Acrobat Down – Denver – The Bluebird Theater, CO – 1999-10-23

Despite being one of my favorite bands for the past few years, since the release of their fantastic emo-rock album Four Minute Mile, I have never seen The Get Up Kids live. It seems like I always miss them. I drive home to visit the folks and find out the Kids played there the week before. I look in the paper to see who’s playing that weekend, and they played the night before. I move to Colorado and find I missed them by one day. Geesh, talk about bad karma.

Well, I finally got to see them, but let me start with the openers first. And even before that, let me say that I’m old. I just hate all ages shows anymore, because I feel like I’m surrounded by junior high kids. My gosh, they must have been no more than 14 years old. And so they relegate the 21-and-ups into the balcony where they can drink and make fun of the kids but not really hear the music all that well. What a pain. And the kids just didn’t dance. A few at the front bobbed up and down a little, and a few others bobbed their heads, but no one was really into it. I think that’s pretty standard about Denver, however. That’s unfortunate. Nothing’s more fun than really getting into a good show.

As always Acrobat Down was excellent. Unfortunately, this was one of their first shows since their keyboard player left the band, and the lead singer/guitar player attempted to compensate by playing DATs of some of the keyboard effects, which really interfered with his guitar playing. My suggestion is just write new versions of the old songs. Sure, keyboards were fairly integral into the songs on the new album, but you can do without them. Other than that, the band rocked. And they played a new song with a great guitar riff that made me feel all good inside.

Reflector has to be one of the tightest, most perfect sounding live bands I’ve ever heard. Either this band is way talented or they just have an amazing sound guy. Now, that doesn’t mean I’m big fans. Their music had this big, almost glam feel to it that I don’t really go for. Sure, it was cool rock stuff, but I just pictured them wearing leather and having big hair. It was like they had that rock-star idealism going for them, and it showed. This was Reflector’s last show with the Kids, which means I didn’t get to hear At the Drive In play with the Kids. What a shame. But Reflector, from the Kids’ home town, was pretty good, and they sounded fantastic. It was a good way to get the crowd excited about the headliners.

And The Get Up Kids were as good as I expected. For the first time in Colorado, I saw a non-local band that was really into their show. These guys were having so much fun, leaping into the air and twirling around during the most rocking numbers, screaming into the mics, giving each other high-fives and threatening nipple-twisters on the bassist.

It’s official, after seeing this show. The Get Up Kids are rock stars. Why? Three reasons. First, they have a huge-ass bus. I think they were kinda embarrassed by it, and they apologized to the audience for it blocking out the sun. Second, they came out and said, “Denver, are you ready to rock?” I had to wince at that. And third, during their fan favorite, “Don’t Hate Me,” they went silent and let the crowd finish up the chorus. And the crowd shouted it satisfyingly damn loud.

The best part about the Kids’ performance is that they played so many songs. There was a song from their first single/EP (“Woodson”), a bunch of songs from Four Minute Mile, “Mass Pike” and “Anne Arbor” from their most recent EP, and several songs from their new album. It was a near perfect mix, and the audience really appreciated it. At least, I did. And their new songs, which are slightly diminished in rock factor, rocked hard live, especially “Ten Minutes.” Unfortunately, they didn’t play “I’m a Loner, Dottie, a Rebel,” but everything else was near perfection.

What a great band. What a great show. Check out The Get Up Kids live. I’m fairly sure they don’t disappoint.

Pele – Denver – The Bluebird Theater, CO – 1999-10-10

What a line-up! How could you miss a show like this? How could a show like this suck? Well…

Ok, it didn’t suck, but it was a disappointment. The first disappointment was that the place was full of kids. And I don’t mean 18-21 kids. I mean pre-highschool kids dressed to look like they’re 18-21 or something. There were so many kids that they closed the good bar (with good microbrews on tap) and relegated those of us over 21 to the bar upstairs in the balcony where they only had bottled macrobrews. It was so crowded below, I stayed in the balcony. The sound was good, and the energy on the floor left something to be desired.

Pele started off the show. For those who don’t know of them (and that includes just about everyone at the show), they are a three-piece instrumental rock band. The drummer obviously is the focus of the band, with some unusual rhythms and time changes. And the guitarist plays mostly notes, which don’t sound quite so crisp and clear in concert as they do recorded. When he played the power chords, however, he sounded great. A few of the songs were obviously too long and rather repetitious, needing only one thing: vocals. I mean, if you’re going to play instrumentals, make them original and unique, not regular songs without vocals. But some songs were amazing and rocked hard. So all in all, they were good.

The crowd kept shouting for them to sing. The guitarist (all three had mics for some reason) looked out and said, dead-pan, “You can’t hear us? Hey, can ya turn the mics up?” At least they were good sports.

Next was Burning Airlines, the band of former Jawbox frontman and legendary producer J. Robbins. I’ve seen this band four times now, and every show they just get better. They are so amazingly tight (as opposed to the first show by them I saw, the band’s first show at all, in which they basically stunk), and it’s obvious the band is having fun. J. Robbins (who, by the way, dresses like Johnny Cash – all black, all the time, apparently) rocks hard, bouncing around the stage, screaming into the mic, playing that guitar so hard. Burning Airlines played most of their album and several new songs that were only an improvement. They threw in an old punk cover (not sure by who, but it was familiar) and an instrumental. Great show. They also played forever, shortening The Promise Ring’s set.

When the P-Ring finally showed up, it was obvious they were who the crowd came to see. The band kicked it off with the first two songs off their new album, “Very Emergency” (see review this week), prompting me to fear they were going to play the album straight through. I have to admit, “Emergency! Emergency!” is amazingly catchy, even by Promise Ring standards. The band played almost exclusively from “Very Emergency” and “Nothing Feels Good.” Their one older song, however, was my favorite. When the first notes of “Picture Postcard” lofted from Davey von Bohlen’s guitar, the crowd went wild. And they played that song so well, it pretty much made the show worthwhile.

Other song requests were not honored. The band kept to their setlist, despite the number of shouted song titles. Davey usually responded to those shouts with “Yeah, that song rocks!” or “Yeah, we like that one too.” Probably the one old song that the band should have played, “Everywhere in Denver,” the band didn’t. What a shame. The home crowd would have loved it.

I’ve heard stories about the Promise Ring live, how they used to just have so much energy, flying around the stage, screaming, getting the crowd riled up. Unfortunately, this must be a different band. Davey was the only band member to really move more than a little, and he just sorta danced around a little while he sang. The whole band was very restrained, almost as if they didn’t want to be there. Maybe the high altitude was getting to them. There wasn’t even much talk to the crowd. Somewhat disappointing.

The band finished with their slower, more emo “Things Just Getting Good,” which makes sense, since he names the band members. And they left with no encore. Another disappointment. All in all, the band played well, and their songs were catchy and fun. The sound was good, but there was no energy, very few crowd favorites, and no working the crowd. Not the best show I’ve seen, especially since Burning Airlines was the best band there.

Eddie From Ohio – Boulder – The Boulder Theater, CO – 1999-09-08

Eddie From Ohio…ever hear of them? Probably not. EFO is a small folk-rock band out of Northern Virginia, my most recent home. This band plays a style of music that I liked hearing described as “new-folk-calypso-rock.” Yep, it’s got everything. And, oddly enough, they were playing in Colorado. I used to see them play every Tuesday at Bad Habits Grill in Arlington. Now they’re touring the country. Good for them!

EFO put on a great 2-hour show, playing a majority of their songs from their new album but fitting in enough old songs to please the crowd, who were obviously well familiar with this charistmatic band. Some highlights were “The Fifth of July,” “Eddie and the Concubine,” and Eddie’s most amazing drum solo. You have to see this man play the bongos to believe him. And when he set off playing Robbie’s guitar with his hands, making the most melodic drumming sounds I’ve ever heard, the crowd was stunned to silence. That could be a show in itself.

EFO’s best features are their ability to harmonize. Sometimes all four band members would sing together, sometimes complimenting each other by singing different lines. And when they sing without instrumentation, as on lead Julie Murphy’s gospel hit, they are amazing to say the least. What a great band. See them in your town when you get the chance if you at all like rock, folk, gospel, or music at all.

Rainer Maria – Denver – Double Entendre, CO – 1999-06-19

There isn’t much better than seeing a good band in a small venue. I saw Rainer Maria in a record shop. I was surrounded by 15-year-olds, but that’s ok. The music quality was surprisingly good, but that may be attributable to the band.

Rainer Maria play emo/indie rock that’s filled with fast-slow time changes, driving rhythms, catchy hooks, and boy-girl lyrics. To state that clearer, the boy and girl don’t really harmonize, but they make their voices stand out, which makes for a very unusual but pleasing sound. Their music tends to be lighter, and it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy or angry and hurting inside. I guess that’s “emo” kids.

In this hour show, the band mixed up songs from their new album and old album as well as the 7-inch that’s on the Postmarked Stamps compilation. Their new music was excellent and really showcased the female singer’s voice, while their old music, which I am not as fond of, sounded much more mature and practised than on their CD.

All in all, Rainer Maria plays an excellent show. Their music is powerful and catchy. I suggest you catch them live.

No Knife – Denver – 15th St. Tavern, CO – 1999-06-18

A line up like this doesn’t come along too often, so I had to go. Unfortunately, it was one of those Friday nights where you’re so tired, nothing seems like fun. So we got to the 15th St. Tavern (a real dive) early (and didn’t have to pay!) to have a few beers and people-watch. The show seemed to take forever to start. No Knife lead the set off. I’ve liked this California band for a few years. They play a distinctive brand of very loud and fast but not quite punk rock with some emo tinges. This style of music is pretty unique, and it’s exhibited by some crazy guitar riffs and alternating vocals, plus a lot of very intense but not-quite-shouting vocals. No Knife rocked, I have to admit. They were the best band there, and most of the crowd really began to appreciate them despite not knowing they existed before that night. What a great show.

764-Hero hardly talked, except to say that they’d be selling stuff outside after the show. They said that several times, so it must have been important. I didn’t see anyone outside after the show. Other than that, 764-Hero was pretty anonymous. The songs I’ve heard by them on the radio were mellower indie rock with a little folk-tinge, sorta like Sunvolt but not country. In concert, this trio played relatively nondistinctive indie rock with loud-enough but unintelligible lyrics. The bassist (who didn’t sing) never faced the crowd, but ha-ha, jokes on him, there was a mirror behind the stage so he had to look at us anyway. I think it made him uncomfortable. All in all, I wasn’t impressed.

All the kids were there to see Jimmy Eat World, and the band didn’t dissappoint. Despite my own lack of enthusiasm that night, I did enjoy JEW. They played almost every song from their new album Clarity, plus a number of older songs. I like the new mellower, more instrospective JEW, but I have to say that their older, more punker rocking songs were way better in concert. The crowd was grooving to the new songs but rocking hard to the old ones. I think the band enjoyed playing the faster songs, for they showed more enthusiasm, jumping around a bit. Other than that, they really had very little stage presence, but they rocked hard and tight, and that made it worth it.

All in all, a show not to be missed. But it’s really surprising when the first band, a band that I’ve never heard get airtime, rocked the pants off their more popular tour-mates. No Knife kicked some butt, and I think I need to get their new album. Check out my reviews of their old ones here.

Acrobat Down – Boulder – The Fox Theater, CO – 1999-05-24

I wasn’t going to review this concert. I wasn’t even going to go see The Poster Children, but I got free tickets, and how can you refuse that. I tell you, it was definitely worth the price, maybe even double! The Poster Children are long-time indie rockers. They have been together for more than 12 years, and that’s a long time for a rock band. And these guys are still good!

This band has some of the sound of the mid-80s college bands like X or the B-52s, but they’ve obviously modernized their sound. They play catchy rocking and sometimes anthemic songs that make you want to bounce and sing a long. My two favorite PC songs are “All for One” and “Junior Citizen,” and they played both, so I was most enthused!

The bassist with the PCs has a lot of energy. With her floppy, curly hair, she bounced all over the stage, despite sound troubles. The singer played hard and sang hard the entire show. The drums, now they were impressive. Lots of great driving drum rhythms!

All in all, an excellent show. Check out this band if you get the chance. Openers were, yet again, Acrobat Down. I like ‘em, but I’ve seen them enough now.

Acrobat Down – Denver – 15th St. Tavern, CO – 1999-05-21

Eric Bachman was the frontman of one of my favorite punk-rock-noise bands, the Archers of Loaf. Unfortunately, the Archers have broken up. That means Bachman, who was always willing to work on side projects before, is now on his own, and was he ever.

Bachman played at the 15th St. Tavern (a real dive!) completely solo, with a deep-tuned guitar and an occassional tape loop as backup. He played the deep lines and the rhythm simultaneously, a neat feature in itself, but it’s always been Bachman’s voice and songs that make the man interesting. His voice is deep and gravelly, not Tom Wait-ish, but more Mick Jagger-ish (of course, better). His songs are sort of modern folk songs, telling stories and having a slightly bitter look on life. I liked them very much!

Bachman is apparently touring solo right now, practicing his new music before kicking off his new side project, which, I am told, is called Crooked Fingers. Some favorite lines from his new songs: “Never lend a broken man a broken hand,” “The night is black because it’s rotten,” and “She spreads her legs and flies away.” I love the Archers, and I really enjoy Bachman’s solo music! Unfortunately, he only knew so many songs, and despite the strong enthusiasm of the audience, he couldn’t even play an encore.

Acrobat Down was mentioned above. They played a few covers, but their set this night was nothing special. The sound quality sucked, which hurt the band quite a bit. They could do better, I know, I’ve seen them do better shows.

Acrobat Down – Denver – The Bluebird Theater, CO – 1999-05-13

The Gloria Record play a melodic, emotional, textured style of rock that is virtually unmatched today. After the break-up of Mineral (one of my favorite bands and a pioneer in the emo-rock genre), The Gloria Record rose and took over where Mineral left off. Featuring the singer/guitarist and bassist from Mineral, The Gloria Record play beautiful, melodic and complex rock.

Live, The Gloria Record are best enjoyed standing still with one’s eyes closed, letting the music wash over you. I was amazed at how cleanly the five-piece band pulled off the complex music live. The singer has one of those voices that you have to hear to believe, almost another instrument in itself, a melodic and varied sound. I expected his voice to sound nowhere near as good live, but, other than the difficulty of understanding the singer that is common in a live show and more pronounced because of his complex singing style, the voice was quite clear and good.

The Gloria Record played two songs from their EP on Crank!, including “Grace the Snow is Here,” which was also on their 7-inch. Their newer songs, after the EP, seem to have a little more pep while maintaining the beauty and coherence obvious in the band’s debut EP. The band did pause several times in between songs to re-tune or switch from electric guitar to acoustic, but the live show was intense and powerful and quite moving, making me realize what emo is all about. Unfortunately, they played about six songs only and no encore. I could have listened to the band all night.

Planes Mistaken for Stars are now native to Denver. They play melodic hardcore with dual vocals, one screamed and one sung. The band’s EP (on Deep Elm) rocks hard, with complex starts and stops and loud-quiet moments. Live, the band’s music is almost as good as the album. The screamed vocals are clear and good. The lead singer, however, has the mic tilted down and seldom sings close enough to the mic to be heard. This causes a problem, except for the few slower songs when he calms down enough to sing properly into the mic. The three-piece rocks hard and plays a good show, if only the singer would sing into the mic. Their best songs are “The Past Two” and “Copper Stars” (a song that the singer says they play like shit), both on the EP.

Acrobat Down are another local favorites. The five-piece plays emo-rock in the style of Christie Front Drive, Mineral, and the Promise Ring. The keyboardist, new member to the group, adds some unique sounds to the mix, and his hyperactive bouncing adds some much-needed energy. The vocalist’s voice is mediocre live and not precisely clear. The music itself, however, is unique and fresh despite the above-mentioned references. I really enjoy the mix of styles in the band’s songs and mix of influences. They do a good live show, but I would love to hear them recorded. I think they have a 7-inch on Crank!.

Brittle Stars – S/T

Ok, I admit it. I’m a sucker for pretty music, especially pretty pop music. I wonder why people like listening to stuff that’s so heavy it hurts your head, sometimes, when you can listen to such pretty, heartfelt music like Brittle Stars. Brittle Stars play 25 minutes of pure, sweet, unadulterated shoegazey pop on this full-length album, and they manage the change up their style just often enough on each song to keep you listening attentively.
“Tripping Me Up” has a nice, catchy guitar riff and soft beat, but it’s the keyboards that fill out the song, spacey and echoey and providing the perfect backing to lead-singer Estelle’s beautiful voice. “Four Words” has chimey keyboards, and the vocals here almost sound textured, just enough to have a sort of vibration of their own, all pretty and sweet and reminding me of some of the more coherent moments of Eric’s Trip. The vocals aren’t quite as textured and sugary on “This Trip,” giving it less of a shoegazey feel, although the keyboards are extremely spacey and vibrant. Here Estelle’s voice reminds me of Julie Doiran and, somewhat, like Juliana Hatfield. “No Longer Waiting” has a furious blast of guitars and drums, stirring up an otherwise dreamy song. “You Went in Phases” has an excellent drum beat, and Estelle sounds more like Liz Phair here at times. I love the lyrics in “May,” where they are more understandable than in some songs. But “Occasional Appearance” is perhaps my favorite song. It starts off slow and sweet, then blasts with drums and distorted guitars, providing a fitting ending to the album. My only complaint is that it ends at about 25 minutes. It could have used at least 10 or 20 more.
The problem with this style of pop, played softly and layered, with the vocals textured and layered as well, is that the songs often all sound the same. Brittle Stars don’t fall into that category, with each song incorporating different sounds, different keyboard effects, and changing styles from soft and dreamy to louder and intense. That being said, they do the style so well. I just want to sit in an arm chair with a cup of coffee and stare out the window. It evokes feelings of peace and serenity, and it’s all pretty pretty music.

Bright Eyes – Every Day and Every Night EP

Every Day and Every Night is the band’s new five-song EP. This is country-tinged rock that is highly dependent on Conor Oberst’s vocals. I am reminded of Will Oldham and Palace, somewhat, in that this music has a definite and palpable atmosphere and mood. It’s laced with darkness, but it’s not overladen.
“A Line Allows Progress, a Circle Does Not” kicks the album off and reminds me most of Oldham. It’s moody, complete with organ/synthesizer and piano. The vocals are yearning but soft and heartfelt, and lyrics like “It is late afternoon as you walk through the rooms of a house that is quiet except for unanswered telephones. You stand near the sink while you’re mixing a drink, you think you don’t want to pass out where your roommates will find you again” show a knack for writing story-telling and moving songs. “A Perfect Sonnet” doesn’t actually remind me of a sonnet, but it’s intriguing, highly dependent on acoustic guitar and the vocals, which are warbly and broken yet passionate. “On My Way to Work” is the most country of the songs, softer and much more acoustic than the rest. “A New Arrangement” is similarly soft and introspective but has probably the best lyrics on the album: “You nod in an acknowledgement of your frequent mood swings but what good is an acknowledgement it still don’t change things.” The violin in this track is a nice touch as well. “Neely O’Hara” is soft and dark, with screaming vocals lost in the background and ending with samples of a woman talking in what I guess is Japanese. No, maybe it’s Russian. Hmmm, an odd, chaotic ending to a beautiful song.

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