Ok part 1 of 3 (Arctic Monkeys, Webster Hall, March 25)
It's hard to describe what you feel when you finally see a band you've been following from nearly the start (Thanks Lauren!). Lets start at the beginning. Well not exactly the beginning. Let's bypass the hours of anxious preparation, the frozen line (partially my fault for arriving so early. I needed a good spot.) my friend being scouted for a D&G photo shoot, and the waiting in the venue for the show to finally start. Lets start with the Spinto Band.
Prior to the show, I had only heard a total of 4 songs by the Spinto Band. I admit it, I was unprepared. What I knew however, I liked a lot. I've ranted already about their music, so I'll move on to their live set. And let me tell you, what a live set it was. Six boys in a band couldn't have brought more energy unless they had obviously been taking crack-cocaine (Drugs are bad). From the first song to the last, the band brought an energy that completely made up for the problems with the volume of the vocals. Almost completely covered, both singers in the band bounced around like kids hopped up on sugar (Just say no kids. Just kidding. I'm a junkie) rising above the problems with the sound. The set was equally energetic, each song flowing into the next, a non-stop bombardment of peppy, pop/rock that was reflected in the dancing kids in the crowd. The set was only made better when the band came out with kazoos they had fixed to their heads in preparation for "Brown Boxes" (They threw a few into the crowd. My luck proved itself when one landed on me.). All in all, great set. I appreciated the energy, and it won me over as a fan.
Next up, the stage dimmed for the band we had all come out to see. The new "it" band, with a sound that proved that the hype was well deserved: The Arctic Monkeys. As the lights slowly came on, the boys stumbled out, awkward, and yet shrouded in what seemed like an epic aura. These boys were meant for greatness, and they new it. Picking up their instruments, they started their set in whirlwind fashion; no waiting, no hesitation, no questions asked. It was in a word, Brilliant. It was as if someone turned on their album but increased the musical energy tenfold. (I respect a band that sounds like the album. It proves to me that they don't need the technology to make them sound better.) Though toned down from what I had expected while transitioning between songs, their accuracy and spirit made up for it completely. Alex handled the crowd well, responding to obnoxious song requests and shouts of "Alex is Pretty!" with a subtly witty comment, or a gentlemanly statement. As much as I loved this band before, I love them much more now. The music was amazing, I can't say much else. Well, I can say that, true to recent form, the band tried out one of their new tunes on the New York crowd. In fact, it was so new, Alex forgot how it went halfway through, and had to start over (Matt just laughed). The song itself was true to the Arctic Monkey style that we've all come to know and love, and made me even more anxious for all that new material they say they have in reserve (I'm excited). Final analysis: The band was amazing (no mardy bums indeed <-Bad Arctic Monkeys pun. I'm really sorry) and I'm glad I caught them when they can still play intimate gigs.
Here's a fun song that was constantly requested during any and all down time during the Arctic Monkeys set (they never actually played it though):
Arctic Monkeys - Love Machine (Live)
No comments:
Post a Comment