this show was the second installment in my grand trifecta of shows this weekend, and it was not bad. an odd little assortment of bands...
the party dream was probably the most unusual "band" of the lot, and perhaps would be more appropriately called "the homoerotic wet dream featuring a very drunk flock of seagulls and disturbing amounts of spandex." yes - two brothers, beer, a drum machine, beer, and some other assorted "instruments" (including, but not limited to, a vacuum cleaner and a lawn chair). it was horrible synth pop, but their stage show (which involved nudity, bad breakdancing, and a disquieting fondness for everything 80s) was an enjoyable spectacle. the funky fellows refused to take themselves seriously, madking their set a refreshing alternative to those of uberchic "electroclash" bands.
the boggs were next. their singer's strokes-esque attire was unfortunate, but the music was excellent. about as far from the strokes as a band can be and still play guitars, the boggs consisted of a very intense drummer and two steel guitars, one of them playing jaunty tunes and the other wandering all over the fretboard with the help of a slide. the crowd was unresponsive, but the music was mighty fine.
finally, the rapture. another of those damn new york bands. they played some good tunes that were fairly fun to dance to (with the exception of a drum-machine number and the immaculately dull "louie louie" cover), but there seemed to be something missing. i first thought that energy was lacking, but this wasn't the problem. eventually, i realized that the songs just weren't that interesting. the band has a knack for writing catchy grooves, but they remain infatuated with these grooves throughout songs that go on too long, and the excitement factor decreases exponentially. finally, rapture fans - at least these ones - didn't seem to care very much. maybe they were realizing the same thing i was, but there just wasn't much motion. yawn. for this kind of music, it would be much more fulfilling to go see the moving units or liars. at least i got in for free. goodnight.