Winter Olympic 2010 news. Pounding from the Doves, The Last Broadcast is being used by the 2010 Winter Olympics in commercials, Watch it here. Jimi Goodwin After four long years, the Doves are finally back with a new album, Kingdom Of Rust. I've been a huge fan since 2000 when Lost Souls was released and they were the new "it" band and "Catch The Sun" is still one of my all time favourite songs.
Jetstream, from the new album, opened the show which was unusual. Unusual because Jez isn't the main singer, that Jetstream is biggest departure from the "Doves" sound, and that apparently Jez was recovering from laryngitis. It turned out to be a good choice as he sounded great and the heavy bass/electronic beat got the crowd moving. Jez Williams Jimi Goodwin sounded great as usual. He has the most amazing voice and the fact that he can pull it off live has always been a joy for me. He also looks great so the time off has been good for him. 10:03 from the new album was also particularly great. I love they way it builds into an almost completely different song.
The last time I saw them was in 2005. One of the things that moved me was the fact that they had the most inspiring multimedia show with trippy video and a stunning light show. Not so much this time. Blame technical problems? It was clear during the stage setup that they were planning on using a visuals on the stage based on the projected message that was on the screen on the stage, however this did not happen. Also, the stage seemed bathed in darkness except for the lights which eminated from behindy Andy's drum kit. Andy Williams My only other comment on the show are that they didn't play Catch The Sun....AGAIN!
Opening the show was Wild Light from New Hampshire. I have almost nothing good to say about them based entirely on Co-leader Timothy Kyle's pants. Jordan Alexander (got the stove pipes just right) Yes, they have a great song. It's "California On My Mind" and you should check it out here but seriously, I could not get past the pants. Who would tell him he looked good in those really monstrous tight white stove pipes. At one point, a crowd member yelled "Nice Pants" to which Tim replied "Always about the pants. Thank you, I'm going to assume it's sincere." It wasn't. When I'm horribly distracted and appalled by your pants, enough to waste a paragraph on them, I urge you to discard them forever and let me concentrate on your music. Seth Pitman (Notice no photos of offensive pants. I have standards as to where I aim my lens.)
I've seen Ok Go four other times, and despite it being Junos weekend in Vancouver, and despite the high probability that I would be invited to all the coolest events, I choose to truck to Seattle and see Ok Go. Damian Kulash I understand the concept of taking it on the road to try out the new songs but Chop Suey? Chop Suey is a tiny tiny club in Seattle. The stage is the size of a shoebox, and there is no air conditioning or air circulation at all for that matter. Sounds like a great venue for a hard core Ok Go fan on paper, but not so much in practice. Andy Ross In other words, it was hot in there. Sweltering, in the crowd, and probably even hotter on the crowded tiny stage under those lights. This (along with singer Damian Kulash's recent illness) probably contributed to it being the least fun Ok Go show I've seen. Don't get me wrong, it was fun, but Damian didn't seem like his usual "sarcastic bastard" self.
Most famous for amazing Treadmill video, and well known for closing their shows with the Backyard Dance, their latest fun gimmick is an interpretation of "What To Do" with handbells. A really lovely idea and execution.
Many new songs from the much anticipated new album were introduced, and they were all great and I really look forward to hearing it but until then, here is a an acoustic song that Damian introduced as "a simple love song".
It was my Marsi's first Ok Go show, and I told her she should make a sign because my experiences had shown that if Damian saw it, he'd surely say something. Well, sadly, he didn't see it, but after the show, Dan did and loved it.
So, Richards on Richards is moving to the old A&B Sound location on Seymour! I'm so excited that Vancouver isn't losing a live music venue to condo development.
Airborne Toxic Event, indie darlings from L.A., brought their show to Vancouver on Wednesday despite a toxic throat infection being suffered by leader Mikel Jollett. Mikel Jollett
It was a sold out crowd but the poor sound quality, and lackluster performance (perhaps due to the illness) led to a generally unappreciative audience. Anna Bulbrook I'd just been about to mention to the couple next to me that I could hear their conversation more then I could hear the band when Mikel berated the audience about the excessive chatter. Daren Taylor The throat definitely caused some problems with the show. Mikel had a problem with any high range vocals which led to an unsatisfactory rendition of some of the songs. Gasoline probably suffered the most from that loss.
Overall though, the sound and show got better as the night progressed. Mikel became more lively and he and Anna roamed through the bar and the crowd during one number. Of other notable mention was guitarist Steven Chen. An actual live Asian rock star! Other then James Iha, the only one I've seen in anything but a local band. I'm half Japanese, so I was all over that. Steven Chen The encore was a generally raucous affair where Mikel tried to make up for his earlier bad attitude by inviting everyone who wanted to, onto the stage.
Check out Airborne ToxicEvent and especially check out the video for the amazing song, Somewhere Around Midnight.
Opening act The Henry Clay People where notable for the energy and fun they brought to the night. Opening with a sing-a-long count out and generally wrapping the crowd around their fingers with their youthful hijinks, brothers Joey and Andy Siara made the most of the opening slot. Andy and Joey Siara
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