Detroit Concert Capsules
Since my summer concert calendar I have only been to two shows, taking my totals to sixteen concerts and twenty-five bands on the year. The June shows were two of the best I've seen all year. M and I took Friday, June 2 off so that we could have a long weekend to see both shows in Detroit at the Masonic Auditorium on back to back nights.
15. Sigur Rós - I like weird music, and while Sigur Rós isn't even the best Icelandic band when it comes to weird non-standard pop music (waves at Björk), but they have a number of interesting albums and were reputed to have a fantastic a/v show.
M and I sat in the balcony for two sets. Musically, both sets sounded good to me. I'm hardly on expert on their music even though I played their last two albums extensively on my show, but the trio worked together well and the trademark ethereally lyrics really drove the show.
From an a/v perspective, the first set was nothing special. Yeah, they had a more in depth light set up than most bands that play to 4000 (or so, it was not sold out), but it wasn't great, certainly no more involved than VAST, which played a much smaller room. Then in the second set they really turned up the showmanship, and the a/v moved to a whole other level. There was essentially a cage (a fence?) of lights that covered the stage and they used it to great effect. I have no idea why they didn't use it for both sets.
Edit this setlist | More Sigur Rós setlists
I wouldn't drive to Detroit to see them again, but I had a good time and would certainly consider seeing them in Cleveland at a reasonable price point.
16. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - After a day gallivanting around Detroit, M and I returned to the Masonic for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, who I had moved to second on my "must see" list after David Bowie and Prince died last year. I had prepared for the concert by buying the new album and listening to it repeatedly. This was a good call, because Cave played 7 of the 8 tracks from that album (he left off "Rings of Saturn"), comprising more than 1/3 of the nineteen songs played over the two sets and an encore. He somehow failed to play anything from my personal favorite album Dig, Lazarus, Dig!, but I didn't even care because the show was magnificent.
Edit this setlist | More Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds setlists
From our seats behind the pit, M and I could see everything clearly. Nick Cave put on a virtuous performance as a front man. Warren Ellis and the other Bad Seeds backed him up perfectly. The show wasn't sold out (apparently Nick Cave isn't as popular as he should be), but the people who were there were extremely enthusiastic and showed their appreciation repeatedly. The lighting was subdued and appropriate, with one remarkable A/V effect when he sang "Distant Sky", which on the album was a duet with Else Torp. Here he projected a giant recorded image of Else (or someone) on the screen behind the stage and sang the duet with the projection (or possibly someone off stage).
In short, this show was everything that I hoped it would be and more. It will almost certainly my show of the year for 2017 (it would be great to be wrong, obviously), and I will happily drive to Detroit to see him again. Or Chicago. Or Pittsburgh. Or Columbus. Also, I need to buy more of his albums and really dig into the back collection.
15. Sigur Rós - I like weird music, and while Sigur Rós isn't even the best Icelandic band when it comes to weird non-standard pop music (waves at Björk), but they have a number of interesting albums and were reputed to have a fantastic a/v show.
M and I sat in the balcony for two sets. Musically, both sets sounded good to me. I'm hardly on expert on their music even though I played their last two albums extensively on my show, but the trio worked together well and the trademark ethereally lyrics really drove the show.
From an a/v perspective, the first set was nothing special. Yeah, they had a more in depth light set up than most bands that play to 4000 (or so, it was not sold out), but it wasn't great, certainly no more involved than VAST, which played a much smaller room. Then in the second set they really turned up the showmanship, and the a/v moved to a whole other level. There was essentially a cage (a fence?) of lights that covered the stage and they used it to great effect. I have no idea why they didn't use it for both sets.
Edit this setlist | More Sigur Rós setlists
I wouldn't drive to Detroit to see them again, but I had a good time and would certainly consider seeing them in Cleveland at a reasonable price point.
16. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - After a day gallivanting around Detroit, M and I returned to the Masonic for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, who I had moved to second on my "must see" list after David Bowie and Prince died last year. I had prepared for the concert by buying the new album and listening to it repeatedly. This was a good call, because Cave played 7 of the 8 tracks from that album (he left off "Rings of Saturn"), comprising more than 1/3 of the nineteen songs played over the two sets and an encore. He somehow failed to play anything from my personal favorite album Dig, Lazarus, Dig!, but I didn't even care because the show was magnificent.
Edit this setlist | More Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds setlists
From our seats behind the pit, M and I could see everything clearly. Nick Cave put on a virtuous performance as a front man. Warren Ellis and the other Bad Seeds backed him up perfectly. The show wasn't sold out (apparently Nick Cave isn't as popular as he should be), but the people who were there were extremely enthusiastic and showed their appreciation repeatedly. The lighting was subdued and appropriate, with one remarkable A/V effect when he sang "Distant Sky", which on the album was a duet with Else Torp. Here he projected a giant recorded image of Else (or someone) on the screen behind the stage and sang the duet with the projection (or possibly someone off stage).
In short, this show was everything that I hoped it would be and more. It will almost certainly my show of the year for 2017 (it would be great to be wrong, obviously), and I will happily drive to Detroit to see him again. Or Chicago. Or Pittsburgh. Or Columbus. Also, I need to buy more of his albums and really dig into the back collection.