Concert Review: The New Pornographers, The Dodos, Imaad Wasif @ The Fox Theater
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scott lensing
The New Pornographers w/ The Dodos and Imaad Wasif
The Fox Theater (Oakland, CA)
July 18, 2010
Everything was going perfectly according to plan— until they started singing. From the moment Dodos frontman Meric Long first spoke into the microphone, people in the audience perplexedly tilted their head à la a Jack Russell terrier, looked at the speakers overhead, and then back to Long. The vocals were muffled and distant, making even music-free banter between songs almost inaudible. His words were nearly completely indiscernible. The audience clearly was missing most everything that was said or sung, so why wasn’t the Fox Theater sound crew even attempting to fix this obvious problem?
After a 43-year period of inactivity, the Fox Theater reopened in early 2009, and by all appearances is one of the premiere venues in the Bay Area. Yet for all its interior beauty, the theater has continued to have problems with perfecting their sound quality, which is a real shame when two class acts like The New Pornographers and The Dodos are playing on the same night. But as percussive elements rule The Dodos’ live performances, and as this was also a primarily New Pornographers crowd, no one in the audience raised a public fuss during the local band’s set. The Dodos stuck mostly to songs from their touchstone album Visiter, a smart move that capitalized on their natural energy and instrumental rawness. Acoustic guitar, drums and vibraphone, played at full force, were all they needed to at the very least sustain the interest of an older, geekier crowd than they normally see. The band soldiered on, with songs like “Fools” and “Jodi” surging into cathartic releases and serving as reminders of how percussion can wonderfully dominate when laid out loud and bare.
Recap: Sasquatch Music Festival
In the final weekend of May, West coast WGTB warrior Scott Lensing took extensive notes on his experience at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in order to relate to loyal blog readers the performances, the atmosphere, and the best new upcoming college-rock bands. Below, Scott’s account, with awesome pictures– here’s to hoping we see many of these bands come through the District in the next year.
Sasquatch! Music Festival
The Gorge; George, Washington
May 29-31, 2010
May 29-31, 2010
Never have I looked forward to a music festival with such giddy anticipation, with such unrealistic expectations for sonic fulfillment. The lineup? Stellar. The venue? Debilitating in its beauty. The company? Debaucherous. I knew that when I woke up on May 29, it would be the Christmas morning to top all Christmas mornings. And so it began on the wonderfully sunny Saturday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend. Three hours southeast of Seattle, the Gorge could very well be a worthy destination for a family of four embarking upon a road trip, parents determined to expose their restless, Nintendo-addicted children to the glory of the American frontier.
But Sasquatch is certainly no place for a family. It is precisely the place, however, for a group of young ruffians looking to indulge in the sights and sounds of some of the best indie rock/pop/folk around. The clientele was surprisingly young, so much so that at times I oddly felt like a geezer. Young co-eds generally could be seen bopping about, faces freshly smeared with paint and multi-colored feathers artfully stuck in their hair. Somewhat surprisingly, Canadians abounded at the festival, with red maple leaves of every size and form on display on their cars, bodies, and bags. I was a foreigner in my own country. Read More »
Review: Jonsi, Go
Jonsi
Go
A-
In the midst of the toil and stress that accompanies final month of the semester, few things can lift your (re: my) spirits like a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Chunk ice cream. But as you (see also: I) put down your spoon after killing the entire damn cylinder of frozen dairy goodness, nothing else stands between you and that 17-page research paper. All seems lost. But wait! A heavenly voice from your computer beckons your ears, delivering a smile and a refreshing sigh of brief relief. Perhaps Jónsi can make everything better.
