There just seems something wrong with putting the word “piano” and “stadium” in the same sentence. But cast aside any preconceived notion that Keane are merely pretenders to the piano-driven rock throne while Coldplay are the kings. (I guess I should note here that while Coldplay have turned out some nice tunes, I’ve never been as wild about them as the rest of the world seems to be. And upon further research of both bands, it’s an incredible stroke of fate that Keane’s main composer and lyricist Tim Rice-Oxley declined an invitation from Chris Martin himself to join Coldplay 12 years ago.) No, Keane have carved a place for themselves in popular music and can be regarded as a global phenomenon.
Helping their worldwide image tremendously is a highly interactive and constantly updated website that includes news reports, band members’ diaries and photo- and videoblogs, and other special features for their fans (notably, they staged the first-ever, live 3D webcast from Abbey Road Studios in London on the 2nd of April that got this fan excited about seeing the band live for the first time).
Years ago, when “Somewhere Only We Know” became a hit on our Top 40 radio stations, I gave Keane a pass. Their music was too light and wasn’t punchy enough for the rocker in me. In the summer of 2008, “Spiralling”, the lead single off Keane’s third album, Perfect Symmetry, hit the British airwaves and I had an epiphany. Reinventing your band’s sound is not a new idea in popular music – in reality, most bands do have to evolve their sound and songs to keep up with the rest of the pack – but I was not expecting the synthpop sound of the new Keane.
Given the current buzz around synth-based, ’80s-sounding acts like London vocalist La Roux and computer dancepop artist Dan Black, it’s an extremely good time for bands to consider the humble synthesizer. And in Keane’s case, it’s not such of a stretch; main lyricist and composer Tim Rice-Oxley (who contributes backing vocals along with playing the piano, keyboards, and bass) has been distorting the sound of his keys to create novel sounds since Keane’s first album. Paired with Tom Chaplin’s stirring vocals and Richard Hughes‘ drum beat, Perfect Symmetry was definitely one of my top albums of 2008.
But standing between me and Keane were two American acts from Oregon: Portland indie pop/rock duo the Helio Sequence and pop singer/songwriter Mat Kearney. The Helio Sequence consists of songwriter Brandon Summers (vocals, guitar) and drummer Benjamin Weikel (drums, keyboards). They played a short but definitely sweet set as the first act of the night. There is something about Summers’s voice that is soothing. Maybe it has to do with the relative tranquility of the Pacific Northwest? This is not to say that these two don’t rock.
Considering there were only two guys on stage, I was really impressed by the guitar and drums that combined together to make a cohesive rock sound. Their set was dominated by tunes from their 2008 album Keep Your Eyes Ahead; the title track, “Lately”, and “Hallelujah” were especially lovely and made me disappointed not to hear more from them. The surprise of the night? After Summers revealed that they had time for one more song, he ripped into a cacophonous version of the Beatles‘ psychedelic opus “Tomorrow Never Knows”.
If you know of Mat Kearney, it’s probably through hearing his songs that were featured on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy”. I was not expecting the high-pitched female shrieking that emanated from the crowd as Kearney and his band took their places on stage. And it turns out the night we were sitting in the hallowed halls of DAR was also the same day as Kearney’s second album, City of Black and White, was released in the U.S.; he invited us to be “part of his CD release party” and offered to sign CDs after he was finished playing. All in all, his 11-song set did not disappoint the vocally appreciative audience, who enjoyed songs they knew from the aforementioned doctor drama. Kearney even stopped to poke fun at the TV show, saying that although the song “Breathe In Breathe Out” was written for friends, it went in a completely different direction in pop culture: “…and then someone wants to use it so a doctor can make love to it!” Another half an hour passed with some interesting song selections (David Bowie’s “Modern Love,” M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes,” and the Ting Tings‘ “That’s Not My Name”, just to name a few), and it was finally time to see Keane.
Singer/guitarist Tom Chaplin appeared in a bright yellow shirt, a silver tracksuit jacket, and jeans. Cutting an imposing figure onstage, he would act as Keane’s master of ceremonies for the night. Tim Rice-Oxley, ever the perfectionist behind his piano and synth, wore a white t-shirt with pink and yellow glow-in-the-dark paint so we could see him even if the lights were dimmed. Richard Hughes, in a blue “I Am Troy Davis” shirt, pounded his drums swiftly. During the show, the dizzying array of colored flashing lights somehow worked well to create a party-like atmosphere with the backdrop for Keane’s stage show: a blown-up version of the cover art for Perfect Symmetry, with its blue, orange, and yellow triangles.
Not content with staying in one place, Chaplin ran back and forth across the wide stage, gesturing animatedly in all directions to acknowledge his fans on the floor to the rafters, never sounding out of breath as he sang Keane’s beloved, like “Everybody’s Changing” and “This is the Last Time”. However, all this motion was tempered on occasion by the dreamy ballads Keane fans know and love like “Somewhere Only We Know” and “My Shadow”. About a third of the way through their set, a solo Chaplin strapped on an acoustic guitar and played a particularly gorgeous version of “Playing Along”. The near hymn “Perfect Symmetry” was absolutely stunning with its mixture of existentialism and everyday beauty.
As expected, Chaplin made knowing references to the Nation’s Capital throughout the night: after a spirited “Spiralling”, he commented that the question in the song of “did you ever want to be the President?” was most appropriate to be asked here, and he later complimented a girl’s Obama t-shirt. Chaplin occasionally paused to look in seeming wonderment at the people in front of him, reveling in the crowd’s energetic cheers for each of their songs. During the three-song encore, Chaplin implored us to get on our feet and sing along. At times, it felt like you were in a football stadium, the many voices joined together, filling the hall with reverberations of elation. Who would have ever thought people would react to piano rock like this?
Set List
The Lovers Are Losing
Everybody’s Changing
Bend and Break
A Bad Dream
Again and Again
This is the Last Time
Spiralling
Playing Along (acoustic solo by Tom Chaplin)
Try Again
We Might as Well Be Strangers
You Haven’t Told Me Anything
Leaving So Soon
You Don’t See Me
Perfect Symmetry
Somewhere Only We Know
Crystal Ball
//
My Shadow
Is It Any Wonder?
Bedshaped
Tour Dates:
May 21 – Bank of America Pavilion / Boston
May 23 – The Sound Academy / Toronto
May 24 – Tower City Amphitheater / Cleveland
May 26 – Wellmont Theatre / Montclair, NJ
May 27 – Radio City Music Hall / New York City
Keane: website | myspace
Mat Kearney: website | myspace
the Helio Sequence: myspace
This spring, Brit imports The Ting Tings, who have already taken our fair nation by storm, are set to headline a national tour, making their way from New York City to San Francisco. The duo of Katie White and 
