Monday, November 14, 2011

i sang "i love you, but i have to cut you loose".


Last night, I had the privilege of seeing Youth Lagoon perform to a sold-out crowd at The Red Palace. While Trevor Powers claimed he was sick, he didn't miss a beat as he played the entirety of the record. I was curious as to how the music would translate live, but it was a non-issue (my sole, minute criticism is that I wanted to hear more bells for the grandiose end of "Bobby").

Powers' live persona lends perspective to this quote:

Youth Lagoon isn't me. It's merely a part of me. I was in and out of different bands in high school and always tried to define myself by what music I played. I tried to find a sense of meaning by being in a band. But it wasn't until this last year - when I realized I was more than just music - that I was able to create music that means something to me. And that is Youth Lagoon.
He showed a far more chipper side than I think many expected. Plus, he hung around to sign merchandise and converse with eager stragglers (me included). I anxiously await what's next because along with Beirut's The Rip Tide, The Year of Hibernation is pretty much the only new music that I have on constant repeat.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

don't have to be so sad about it, people will say.

Another show I thought I'd never see came to fruition last Thursday night. The Glands played a spectacular set at Black Cat backstage. The mysterious band from Athens, GA had suddenly added a short series of tour dates down the east coast.

I arrived to a buzzing section of fans, we were all wondering exactly what we were in for. That turned out to be an epic setlist of most songs off of Double Thriller (1998) and The Glands (2000), including vinyl-only tracks. The guitars and vocals made the overall message of the music even more vivid. Ross Shapiro's sardonic lyrics somehow poke fun at depressing subject matter, making the songs seem more cheerful, but still extremely relatable. These songs make me desperately hope for a new album of someone else explaining my feelings to me. Regardless, it was a priceless show and I'm really glad I got to see them play. They were extremely gracious to the crowd, playing a two-song encore, selling their own merch, and staying to chat.

Below is the gang performing my all-time-favorite: "Fortress".