The Venue: The Cubby Bear (3/6) I’d heard bad things about this venue so I came in expecting a disaster. It honestly wasn’t as bad as I anticipated though they defiantly could stand better mics. It was specifically the mics, not the amps as there was a lot of crackle and muffling to the speech. It was not much more than a bar with a stage. Nothing wrong with that, but It often leads to the venue doing neither well. It was also an odd size. It was smaller than even the 1000 person venues I’ve been to but not tiny enough to be a truly small venue. I didn’t really get to the bar or bathroom so no comments on those. The merch booth was set up in a very easy to get to place and there was surprisingly decent ventilation. It was disorganized from a time perspective, however. If the door is at seven I expect the show at eight at the latest, and the main act to go on at nine. The main act didn’t start until ten and there was a LOT of lag between sets.
The crowd (3/6): The crowd was too passive for what they were there for. This is your band’s first headlining tour. A band that was the first opener of four a year ago. I’ve seen what this band is capable of and, yes; Shimion Moor did manage to work his magic on them, but really? You do remember whom you’re here to see, don’t you? Show it.
First Opener: Seven Day Sonnet (3/6): It would be a lower score had it not been for the fact that I heard some of their recorded stuff. I feel like this band has many of the issues I see in many younger bands. They’re uncoordinated on stage and seem to be out there to have fun, which is fine, but they didn’t have the technical aspects down. Especially not the bassist. I was very close to the stage so I could see very clearly what was going on. At one point I looked up at the bassist was strumming, not picking, not slapping or popping, strumming. He was especially all over the place on stage. No precision to speak of and no real sense of give and take. The two guitarists were passable on a technical level, but at least didn’t draw attention to them over the lead consistently.
The lead was solid for his genre (Screamo is not known for its quality vocals) but if he’s going to make it his band needs to step up their game
Main Act: Sick Puppies (5/6) Always, a pleasure seeing this band. They are phenomenal with the crowd and very engaging. Shimon Moore is articulate, and knows how to balance talking with the music so that it feels personal, but doesn’t drag. They also have a stunning dynamic of give and take on stage that is magnificent. Emma Anzai (bass) and Shimon Moore (lead) have extent musical conversations on stage. Between his clear, velvety voice and her whisper soft lilt the vocals alone would be enough to make for an amazing show. Add to that Moor’s wonderfully precise guitar work and Emma’s masterful bass and you have one of the best shows ever.
I cannot say enough about Emma Anzai’s bass work, Every time I see her live I rave more. She is unlike any other bassist I’ve seen on stage. I would even go so far as to say, she is the best bassist I’ve ever seen. Full stop.
The other thing that continues to fascinate me is that this band is just three people, no synth, no sampling. Just instruments and vocals. And every one of them has near- unrivaled talent.
May 11, 2011
Rammstein and Combichirst at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont
Venue: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL (4/6) I prefer the Allstate to the United Center. That being said, I’m not a fan of arenas, they’re too big and it puts a lot of distance between you and the artist. The energy is never very strong once it reaches the third tier.
The crowd (3/6): Something just wasn’t working in my section of the arena. The difficulty with such a big place is that it could have been a completely different experience elsewhere. But where I was there seemed to be this disconnect. I think part of it is a function of the language barrier. I sincerely doubt that many of the audience spoke any German (I don’t) and I think that makes connecting to the abundance a lot more difficult. It warmed back up significantly once Rammstin Played “Du Hast,” their biggest hit in the US. But the audience didn’t have the kind of energy I’d expect from such a vibrant show. I also think this was partly because they seemed to be paying more attention to recording the show than to enjoying it.
Opening act: Combichirst (4/6) I’m not really a big fan of Agrotech-- I find it tends to be shallow and repetitive as a genera. The sound is very cool, but I find the lyrics dull after a while. That being said, I found Combichirst to be an interesting act, very showy-- one of the drummers was playing with a pair of mourning stars. There weren’t very many instruments involved, but that’s partly the genera. The way the set was set up was also interesting as they had two percussionists and a synth. player set up to stay in sync roughly.
While I though the energy was very strong I don’t think the band itself has as much talent, it strikes me as the sort of music that teenagers listen to before they understand what industrial can really sound like. The front man was surprisingly articulate for a genre that favors grunts and screams over audible lyrics.
Having listened to them recorded and live now I find they are good lives but reordered they are quite off putting, they sound like Marylyn Manson’s kid brothers.
Main Act, Rammstein (3.5/6): Interesting show. Until last night I’d only heard about the kinds of things that go on at Rammstein show, including onstage simulated sodomy. I truthful was expecting ”worse“ than what I saw, but given that it was an all ages’ show I think they must have toned things down. The pyrotencics were unlike anything I’d ever seen. Most pyro heavy shows to see some explosions from the ceiling and floor, maybe the odd rocket, but nothing like this. People were set on fire both literally and figuratively by the theatrical, over the top style of the band. According to Wikipedia it’s partly to keep the fans engaged despite the language barrier.
While I felt there were some problems earlier in the show with the energy and connection to the audience I felt this tactic effective, because Rammstin is also a talented band within their genera. Industrial is not a genre known for its talent, so it is a very pleasant surprise to see a band that is articulate. Their precision wasn’t perfect on the guitar work, however I think that is partly the effect they were going for. The synthesizer work was very nice and the vocals were crystalline in their clarity.
The thing I missed was that the band was so caught up in the theatrical element, which is reason enough to see them perform, that there wasn’t a lot of effort put into working the crowd or connecting, there was too much reliance on the pyro. That being said an interesting thing happened.
The crowd was off, involved but something wasn’t quite catching until they played “Du Hast.” Suddenly there was a connection and the crowd woke like a sleeping giant. Most people knew something of the lyrics. I’m sure none of us knew exactly what we were saying but we knew the words. That seemed to be what both the band and the crowd needed to get themselves really moving.
That dissonance aside, the encore alone was worth the ticket price. I don’t think I’ll ever forget seeing “Engle” live. “Engle” is (if the translated lyrics are right) a song about not wanting to be an angel. Front man Till Lindemann appears in easily 10 foot long steel angle wings which shoot flames from their ends. It is phenomenal to see live. And that was just “Engle”. The show overall was gorgeous but could have used a little better energy.
The crowd (3/6): Something just wasn’t working in my section of the arena. The difficulty with such a big place is that it could have been a completely different experience elsewhere. But where I was there seemed to be this disconnect. I think part of it is a function of the language barrier. I sincerely doubt that many of the audience spoke any German (I don’t) and I think that makes connecting to the abundance a lot more difficult. It warmed back up significantly once Rammstin Played “Du Hast,” their biggest hit in the US. But the audience didn’t have the kind of energy I’d expect from such a vibrant show. I also think this was partly because they seemed to be paying more attention to recording the show than to enjoying it.
Opening act: Combichirst (4/6) I’m not really a big fan of Agrotech-- I find it tends to be shallow and repetitive as a genera. The sound is very cool, but I find the lyrics dull after a while. That being said, I found Combichirst to be an interesting act, very showy-- one of the drummers was playing with a pair of mourning stars. There weren’t very many instruments involved, but that’s partly the genera. The way the set was set up was also interesting as they had two percussionists and a synth. player set up to stay in sync roughly.
While I though the energy was very strong I don’t think the band itself has as much talent, it strikes me as the sort of music that teenagers listen to before they understand what industrial can really sound like. The front man was surprisingly articulate for a genre that favors grunts and screams over audible lyrics.
Having listened to them recorded and live now I find they are good lives but reordered they are quite off putting, they sound like Marylyn Manson’s kid brothers.
Main Act, Rammstein (3.5/6): Interesting show. Until last night I’d only heard about the kinds of things that go on at Rammstein show, including onstage simulated sodomy. I truthful was expecting ”worse“ than what I saw, but given that it was an all ages’ show I think they must have toned things down. The pyrotencics were unlike anything I’d ever seen. Most pyro heavy shows to see some explosions from the ceiling and floor, maybe the odd rocket, but nothing like this. People were set on fire both literally and figuratively by the theatrical, over the top style of the band. According to Wikipedia it’s partly to keep the fans engaged despite the language barrier.
While I felt there were some problems earlier in the show with the energy and connection to the audience I felt this tactic effective, because Rammstin is also a talented band within their genera. Industrial is not a genre known for its talent, so it is a very pleasant surprise to see a band that is articulate. Their precision wasn’t perfect on the guitar work, however I think that is partly the effect they were going for. The synthesizer work was very nice and the vocals were crystalline in their clarity.
The thing I missed was that the band was so caught up in the theatrical element, which is reason enough to see them perform, that there wasn’t a lot of effort put into working the crowd or connecting, there was too much reliance on the pyro. That being said an interesting thing happened.
The crowd was off, involved but something wasn’t quite catching until they played “Du Hast.” Suddenly there was a connection and the crowd woke like a sleeping giant. Most people knew something of the lyrics. I’m sure none of us knew exactly what we were saying but we knew the words. That seemed to be what both the band and the crowd needed to get themselves really moving.
That dissonance aside, the encore alone was worth the ticket price. I don’t think I’ll ever forget seeing “Engle” live. “Engle” is (if the translated lyrics are right) a song about not wanting to be an angel. Front man Till Lindemann appears in easily 10 foot long steel angle wings which shoot flames from their ends. It is phenomenal to see live. And that was just “Engle”. The show overall was gorgeous but could have used a little better energy.
May 1, 2011
Coheed and Cambria at House of Blues
Venue: House of Blues, Chicago (5/6): I’d been at The Aragon too much and forgotten that HOB had started me on concerts in Chicago back when I first moved here in ‘06. It was the first venue I went to by myself too. I have a deep affection for the place and after the Aragon I’d forgotten how nice it was to be able to see without going on tiptoe or jumping. It is a cozy little venue that I will always come back to and if you ask for a glass of water its free, h is rare.
The Crowd (5/6): The crowd was frenzy like I have rarely seen, even during the first half of the show, which was acoustic. I’ve been around Crowds don’t frenzy during acoustic numbers like this at any other show.
The Show Itself (6/6): The bar has risen for best concert I’ve ever been to. Period. This one blew all the others away. Initially, I was surprised there was no opener. Then the band came out with acoustic instruments, given that I knew the show was themed around their first album Second Stage Turbine Blade, I thought it might just be an acoustic show, which would have been a little disappointing but still breathtaking. They played for about forty five minutes and had a set break, then the electronics came out and they proceeded to rock out.
They were their own opener. Pure guts and brilliance.
I was very skeptical of Coheed and Cambria pulling off acoustic, I felt like something was going to be lost. I was thoroughly and utterly impressed with how precise and articulate Coheed and Cambria were with their instrumentation, especially, Claudio Sanchez’s guitar work. In most cases, if the front man plays the guitar they do rhythm guitar and have someone else handle the more complex lead. Not only did Sanchez manage to put on an amazing, clear voiced vocal performance, but also his guitar work was phenomenal and technically perfect. He was one of the few artists who I could clearly understand even during loud, rock numbers.
I’ve never seen a performance like it before.
And that was just Sanchez.
The rest of the band was incredible. Particularly, Travis Stever, the guitarist* had not only the talent to keep up with Sanchez’s guitar work but also match is insane range.
The acoustic set was haunting, reverent, and utterly beautiful.
By the set break I’d already figured out this was going to be unlike any other concert I’d ever seen. The second half was everything the first half was with an incredible burst of energy and power. Sanchez’s brilliant voice and off the hook dancing further augmented the explosive nature of the show. It had the energy, volume, and dynamic of a real rock show. No holds barred. This band is a force on stage like nothing else I’ve ever seen.
*Among other parts. It impressed me farther that every member of the band (except the drummer) plays no less than four instruments.
The Crowd (5/6): The crowd was frenzy like I have rarely seen, even during the first half of the show, which was acoustic. I’ve been around Crowds don’t frenzy during acoustic numbers like this at any other show.
The Show Itself (6/6): The bar has risen for best concert I’ve ever been to. Period. This one blew all the others away. Initially, I was surprised there was no opener. Then the band came out with acoustic instruments, given that I knew the show was themed around their first album Second Stage Turbine Blade, I thought it might just be an acoustic show, which would have been a little disappointing but still breathtaking. They played for about forty five minutes and had a set break, then the electronics came out and they proceeded to rock out.
They were their own opener. Pure guts and brilliance.
I was very skeptical of Coheed and Cambria pulling off acoustic, I felt like something was going to be lost. I was thoroughly and utterly impressed with how precise and articulate Coheed and Cambria were with their instrumentation, especially, Claudio Sanchez’s guitar work. In most cases, if the front man plays the guitar they do rhythm guitar and have someone else handle the more complex lead. Not only did Sanchez manage to put on an amazing, clear voiced vocal performance, but also his guitar work was phenomenal and technically perfect. He was one of the few artists who I could clearly understand even during loud, rock numbers.
I’ve never seen a performance like it before.
And that was just Sanchez.
The rest of the band was incredible. Particularly, Travis Stever, the guitarist* had not only the talent to keep up with Sanchez’s guitar work but also match is insane range.
The acoustic set was haunting, reverent, and utterly beautiful.
By the set break I’d already figured out this was going to be unlike any other concert I’d ever seen. The second half was everything the first half was with an incredible burst of energy and power. Sanchez’s brilliant voice and off the hook dancing further augmented the explosive nature of the show. It had the energy, volume, and dynamic of a real rock show. No holds barred. This band is a force on stage like nothing else I’ve ever seen.
*Among other parts. It impressed me farther that every member of the band (except the drummer) plays no less than four instruments.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)