Summerfest day 5: Silversun Pickups, Middle Class Rut, DoryDrive

Summerfest day 5: Silversun Pickups, Middle Class Rut, DoryDrive

Stage: Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard (4/6)

I’d never been to this stage before despite coming to Summerfest every year for about the past decade as in years past it was the country music stage and country isn’t usually my scene. This year they featured al.t rock. I prefer the Briggs stage to the Miller stage as the sound system is better and the crowds, at least for this show, weren’t as bad.

I  did  something I love to do at Summerfest for this set, but hadn’t done this trip yet. camped out at a stage and just listened to the acts prior to the band I was there for.  This is how I discover new bands

Speaking of bands, on to the shows

Shows:

DoryDrive(4/6) As they were in the 6pm slot I did no expect DoryDrive  to be as good as they were.  They came out with an energetic, alt. rock sound, and a surprisingly polished style. They had energy enough to get even a lazy mid-evening festival crowd moving. If I hadn’t known better, I would have sworn these guys were a bigger band. Very well done.

I’m going over to amazon to get their album right now, and I’d recommend you do the same.

Vocalist Mathieu Nevitt  has a wonderful gravelly voice  and demonstrates good control over its tone.. He also has energy in spades and a willingness to push the audience into participating. I am definitely going to be keeping an eye out for these guys. Lots of fun.

Middle Class Rut (2/6) Between the tragic attempts at scream vocals and the interminable fret squeaks and the drummer who couldn’t keep time with a metronome, this band was terrible. They had a surprisingly strong following, which confused me quite frankly. Middle Class Rut did have energy, I’ll give them that, but their lack of coordination and style was not only out of place on that particular stage, but generally did not work.

They felt like they wanted to be punk and fell very flat.

Silversun Pickups (5/6) Silversun Pickups is always fantastic and is one of the few bands I’ve seen that can deliver a consistent, but still innovative show. This show was particularly emotional as it was bassist Sarah Negahdari s last night with the band. Just prior to last Summerfest, Negahdari was called in with approval from David Grohl, Silversun Pickups’ original bassist, Nikki Monninger, gave birth to twins. Sara was discovered in Milwaukee and has been adored by the fans. Her style and amazing talent and will be missed. However, as a fan, I do warmly welcome Nikki Monninger back.
I really felt like the guys treated her like she was one of the family.

Vocalist Brian Aubert delivers unique vocals and a manically quirky style that make him insane to watch. He is constantly energetic and has a delicious grin that is simply contagious. His guitar work is unrivaled and distinctive, bringing an unmistakable edge to the band. Add the wicked bass lines from Monninger and you have a nicely rounded, sharp edged sound that really pumps things up even during their mellower songs.  

The show itself was beautifully paced mixing their moody, slower songs with the controlled cacophony of their harder, louder songs.

Overall, a brilliant show.

Siliversun Pickups with School of Seven Bells at the Aragon Ballroom: We are Ready For the Siege.

Venue: (4/6) The Aragon Ballroom
This old lady really stepped up her sound system for SSPU. I suspect it was because of Brian Aubert’s ethereal, yet badass, voice. Though the speakers did clip out several times it was worth it for the change in quality. With tweaking, I think the Aragon could really bring up her standard. They also installed more fans in discreet places. It was a much improved show.

School of Seven Bells (4/6):
School of Seven Bells combines an electronic sound with Celtic overtones (Wiki classifies them as “Shoegaze”). Initially it almost sounds like all of their stuff is remixed Celtic music, except that the lyrics are original and the under current is closer in flavor to EDM. Beautiful, lilting vocals mesh seamlessly with a fluttering baseline and heavy keyboard work. Another thing that made this band stand out for me was the fact that it was comprised of a bassist, a keyboardist, a drummer, and a vocalist. There was no lead guitar, which gave them a hollow, spacious sound. Live they also had good energy and a playful demeanor. While it was certainly clear that they were not used to having a big crowd and were more than a little nervous, they pulled through and did an excellent job.

Silversun Pickups (5/6):
I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this show, and this band for that matter. Between Brian Aubret’s ethereal, sharp edged vocals, amazing guitar work and flawless lyrics, he could have been a show unto himself. His energy was explosive, yet always managed to fit the mood of the song. I am, however, convinced if he were forced to sit still he might well explode. The bass work was, as always, phenomenal. What made it even more amazing is that the slight gal slamming away at the bass, and rocking out like the world was ending was their substitute bassist. Their usual bassist is equally small, and massively talent, but she’s just recently given birth to twins. (If you happen to read this, Congratulations, Nikki Monninger!) It is a rare thing to see a substitute or tour member of the band get any applause at all; Sara (whose last name I never caught) got enough applause to bring the show to a halt briefly. She was utterly fantastic, matching Monninger in both energy and style, while still bringing her own attitude to the table. I’ve never seen someone bring who was on par with the original artist like that before. Ace job, Sara, ace job.
And lets not forget their phenomenal drummer, one part Animal of Muppets fame, one part insane metal drummer, and 100% magical, (dude) absolutely killed the drum work. While I’ve always appreciated their drummer, this show brought a new appreciation for exactly how bananas this guy is. Phenomenal job.
The only complaint I had (and it is minor) was that I would have moved “Panic Switch” (their really big) song to the second encore as opposed to being before either encore. It was a positively spectacular, ridiculously long show, with a frenetic, passionate energy that is on par with the best in the business.

Road Trip Show: Summerfest day1-2 (Milwaukee, WI)

Road trip show, Milwaukee, WI 

Summefest day 1: Lupé fiasco (not reviewed)

Venue: The Harley Davison Stage on the Summefest grounds. 

The reason Lupe Fiasco is going not reviewed is the same phenomenon that occurred last Summefest with Maroon 5.  The volume wasn’t adjusted right for the number of people at the show. I understand the dilemma of balancing popularity with respecting the other stages, however a simple sound check would have solved a lot of the problems.

But seriously, Summerfest, would it kill you to sound check? 


Summerfest day 2: The Foo Fighters and Silversun Pickups
Venue:

The Marcus Amphitheater (4/6): will always have a place in my heart as the crowning glory of the Summefest grounds where I spent a large chunk of my youth. All told she aged well, while the decade old sound system has all of the failings of an aging system-- Heavy bass and a week  mid-tone section—the  judicious use of screens and  the even distribution of speakers minimize the sound distortion making for a pleasurable experience even when you are well back (Due to miscommunications, I didn’t get tickets until later, which meant I was almost in the lawn).

The show:

Silversun Pickups (5/6): I’ve been itching to see Silversun Pickupsn live.  I am often skeptical of more ethereal vocal qualities translating to a live show.  The moment they started their set I realized I had nothing to fear.  Despite what it sounds like, Brian Aubert’s voice is not a falsetto. His speaking has a higher register and where his lower range sound is where he is modulating his voice. Live it is something to hear. Aubert is also incredibly articulate. Many bands don’t think to enunciate; with microphone distortion  this oftem makes the vocals sound slurred. There are few artists who cane clearly understood live, Silversun Pickups is one of them.

It was interesting to see a band that relies as heavily on the bass as Silversun Pickups does.  Even when it’s a band that has a front man who is the primary guitarist, most bands these days rely on lead guitar to propel the music forward.  In the case of Silversun Pickups, it feels as though Aubert acknowledged it is difficult to play and sing at the same time, but still enjoys doing lead guitar work, so the songs were composed  in such a way that the more intensive lead guitar work happens most when he is not singing. To accommodate this they have a phenomenal bassist who is talented enough to fill in where there isn’t a lead guitar.  To the casual listener, the sound is smooth and dynamic but doesn’t feel as chopped up as one that style risks being. 

Speaking of the bassist.  Nikki Monninger is a slip of a thing and soft spoken, and her body language is playful. (At one point during a particularly bouncy song she did what I can only call a hop step—like she was skipping in place) Her soft soprano voice serves to highlight Aubert’s already ethereal voice lending an otherworldly feel to their choruses.

And she plays a wicked bass.  

Then there’s the drum work, which is precise and technical without sounding over-rehearsed.

Overall these guys were killer on stage and a great show.

Foo Fighters (5/6): The Foo Fighters is one of the few bands I’ve seen live that  are not only still going after over twenty years but are still musically relevant (as opposed to the bands that are running off of nostalgia).  There  is something in how a band that seasoned comports themselves toward the crowd that you don’t see in even bands that are ten years old. There is a wonderful balance of both professionalism and well-deserved cockiness that comes with time.  David Grohl  is not only wonderfully talented and energetic, but  also  has a perfect report  with the fans. It feels as though he has learned to really gauge what the fans need and play to it.  Beyond simply being talented, Grohl has  both a strong presence and  the ability to share the spotlight.  Even after having been in the scene for as long as he has, he still took the time to introduce the  band as though they were new, encouraging them to show off their talents and praising them.  IN particular his dynamic with drummer Taylor Hawkins was both touching and entertaining. Hawlkins made the comment that the best thing about him was being best friends with David Grohl)

Aforementioned drummer is exceptionally talented in his own right, standing out in a six man group all of whom are exquisite musicians. 

It was also a real treat to hear some of their old songs (In addition to newer things),  I hadn’t heard “My Hero” in over  a decade and I’d be willing to wager I was not the only one in the crowd to share that sentiment.  There was something for every era of Foo Fighters fans.

A well done show.  It was a pleasure.