Bunbury Music Festival 2013

DAY 1

First and foremost, the grounds on which the Bunbury Music Festival take place are expansive and gorgeous. Right in the heart of Cincinnati on the Ohio River with a beautiful view of Newport, Kentucky. And they clearly take great pride in keeping it beautiful. I am sitting beside the Ohio River as I type this, listening to both its song and the minutes of Devotchka's, and though I am exhausted, I cannot recall the last time I had such perfect day. I'm sure my body will disagree with me come morning when the time comes to embark on day two of this absurd musical adventure, but that is what eight dollar bourbon from a tent is for. Not to mention some of the best pulled pork BBQ sandwiches to ever grace this planet and all the hand squeezed lemonade you could ever ask for. I can't even tell you how many miles I've walked today, but I can tell you that I never walked more than five feet without coming across a dozen smiling faces, the smell of a thousand street meat vendors tempting me, and, oh yeah, great music.

And wouldn't you know it, just over my right shoulder, FUN has taken the stage and the roar of the crowd has left me partially deaf. And that is not nearly the first time that has happened today. This is day one of three and the prevailing notion is that JUST TODAY's line up has been worth every penny of the three day pass. I can't say I disagree. I've seen bands I don't know at all, barely know, and a couple I love and am practically salivating for more.

Tegan and Sara blew up the stage with a pitch perfect performance of most of their fan favorites. (Though I would have loved to see a certain Astronautalis randomly take the stage for an impromptu rendition of Contrails.) As it happens, I mistook Tokyo Police Club for another band entirely but ended up being really pleasantly surprised by the stage presence and might even go so far as to call myself a fan. The Features started off the day for us with a set mostly featuring (Ha? No. I am so, so sorry) tracks off of their latest, the strength of which has me tempted to track down a copy. On the way to Devotchka, I stumbled across the last few songs of Walk the Moon's set and discovered that not only do I know them, but they are the proverbial Hometown Hero of this festival and set the locals on fire in a way I've not seen since I saw Girl Talk in Pittsburgh. About a half hour in FUN is more than living up to their name, which I know is a sentence typed about them a thousand times over, but really, when it's that apt, how can you not? Basically, if you get the chance, check every single one of these bands out at your earliest convenience, but for my money, today's best performance goes to Devotchka, hands down. I knew I liked them before, but I guess I'd just never really give them as hard a listen as I remembered. Less than thirty seconds into their first song and I was ass over teacups, swaying dancing clapping shouting, just in love.

Yeah, I don't think there's a point beyond that. Just, great day, great city, great people, great food, great music, great bourbon, great company. Day two can't start soon enough.

DAY 2

What's that? You wonder what happened to your heroes on days two and three? Why you haven't heard about it? Well, I'll be honest with you, while Saturday and Sunday were loads and loads of fun, they were also insaaaanely hot days, so any time that wasn't spent actively walking and watching shows was largely spent desperately seeking shade and downing bottle after bottle of water, which the festival was kind enough to provide! Not bottles of water, but water to refill your bottle. Whatever, it's fine. Basically, it was hot. Which makes the antics of every single band on each of Bunbury's stages that much more impressive. You've got the crazy skull hoodie wearing (y'know, the kind where the hood zips over your face to make a kind of mask) Twenty One Pilots not only kicking ass in the heat, but climbing to the top of the not insignificant stage and belting out their songs at the top of their lungs. Then there was Divine Fits (lead singer from Spoon's other band. Pretty damn good, actually) making all the ladies (and dude lovin' gentlemen) swoon while putting on one hell of a show. Saturday also gave us the gift of CAKE, We Are Scientists, MGMT, Civil Twilight, The Pinstripes and a whole lot more. Cake was a first for me after many years as a pretty big fan, so that was a special treat, much like, you know, some people find the food to be. NOT ONLY THAT, but they played my favorite song to open up the set. Achievement Unlocked: Perfect Saturday. (Except that Saturday had a slightly higher than normal concentration of fuckstockings.)

DAY 3

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY! Sunday was possibly my favorite, oddly enough because it was so god damn hot. In dealing with the heat of the day, we had the opportunity to take more time than we would have otherwise done in an effort to avoid the heat and were rewarded with the discovery of a handful of acts that just made our collective day. First and foremost came BETHESDA. When I first saw their name on the line up, all I could think of were the games by Bethesda like Fallout and the Elder Scrolls series, so I was automatically kind of excited. However, the actual group, Bethesda, were not at all what I expected. If memory serves, they are from Ohio and just the absolute best. They remind me of a lot of the folksier stuff I hear at open mics and what not here in Columbus, but with the quality ratcheted up by a fair few degrees. We literally saw them in an attempt to escape the heat by sitting under some trees in front of the Lawn Stage, totally by accident. And talk about happy accidents. We caught them right after (also while basking in the shade, this time of the Amphitheater Stage) seeing the Upset Victory. Even if you don't really dig on the whole melodic hardcore scene, they're just a good time, largely due to their frontman's enthusiastic, infectious optimism. (Case in point: when addressing the UTTERLY OBSCENE heat, he offered to strip off his pants after the show, squeeze his sweat into water bottles, and have another member of the band autograph each bottle.)

Of course, we can't forget our beloved headliners, our true Sunday Titans: The National, Belle & Sebastian, Yo La Tengo, and Camera Obscura, all of whom literally put on their Sunday Bests and and rocked the hell out of both the Main Stage and the Rockstar Stage. And let's not forget my favorite moment from the Bud Light stage, when rain delayed and soaked all, bringing the entire festival to a halt, Black Joe Lewis, ladies and gentlemen. I'd really only gotten to hear a couple of songs by them before, but after seeing them play, god damn if they weren't just a revelation. Not only did they play through the rain, but they reminded everyone, within mere moments of getting their sound back, of why they'd come together with hundreds of other people along the banks of the Ohio River. And, by God, or Flying Spaghetti Monster, or Davros, or whatever you pray to, no one within earshot was caught not having the time of their life. Myself included. Myself especially.

There are very few experiences I have had in my life that I could say have really and truly, in one fell swoop, improved it, but I couldn't call myself an honest man if I didn't say Bunbury filled me up, drained me, and filled me up again in the only way that matters. I cannot recommend highly enough any other event I have been a part of in the last decade. If you find yourself able in 2014, be there, or, well, you know how it goes.

See you next year, Bunbury

- daveSMASH / MOVEMENTnorth

Aesop Rock

A&R Music Bar - Columbus, Ohio

Allow me to start off with a baby anecdote that pretty well illustrates how my entire evening went. I drive downtown to the venue, only to discover that the lot I am accustomed to parking in is now a garage, end up circling construction around said garage twice to find the entrance, get in, park, then find the little standalone kiosk where you pay to park and get the ticket for your dash. As we're walking up to the machine, a car full of people whips around the corner and asks us why we're there and if we've paid for parking and I had this momentary panic wondering whether or not something weird was about to go down. Turns out, they were there to see good old Aesop Rock, had already paid for parking, but got to the box office to discover the show was sold out, so they gave us their little parking pass and said enjoy the show. Shazam, free parking. And that was basically the whole night: lots of almost weird, potentially disastrous moments that ended as perfectly as possibly.

As far as the show itself goes, I'm not super familiar with Aesop Rock, but that didn't stop me from having a hell of a time. From what I can tell, they ran the gamut from old favorites to tracks from the latest album as well as new material from cohort Rob Sonic. The atmosphere was that of a typical dance party rap show in the best way possible, with booming bass, lots of yelling, dancing, enough smoke in the air to get a decent contact high, decent video production and a straight DJ set from Big Wiz as an intermission. Personal highlight was something that they've apparently been doing for every show where they call someone up on stage to shave their hair into a Mohawk by Busdriver while they rapped, dubbing the recipient The Spirit of Columbus. Which brings me back to one of the tour's supporting acts that I am actually a little more familiar with, Busdriver, who, I have to say, absolutely killed it. I'd never seen him live before and didn't get to catch his whole set, but between that and the onstage buzzcut, I would have happily paid to see that show twice. Fortunately, Aesop Rock did not disappoint, although at one point I found myself getting sucked into their video show more than their performance, but what can I say? It was a kung fu movie and I'm a sucker for that stuff. Bottom line, they have a few more weeks left on this tour and you'd be doing yourself a big favor if you caught it, as it is an absolute blast. And, if you're feeling brave, sign up to get your haircut on stage and be sure to send us a picture!

-daveSMASH

Nerdapalooza 2012

Over the weekend of August 3rd, the downtown Orlando streets were alive with black horn rimmed glasses, video game t-shirts and cosplay costumes. That could mean only one thing, Nerdapalooza was upon us again.

For those that don't know, Nerdapalooza, the brainchild of John "Hex" Carter, is a annual weekend long multigenre nerd music festival now in its 6th year. The music ranges from chiptunes, video game music, nerdcore hip-hop, comedy rock and, really, anything that makes the hearts and minds of its rabid fan base smile.

Nerdapalooza 2012 had made some adjustments from its previous years: a new venue (split between The Social and The Beacham in downtown Orlando), a new host hotel and a new charity to benefit from it (this year, the profits went to benefit the teaching of music in schools). And, being the second year I've been to Nerdapalooza, the changes were amazing.

Friday night was the Pre-Party free show at The Social. We had arrived and the line was wrapping around the corner, with the club at capacity. I've heard amazing tales, but was unable to get in. Instead we hit some surrounding bars, and were able to talk to and meet some of the amazing artists on the bill. Even though I was bummed not being able to see DJ Cutman or Frogsuit, being able to have a beer and talk with Schaffer the Darklord, well, that was equally amazing.

Saturday was our first taste of the venue, and they did it right. Ping ponging shows from one venue to the other, connected by a door inside, helped the flow and schedule of the show stay on track. So many amazing acts hit with day one, and no matter what you were into, be it nerdcore hip hop (a la Dual Core or Schaffer the Darklord), or big rock and roll sounds (like Sci-Fried or Math the band), everything was covered, and covered well. The entire show culminating in the 2 day headliners, The Protomen. And later that evening, a racy performance from Epic Win Burlesque from New York.
Even with the amount of partying done in the hotels and staying up all night, the crowd was just as energetic for day 2. With acts like Salt Lake City's DJ RoboRob mixing his dubstep stylings with a mix of amazing hip hop performers who played throughout the weekend, YouTube sensation brentalfloss, singing hysterically genius lyrics over the sounds of long cherished video game songs, and the frantic energy of Koo Koo Kangaroo. Afterwards was a 8-bit rave hosted by The Geek Easy in Orlando's own The Comic Shop.

The weekend had a few somber moments, as well. Since the previous Nerdapalooza, the community had lost 2 important members, Triforce Mike Pandel and Josh "MC Gigahertz" Montgomery. It was bittersweet to hear a crowd of 800+ chanting their names.

On top of a great concert, there is even a better party going on that weekend. Both years I've been, I've made amazing friendships and had the privledge of meeting some amazing performers. Be it hanging in the lobby of the hotel, randomly catching an elevator or hitting up a room party, you're bound to have that moment where you find yourself sharing a drink and a story with someone you own multiple CDs from, or one of the artists that after the weekend, has become a friend for life. Every year after the show, the Facebook friends list grows and the infamous stories of parties you were in the middle of circulate. This, honestly, is the thing that keeps me coming back to Nerdapalooza. Its great to have a chance to see some of the performers you never get to see play a stage as huge as The Beecham, but I couldn't imagine missing the friends from all over the US that I met because of Nerdapalooza, and know I can see there.

So, until next year, I await the announcement of the dates, the teases of what artists are going to play, I talk to my online friends, awaiting that once a year chance I can raise a glass and share some laughs with friends from all side of the US at Nerdapalooza.

Drew Love 
for MovementMagazine.com

PUSCIFER

Hard Rock Live, Orlando FL

June 13th 2012 

Puscifer Live, Hard Rock Live, 06.13.12. Orlando FL ©2012 Movement Magazine.

Arriving to the hall of the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL we find it filled with the belting, sultry and siren-esque vocal temptations of one miss Carina Round and her accompanying band. As her standing ovation ended, the crowd dispersed the bars, bathrooms and merch table as videos popped up in the middle and to the sided of the stage flickering with outtakes from the last tour peppered with vignettes involving Maynard James Kennan's evangelical character Bille Dee and his 'ding bat' counterpart Hildie and wrapping up with a stern message from a military officer by the name of Douché ("It's French") also played by Maynard, warning the audience, NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY.

Maynard, Puscifer's braintrust and epicenter, drags out a mini-airstream trailer tot he middle of the bare stage, wheels it around and begins unloading. He sets up a camp style table and chair set as other members of the band wheel out their instruments and gear, all the while giving a dissertation on life, its perceptions and interpretations, and wrapping with letting the audience know that they are people who "believe life is too short to not create something with every breath we draw."Amen.

Puscifer Live, Hard Rock Live, 06.13.12. Orlando FL ©2012 Movement Magazine.

The next hour and a half was the visceral audio-visual picnic that is Puscifer. Accented perfectly by Maynard's own brand of wine, a feature at this feast, with glasses poured for all the band members, including the remarkable Carina Round on vocals (who absolutely fucking killed it on the best ever version of Rev 20:22 that's ever had the pleasure of fucking my ear holes). The best thing about a Puscifer show is that you may think you know the songs from the CD, but unless its a newer track that has yet to grow its live legs, its unlikely you'll ever hear an album track verbatim at a show. Most songs get their own unique re-envisioning and re-imagining from tour to tour, some with only barely familiar elements of their original incarnations, but always amazing. The stage set is relaxed and unusually casual. Members, including Maynard, when their talents aren't needed for a track or in between, sit at the table(s) sipping wine and watching the others play. The modular stage set up makes for some fun moments also, the drummer switches kits to one on a rolling dolly and at one point is rolled off set behind the airstream trailer while still playing.

At the end, as we've seen him do with TOOL, Maynard and the band forgo the traditional walk off stage to encourage the audience to chant and cheer them back out for an encore, opting rather to take their seats at their picnic tables right in front of the audience for a short break and a few sips of wine. This is how its done, and Maynard says, "... when you're old and grumpy." It none the less riled up the audience and got the cheers going.

Puscifer Live, Hard Rock Live, 06.13.12. Orlando FL ©2012 Movement Magazine. 

As a long time TOOL fan, as well as A Perfect Circle, both largely due in part to Maynard's stand out style and vocal creativity, Puscifer has become a solid third element to complete and balance out the trinity of his musical projects. Where TOOL and A Perfect Circle are heavy with social, political and spiritual matters, Puscifer is more akin to a prankster out of control with a poking, prodding, tongue-in-cheek bombardment of creative abandon. Energetic, powerful, moving and clever as fuck. This what makes Maynard, Maynard. And we are thankful.

I fucking love Puscifer.

You should too.

Check out Condition of My Parole and more tour dates at:
http://www.puscifer.com.

Text and photos by Max Michaels

Puscifer Live, Hard Rock Live, 06.13.12. Orlando FL ©2012 Movement Magazine.

MEN

LIVE IN ATHENS, GA

The three-letter-band-name trio of EMA, MEN, and CSS graced the small town music haven of Athens, GA last week for their only stop in the southeast on this national tour. A very pleased town it was to have them, from the uber-enthusiastic girl in the purple sequined dress who ended up hoisting herself on stage during the last song of the night to the throngs of tatteredly dressed townies that didn’t seem to know what hit them. But hit them it did. Like a rock.

Though I missed the majority of EMA’s set due to guest list confusion, thanks to help from our wonderful friends at the legendary 40 Watt Theatre, I was able to make my way inside to catch the tail end of Erika M. Anderson’s emotion-driven set. I was pleased to see her perform some of my favorite songs from the record, which received the coveted “Best New Music” title on Pitchfork this past May. “Grey Ship,” the opening ballad on Past Life Martyred Saints, stopped the crowd in its tracks, creating an unmistakable sentiment in air of the still under-crowded venue. Ending her set with “California,” Erika dropped her guitar in exchange for a passion-filled vocal only performance that was even more gut wrenching in delivery than I would have expected from the recorded version (which is saying a lot).

MEN took the stage with a vengeance, immediately demanding attention with the powerful dance jam “Life’s Half Price.” It was obvious that this crowd came out ready to party. One young fan, who had driven from South Carolina for the show, yelled out with a bit much enthusiasm (is that possible?), “Let’s have some f***ing fun!” Samson agreed by repeating the suggestion through the microphone with a small but honest smile on her face.

The self-described “performance art collective” led by JD Samson (formerly of Le Tigre) and rounded out by friends Michael O'Neill and Ginger Brooks Takahashi released their first full-length this spring after over three years of touring, and their experience performing live was apparent. The stage was adorned with life size cutouts of the band donned in jumpsuits matching the ones they took the stage wearing (which Samson later stripped off to reveal her iconic MEN tank top.) Rolling fervently through “Make It Reverse” and “Simultaneously,” MEN continued to work the crowd into a frenzy packed in a half circle around the front of the stage.

My favorite song of the night may have been the next song in the set and the lead single from Talk About Body, “Credit Card Babie$,” which from the title alone, one would think it was referring to spoiled rich kids. But with lyrics like “We want some options. There is a way. Why don’t you adopt? Borrow someone’s cock. Call up the bank,” along with Samson’s hilarious pantomiming sign language throughout, no one was left confused as to the meaning of the song.



After the politically charged “Boom Boom Boom,” Samson took a moment to stop and tell us about taking the time to go to the site of the ongoing “Occupy Athens” sit-in and encouraging everyone else to do the same - a much appreciated reference to the politics that drive this record.

By the fifth song, “Off Our Backs,” the moderately sized crowd had broken into an all out dance party. With enough space to move but enough excitement to fill the room, there was an intimate enthusiasm about the show that allowed everyone to feel involved.

With only one album to date, the band was able to run through all of the favorites and closed out with the perfect party anthem, “Who Am I To Feel So Free?” With a chant-able chorus and a worked up crowd, one can imagine that this one ended the set with a bang.

Talk About Body is certainly not just a record to be performed live, although I can say from first hand experience that it is better that way. Covering topics from economic injustice to sexual identity and gender issues (and at times overlapping the these issues), this is a record with a message. With the current situation on Wall Street, it seems that there couldn’t be a better time for MEN to be on tour spreading this message and backing it with a danceable beat that makes the live show accessible to anyone who likes to have fun. Samson has said that the group’s goal is to show the “radical potential of dance music,” and from the reaction of the crowd in Athens last week, she has done her part to achieve just that.



CSS closed out the night with a well-rounded set that would have pleased new fans as well as old. Covering everything from “Alala,” “Art Bitch,” and my personal favorite “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex” to a healthy serving of jams from their newest record, La Liberacion, CSS delivered it all. The show was exactly what I would have expected from this raucous Brazilian dance pop group. A ton of fun.

Every member of the band was obviously having a great time on stage, but Lovefoxxx stole the show with her ridiculous-yet-awesome dance moves and I-don’t-give-a-f**k attitude. She involved the crowd as much as possible, at one point taking a red paper heart from a gentleman in the crowd, reading the note her had written on it, and putting the mic in his face for the Brazilian chorus of the next song, which he attempted enthusiastically yet poorly.

Again- the size of the crowd was ideal for this show. Small enough to have space to boogie but big enough to hold up JD Samson when she ran on stage, briefly shared the mic with guitarist Luiza Sa and leaped into an ever-so-receptive mass of excited fans at the front of the stage. You could tell that these two bands enjoyed being on tour together. This is also evident off stage, as they recently collaborated on a 7” split entitled We Are Friends on which CSS remixes MEN’s “Rip Off” and MEN put their twist on “City Grrrl” from La Liberacion.



The show was an eclectic yet satisfying blend of heart wrenching grunge/shoegaze, gender bending party jams with a political statement, and a free spirited Brazilian dance party led by the appropriately named Lovefoxxx. Though clearly a dynamic that makes no sense on paper, if I can be sold bold as to speak for more than myself and the handful of people that I knew at The 40 Watt that Wednesday night, we all left with a feeling that we got more than we bargained for.

By Michelle King with photos by Kate Hänsel
for MovementMagazine.com

UNDEROATH, COMEBACK KID, andTHE CHARIOT: Hardcore acts from our own backyard

By Marc Bchiri 
for MovementMagazine.com
 
October 20, 2011

Duval County hardcore fans gathered by the dozens to Freebird Live, the prime time spot for show at the beach. Fans were consumed by some of the most formidable bands in the Hardcore Scene. Veteran Hardcore acts from the states of Florida and Georgiadominate this lineup.

As I walked in and felt the familiar rush of the hot, sweaty air, I noticed that a nice cool breeze was blowing in making Freebird a little bit more air-conditioned. The crowd had already set up in the usual circles. Boyfriends and Girlfriends hunkered down against the railing, while their group of friends hangs in the background trying to snap a picture. The bigger guys who like to take their shirts off and start Hardcore Dancing like there is no one in the room. And then you have everyone else who just hangs around and sings.

New York, Long Island-based This Is Hell was already on stage and screamed the most blood curdling scream I’ve heard so far before the bandstarted with the last song filled with destructive beats, heavily distorted guitars. The lead singer Travisbelted out the final lyrics, “If the good die young we’ll fucking live forever!” Some members of the crowd that had followed the band chimed in and finished the final song. At the end, the band thanked everyone and vanished.

The Chariot, a Georgia-based methcore band was formed by former Norma Jean lead vocalist Josh Scogin, As The Chariot took the stage, their sound check alone made me realize this was going to be a blood bath. Everything suddenly went silent as Scogin Screamed, “Wait! No! Babe! Wait! No!” During the opener, “Evan Perks,” Scogin jumped onto the speakers and a fury of hardcore dancing fanatics followed. As the guitarist swung around in an almost ballet type fashion the band seemed to be in complete dance uniformity as they violently stormed across the stage, spending more time in the air then on their feet.

The Chariot spent so much time reaching out to the crowd and playing their hardcore hearts out that the show was a complete success. I was extremely impressed with this years set, as I have seen them numerous times in the past. Scogin announced that this was their “absolute favorite stop on any tour” and broke into crowd favorite, “The City,” which featured menacing lyrics like “I saved away my money but it didn’t save me.” band ended with “And Shot Each Other,”

Canadian Decade Long Veteran Band Comeback Kid, Opened up with Talk is Cheap, and Despite the Canadians almost decade-long career, lead vocalist Andrew Neufeld asked first timers raised their hands. After some younglings did, the band launched into their second gut-wrenching song. Neufeld told fans, “Occupy Something!!” and spent most of the set standing on the speakers to eliminate the space between the band and their fans. The dancers sprung up and fought against the audience’s pull to the stage.

Comeback Kid featured some of the best, almost-punkish hooks of the evening, blowing out repetitive crowd sing-a-longs of teen-angst filled lines like “because of all the things I should’ve said to you”, Their final song, “Wake the Dead,” ended with the most powerful gang vocals of the evening

“We said, we said, we said, this time was gonna be different.”

And, It was time.

Underoath’s, roots trace between the country roads of Ocala, thru Orlando, and on into Tampa Florida. The bands southern christian-hardcore based lyrics and meaning is what promoted the band to a level that once heard, you had to fall in love with. And the thing is, most of the fans aren’t even about the lyrics. When Underoath performs, all inhibitions in your body erase. I know it I felt it. Underoath made me feel like I wanted to fling every part of my body in the air and scream like my life depended on it. The unfortunate part about the band is that in a majority of shows the band can become a little too preachy. And yes some fans like that, but most do not want to hear that kind of stuff, we just want to hear the music. And secondly, not one of the original members is in the band now. The sounds still the same, but as Underoath progressed they have adapted metal-core, punk, and some pop into their music.

As the Fans emerged and started the dead sprint towards the stage, it was obvious that the Florida-based band was the main draw of the evening. Lead singer Spencer Chamberlain waved his long black dreads back screamed the most ear piercing scream and then transitioned into a high-pitched belting as the most insane digital footage of bombs dropping, babies crying, x-rays of insects, and slides that looked like they from a horror science lab were projected on the backdrop.

The majority of the set performed by Underoath came from the latest album Ø (Disambiguation), but also tugged at the hearts of the old followers with “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door,” and “Writing on the Walls” which is my favorite. Underoath’s finale ended with the song that actually turned me fully onto the band, “A Boy Brushed Red Living In Black and White.” And as the crowd erupted into the most insane simultaneous dance screamed every lyric till no one could breathe. “Can you feel your heartbeat racing?” was the only thing I had heard before a large group of dancers broke out in arm swinging rhythm and that’s when I realized I needed to get deeper in the crowd. It was kind of overpowering to say the least and a hell of a way to end a show. 

As the sweat dripped down our faces, the band had come out to address the importance of seeing live music, and especially local music. The band reiterated that we must band together to keep the music alive and to keep the local venues open. 

And with that.
The show was over.

Portishead

10-04-11  |  New York City  |  Hammerstein Ballroom

by Danielle Mathieux - MOVEMENT/NY

When a band announces a tour after an extensive hiatus, there’s always a bit of apprehension causing you to wonder if they can still do it. Will this show be the band I’ve loved for years or will it sound like a sloppy imitation? Portishead’s performance at the Hammerstein Ballroom, show #1 of a two-night affair in New York CIty, quashed these thoughts, exceeding the expectations of everyone in the audience—not only did they not disappoint, but they put on a show that left me with chills. From the snippets of conversations overheard while smoking a post-show cigarette, I knew I wasn’t the only one who knew I witnessed something special that night.



The 90-minute setlist was a well-rounded mix of songs spanning their three studio albums, with each eerily composed song sounding better than the last. It was a collection that pleased both new and old Portishead fans alike, leaving us all satisfied, yet craving more.

Spanning the stage was an impressive collection of gear, revealing how the band creates their signature sound that’s simultaneously delicate and abrasive. Projected behind the band was a reel of animation spliced in with visually distorted real-time shots of the band members captured by cameras propped by their feet or on their equipment. For those sitting further from the band, the projection brought the members closer, showing them playing their instruments and magnifying the subtle anguish on Beth’s face for all to see.



Rarely moving from her center-stage spot, Beth Gibbons’ delicate, yet powerful voice carried throughout the ballroom as she sang in a slightly hunched-over stance, clenching the mic stand as if she would disappear into her own sound if she loosened her grip.

The only oddity of the night had nothing to do with the band, but the audience. As a spectator in the balcony I had a clear view of the pit below. If I had seen Portishead play a decade earlier, all eyes would have been glued on the band with no light coming from the audience below aside from a cigarette or lighter flicker; however, the audience was a glowing sea of smart phones and iPads. There were so many people snapping iPad photos and filming with their phones that they were emitting light pollution as they watched the entire show through their devices. Many people never looked away from their phones and tablets to see the band in the flesh—a band that most of us thought we would never have the opportunity to see at all.



The setlist was as follows:

1.       Silence
2.       Hunter
3.       Mysterons
4.       The Rip
5.       Sour Times
6.       Magic Doors
7.       Wandering Star
8.       Machine Gun
9.       Over
10.   Glory Box
11.   Chase the Tear
12.   Cowboys
13.   Threads
14.   Roads (ENCORE)
15.   We Carry On (ENCORE)