review: 04.20.01- Kinski, Shipping News, Arab Strap at Graceland in Seattle
Just returning from Seattle, too, so my mind is somewhat fresh about the night's events. Saw Arab Strap, Shipping News and Kinski. WOO HOW. It was great, of course. The bands rocked. I sincerely enjoyed all three. The crowd didn't quite rock. They were, as usual, really weird.
Kinski's performance was really good. In fact they were probably excellent, but the Shipping News were SO incredible (in my humble opinion) that maybe it stole Kinski's thunder for me. Of course, lots of people were talking during Kinski's set, which is nothing new, particularly in Seattle.
Thank GOD for the Shipping News. They kind of got my brain working overdrive, figuring out meters and shit. I like to pick music apart mathematically- I don't know why. I guess I don't really even like hardcore math rock- just "math-y" rock. I definetely must say that on the basis of them using 7/8 or alternating 4/4-3/4 (simple/compound) meter regularly, they are "math-y." Not many bands do funky stuff with timing that throws off the beat. It tends to be difficult, I think, to pull the song back into place with such odd patterning, but some bands like 31 Knots and Shipping News do it amazingly.
Shipping News, a trio composed of the usual suspects (guitarist/bassist/drummer), did well with their small crew, making use of a terrific range of intensity. The guitarist, who shared singing duties with the bassist, apologized after for being overindulgent and long winded, but many of their songs mapped out lengthy and satisfyingly complete. The songs tended to have an interesting introduction, a build up to a climax of sorts, and then a great wind-down or crashing end, which is always exciting. It was kind of like great sex. I can't believe I just said that.
They were great. They didn't need to apologize at all, and I know the crowd was pretty wild about them. They gave props out to The Standard, which is a Portland band I have yet to check out. In fact, Shipping News and The Standard played in Portland Thursday night. I spoke to their very sweet, very handsome drummer after the Seattle show, and apparently, they were well-received at the Pine Street Theater, which was a relief. You never know what kind of response Stumptown kids will decide to give to various bands. Aveo played at the Medicine Hat Gallery, were excellent, and Portland decided, "We don't want to act excited tonight." So the crowd stayed cold. Poor Aveo.
So the Shipping News (who are fine bunch of guys) were all happy and stuff when they were done with their set, and then came Arab Strap. Of course, tons of people rushed the stage, but it wasn't too bad. The weird couple were still attached at various joints and appendages, which became so irritating to me that I began closing my eyes for most of the songs (something I do anyways, I KNOW, but it's a good way to focus on the performance without being diverted by people watching). It was odd having tall boys surrounding me or breathing down my back, but they were mostly non-distracting.
The Scottish five-piece started out by setting up their stage. I think it mostly consisted of strategically placing freshly opened bottles of beer around various band members' places so that they could drink, drink, and then drink some more during their performance. The lead singer is no lush. I'm convinced I saw that he went through at least seven beers while on stage.
Their music was beautiful. It was a different angle than the Shipping News, obviously. There wasn't as much protest or something. The singer spoke through the first gem of a song. I love that his lyrics are very sexual. It was very provocative. But he was really drunk too, and a drunk, sexually motivated Scot = me saying to myself, "I have no idea what he just said." It's okay. Just him breathing heavily through the mic conveyed what he was all about.
The band was tight and the music was alternately linear and layered at the appropriate times- refreshing for me, since a lot of bands don't quite know how to diversify their sound within one song. I liked the fact that I could dance to the music, and not be the only one unobtrusively doing it. A lot of people were very into the performance- there was only talking in the back (that's probably quite a feat for Seattle- I think a lot of people showed up just to be seen).
The Shipping News' live performance impressed me more than Arab Strap's, but they were very different. I'm attached to math-y, schizo music, but the Arab Strap's music was very sexy in a way that Shipping News' (and most bands nowadays, it seems) wasn't quite, and that kind of pepped me up towards the end.