy in the glass studio, but it didn’t look like Wye Oak was playing anytime soon. Now I came to Texas to see an absurd amount of bands and so far this day we had been striking out. We bustled back outside and walked another block to perhaps my favorite venue at SXSW: The Central Presbyterian Church. Why do I love this venue? 1. Air-conditioning, 2. Chairs and 3. Best acoustics out of all the venues. I guess iTunes got the awesome acoustics memo because they recorded all the bands playing there and you can download those live sessions from SXSW on iTunes now.

We had gotten a text about an unofficial lineup happening at the church, but we didn’t really know set times. So we were pleasantly surprised when our first performance of the day came from synth rockers Neon Trees. Some people are anti-top 40 radio/mainstream, which Neon Trees have broken into, but if you disregard this band for their popularity, then you’re being an idiot because they are phenomenal live. They sound a bit like the Killers and were even discovered by that band in a way. I’ve seen them almost ten times in the past year alone because of their relentless tour schedule and I’ve never been bored by them. Each performance is unique and this performance was especially so. As mentioned earlier, this band was performing in a church and their frontman Tyler fully embraced the setting, taking off his shoes for climbing over pews and up on podiums, swinging his microphone around and more. In the middle of one song he leaned against the podium and said, “We’re gathered here in the church of rock,” before busting into the next round of the chorus. The people loved it, but I could only imagine some pastor in the back of the church cringing.

Kansas City’s the Republic Tigers followed, playing several of their new songs. “Kingsly,” “Merrymake It with Me,” “Somethin’ Fierce” and “Manny Feathers” filled out most of the set. Though the official recordings of these songs won’t be released until mid-April, but iTunes did record the entire live session at the church. If you want to check out this performance, visit here.

From the church we ventured into a very different sort of venue: Headhunters. Instead of pews and crucifixes we had tikkis and bamboo. The room looked like it only should hold 15 people, but closer to 100 people had squeezed in to the back patio, pressed up against the walls and spilling over the stairs. A band called Hot Panda was just finishing up and though we didn’t get to hear too much from them, I loved the big ballad rock thing they had going on that was turned into party music with the brass accompaniment. But the real reason why we had wedged our way into Headhunters was to see the party king himself: Andrew WK. Andrew WK was singing and playing keys, while a member of Beach Fossils tore it up on the guitar, which was awesome within itself, but really made this show complete was the hosting/singing of Nardwuar the Human Serviette. With this unique trio, we learned about Canadian government, learned about Nardwuar’s back hair and we got down. Though there wasn’t much room to move, Nardwuar demanded that everyone get down and jump up in unison. If you didn’t – he’d call you out and yell at you until you did as asked. Forget the free booze parties with the sunglasses handouts, this is how you party at SXSW.

From Andrew WK and Nardwuar, we swung by the Paste Party on 6th Street. We were eager to check out Saddle Creek trio Rural Alberta Advantage, but a duo of ladies drew us into the sideroom to see what their folksy songs were like. The act performing was Exene Cervenka. The Rural Alberta Advantage performed true to their name, singing heartfelt indie rock songs that transported listeners to what life is like in rural Alberta.

Then we went to see another trio: Grand Child. Grand Child wasn’t really on my radar until I learned that the kind guy, Andy Lane, loaning us floorspace to crash on in Austin was performing at the festival in this band. When I was last at SXSW two years ago, I saw his other band, Driver F, perform a bombastically fun set at the Tiniest Bar. Driver F is pop indie rock with trumpets blazing and huge drumbeats. Grand Child is complete turnaround from that sound. Grand Child is a folk trio with violin, guitar and occasional accordion. Their were some technical problems during this set, but the band kept a positive attitude and still performed a solid set.

The Strokes were the big buzz band Thursday and unlike most bands playing at tiny bars, the Strokes were given a big stage in the middle of a fenced in park. They weren’t scheduled until 8, but the Auditorium Shores Stage at Lady Bird Lake was a bit of a walk, so we joined the masses already walking over there. The park was packed. Food tents and port-a-potties lined the fences and blankets with fans covered nearly every square inch of ground. The photography pit ended up as complete chaos – which was just another testament to the band’s popularity. Despite their break, the Strokes  haven’t changed much since the last time I saw them. Sure, the guys all have slightly different haircuts, but the set contained all the hits you could want – “Hard to Explain,” “New York City Cops,” “Reptilia” – and the expected new ones. The songs fit in just as well with the old songs thanks to killer guitar riffs and Julian Casablancas‘ almost-bored-sounding-yet-still-suave singing style with the surprise yowls here and there. Fans got a little too zealous about this show though and the night ended with a bunch of people knocking over a fence, trying to push their way in when it hit capacity.

Hot and tired from the walk to the Strokes, my next stop was a return the air-conditioned Central Presbyterian Church. I had just missed Cults, but by luck I got in just in time for the almost religious experience that was Glasser. Haunting, ethereal vocals and entrancing stomping dance moves to tribal beats: it was like the venue was made specifically for Glasser. Beautiful and breathtaking.

The next portion of my night was a tribute to goofy, geeky indie rock at Maggie Mae’s. I know ‘geek’ used to have a negative connotation, but I’m using it with a very positive tone and to describe bands with pop culture references and very smart lyrics. Washington’s The Lonely Forest performed new songs off their just released Arrows. This is the band that was good enough to attract Death Cab for Cutie‘s Chris Walla‘s attention to sign to as the first to his label, so they’re worth checking out. They’re so catchy, that you won’t regret giving them a listen.

Inside Maggie Mae’s was Aussie Darren Hanlon plucking away upbeat folk songs on guitar and banjo. He was joined by a female guitarist and vocalist that I didn’t recognize, but it was a nice addition to cover the many guest vocals he has on his album.

One of my favorite bands that I last discovered at Lollapalooza followed Hanlon. Jukebox the Ghost is a piano pop rock trio with tons of energy. Their songs are so bubbly that even when they’re singing about being crazy, you’re in a happy mood about it.

If Wednesday I was all about the ladies, it seems like Thursday had become my tribute to Canadians. My favorite Candian singer is Dallas Green and I went to watch him perform with City and Colour. City and Colour has some of the most beautiful and true lyrics I’ve heard. The folk songs are fairly simple instrumentally – mostly just acoustic guitar – but it just makes the poignant lyrics and singing stand out all that more. Just take a look at some of the lyrics in the opening song of the set, “Sleeping Sickness.” “With all the worries that occupy the back of my mind, could it be this misery will suffice?” sings Green in the chorus. For anyone who has lied awake at night with troubling thoughts, this song describes the “sickness” exquisitely.

From one singer-songwriter with killer lyrics to the next, I rounded out Thursday with a familiar favorite: Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band. Every time I see him perform, he is equally, if not more, passionate. He can mislead by starting off with the typical slow, folk sound, but then he hits a chorus and veins are throbbing and he’s yowling out with such energy and vigor that you can’t help, but be swept away. As a special treat, the set also included songs from Devine’s project with Manchester Orchestra, Bad Books.

So despite my earlier frustrations with the day, Thursday ended up being pretty fantastic.

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Check back for more to come from PopWreckoning’s Bethany and her experience at SXSW. You can see more photos from Day 2, Thursday, March 17 below and read her Day 1 blog here.

Bands at SXSW found themselves performing everywhere from traditional venues to bicycle shops, but perhaps the most unique and special performances were at Austin’s Central Presbyterian Church. The non-traditional concert setting provided some the best acoustics music lovers could find…not to mention a nice reprieve from the Texas heat.

Glasser, Neon Trees, James Blake and Cults were just a few of the bands invited to perform at the church. Also performing there was Kansas City band The Republic Tigers. The Chop Shop band had been busy in the studio recording new material, but for concertgoers at Central Presbyterian, they performed several of these new tunes live.

ITunes was there recording the Thursday SXSW performance and you can now download live versions of “Somethin’ Fierce,” Merrymake It With Me,” “Manny Feathers” and “Kingsly.” Just click here to download the live Republic Tigers EP.

You can also check out an exclusive stream of “Somethin’ Fierce (live)” below:

‘Somethin’ Fierce (Live)’ The Republic Tigers by ATL REC.

*Photo by Nick Davis

One of our favorite showcase at SXSW just revealed its lineup. This year’s Chop Shop/Atlantic Records  Showcase is Saturday, March 19, and features our local Kansas City favorites The Republic Tigers.

The Tigers are joined by Portugal. The Man, The Joy Formidable, Scars of 45 and Kitten.

The tent has always been a hidden gem of talent poised to explode. Janelle Monae is just one of the many memorable acts from past year’s events. Also, if you’re a fan of the soundtracks to things like the “Twilight” films and “Gossip Girl,” this tent is a must not miss.

To get in to the Saturday party, simply RSVP to rsvp@chopshoprecords.com. Space is limited, so RSVPs don’t guarantee entry. Show up early!

Set times:

4:00 – Kitten
4:20 – Scars on 45
5:00 – The Republic Tigers
5:45 – The Joy Formidable
6:30 – Portugal. The Man

March 19th – Brush Square Park – 409 E. 5th St.

Saturday in Kansas City was quite the conundrum. What show to go to? Lawrence venues were filled with indie rockers for the Scion Fest, bros and hipsters mixed at Vampire Weekend at Starlight, and the edgier rockers checked out Alice and Chains. But not to be overlooked was the line-up at the Record Bar, which was hosting some of the best local acts Kansas City has to offer in celebration of the Record Bar’s 5th anniversary.

The beautiful voice of songwriter Jenny Carr started the night, followed by the Spanglish danceable songs of Making Movies, then Lawrence’s Cowboy Indian Bear showed off their new harmonies with their latest addition of Katlyn Conroy. Finally, headlining the night were local indie gods The Republic Tigers, whom had been absent from the live music scene for nearly a year.

The Tigers have not been idle during their absence. They’ve been busy working on new material, some of which is expected due out on a EP hopefully later this year, and some of which is for a full-length album that the band hopes to release in Spring 2011. They started off their set with one of these new tunes, “Manny Feathers.” They played a few other new ones, including the two (“Whale Fight” and Kingsly”) that they had introduced at some of their prior shows. From what could be seen and heard from the first introduction to this material, is that the Tigers sound hasn’t gone through any drastic changes. There’s still plenty of keys, guitar solos and big drums. But the main change of note is that they have upped the amount of backing vocals being contributed to the songs, which is always a welcome addition.

The Tigers have definitely gained confidence in their overall performance capabilities. “Fight Song” continues to be the Tigers big show stopper with the demanding drum bangs of that song screaming ‘dance to me NOW!’ However, now, some songs that seemed a bit boring live before, came across as livelier and more passionate. Maybe it was the blinding light show (a rarity at this particular venue), an eagerness to play after the long break, the increased confidence or something else, but whatever this new quality is to their performance, it’s fantastic. Let’s hope it is here to stay.

Set List:
Manny Feathers
Golden Sand
Feelin the Future
Made Concrete
The Drums
Merrymake It
Whale Fight
Lonely as I Was
Contortionists
Fight Song
//
Buildings and Mountains
Kingsly

To celebrate five amazing years in Westport in Kansas City, Record Bar is celebrating and this celebration is so huge it takes a whole weekend of great shows to get the full party on.

October 1 through October 3, Record Bar is hosting live performances from Field Music, Republic Tigers, Soft Reeds, Valient Thorr and more. This is one of the first shows the Republic Tigers have done in awhile since they’ve started recording their sophomore album, so be ready for some new tunes.

You can check out the full line up below and buy tickets in advance at the Record Bar or here.

Anniversary Weekend line-up:
Friday, October 1:
9:00 pm The Future Kings
9:50 pm Hidden Pictures
10:40 pm Soft Reeds
11:30 pm Field Music

Saturday, October 2:
11:00 pm Cowboy Indian Bear
12:00 am The Republic Tigers

Sunday, October 3:
8:00 pm Hammerlord
8:45 pm Howl
9:30 pm Junius
10:30 pm Valient Thorr