THE FIRST WEEKEND OF DECEMBER 2005 CONCERT STORY AND PICTURE ROUNDUP
THE FIRST WEEKEND OF DECEMBER 2005 CONCERT STORY AND PICTURE ROUNDUP
Saturday, we went to see Xiu Xiu in Tampa. Once we get their we discover, and I'm not making this up, "Transitions Art Gallery and Skate Park." This did not bode well for the show. It took place in the back warehouse of the skate park and had some of the worst acoustics ever, thanks to an awful sound guy. Even worse it was an all-ages show, and we were some of the oldest people there. At one point this middle aged guy wandered in to the concert and dragged his daughter out for being out after curfew. Lame.
We missed the first opener, Isobella. Oh no.
I am completely baffled by Yip Yip. They can get so close to making a good song, and then go straight in the other direction and make something terrible. They're the Jeff Foxworthy of electronic music. When they got to something that could be good, they immediately went into some sort of circus-y music played on saxophone MIDI controllers. Gimmicky, but not as gimmicky as their black-and-white jumpsuits and masks.
Grade: D-
I feel kinda bad for The Dead Science. They sounded awful live, but I got back home and downloaded their cd for rakimou, and they sounded pretty good. I blame the sound guy, who, if I'm not mistaken, had some sort of mental retardation. The band was getting into their music, and nobody in the crowd could figure out why. I would have preferred if they all stopped playing and the guy went back to singing that system of a down song in his overdone vibrato like he did for his soundcheck.
Grade: N/A. I'm not giving them a grade until I can hear them in a proper venue.
Next up, Xiu Xiu. It took them damn near an hour to work with the aforementioned retarded sound guy trying to mike all their ridiculous instruments. They never did get it worked out. Eventually they just said "fuck it" and started playing. They weren't very into it. They could have stood to play less songs for La Forêt, and more from Fabulous Muscles. They did play "I luv the Valley OH!" and "Brian the Vampire" though. Someone took much better pictures, and posted them in _xiuxiu, a place where people inexplicably like Yip Yip.
Grade: B-
The next day, we went and saw The American Analog Set on their last tour at the Social. ericeingold was there. Hello, Pat.
BEHOLD: Chris Brokaw, Master of Boredom. I wonder if you have to go to grad school to put ", MB" after your name. Anyway, his claim to fame was that he was in Codeine ten years ago. Now look at him. He belongs in a coffee shop. This was the second time I've seen him (last time, he was sandwiched between The Close and Karate). People were a bit more patient with him this time. They waited a few songs before his music was drowned out by the sounds of people talking. Last time, people just got up and started walking around. Occasionally, he would put a flanger or fuzz pedal on his acoustic guitar. Thats not innovative, Mr. Brokaw, it's just cheesy.
Grade: F
The American Analog Set knows where their bread is buttered. They plenty of songs from The Golden Band and Know by Heart, somewhat neglecting their new CD, which is kind of subpar for them. All and all, They were good, and I'll probably not get the chance to see them again.
Grade: A
