May 25, 2013

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Indy Rock Live Top Picks – May 23-29 (Japandroids, Melismatics, Margot, and More)

May 23, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Race weekend is here, which means hundreds of thousands descending on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For those who prefer the screech of guitars over tires, the choices are plentiful. Below are this week’s Indy Rock Live top picks:

Thursday, May 23: Team Spirit w/ S.M. Wolf at Do317 Lounge — Power poppy Passion Pit side project. I’m there.

Friday, May 24: Take your pick, they’re all great.

1) Listen Local Series: Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, Gentlemen Caller, and Everything, Now! at Broad Ripple Park — Great bill and pay what you want. Should be a cool night
2) Melismatics at Melody Inn — Minneapolis power pop band extraordinaire back at the Mel. You will have a good time and those hooks will burrow in your brain.
3) Yacht Rock Revue at Radio Radio — A lite rock party.

Saturday through Monday — Lots of race activities. Check Do317.com.

Tuesday, May 28: Japandroids w/ A Place to Bury Strangers at the Vogue — Show of the week. Capital R RAWK.

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Foals w/ Surfer Blood – Deluxe 5/17/2013

May 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Lately it’s seemed like a lot of the indie bands that have coasted through Indianapolis weren’t here that long before. Good shows though they may be, the excitement — the thrill of the new — is absent. Frequent concert goers want the thrill, which is why the Foals and Surfer Blood show at Deluxe Friday night had extra sizzle. (The Swans/Low pairing later this summer has a similar vibe.) Surfer Blood had never played Indy. I can’t be 100 percent certain on Foals, but if they have been here, it’s been quite some time.

Surfer Blood’s new record, Pythons, is due next month, but this was the first chance for Indy fans to catch killer Astro Coast tracks like Swim and Floating Vibes as well as stand-outs from their Tarot Classics EP, like Miranda and I Was Wrong. The four-piece was ferocious, deftly balancing their modernized surfer rhythms with the power-pop elements that make the songs such hooky delights. Lead singer JP Pitts sounded especially strong and the band seemed to be enjoying themselves. At one point Pitts allowed guitarist Thomas Fekete to draw cat whiskers on his face with a Sharpie before hopping down into the audience to sing a tune. I hadn’t listened to Astro Coast in some time, but their set had me anxious to get it back in the player. I hope to see them again soon.

Oxford, UK band Foals has been building a solid resume for several years now. The band’s 2008 record, Antidotes, was one of that year’s best, and newest, Holy Fire, is also very good. Although I enjoyed their set in Deluxe, I had some difficulty staying engaged. Foals has a sweeping sound that at times felt too big for the room.

Foals merges the U2 guitar vibe with dance beats — call it a sharper, more nuanced version of Temper Trap — and it can suffer from saturation. While early set songs like Balloons and My Number made me want to dance, mid-set tempo changers Milk and Black Spiders and Spanish Sahara sent my mind elsewhere. In no way, however, can I deny the impact of Holy Fire’s huge Inhaler. It was wicked.

I enjoyed the performance but I’d be curious to experience Foals in a larger venue where their sound could explode. For now, I’m content to listen to their studio recordings.

What did you think of the show?

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The Flaming Lips w/ Skating Polly – Old National Centre 4/29/2013

April 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Chalk this one up to a reversal of expectations. Festival juggernauts The Flaming Lips with virtually unknown duo Skating Polly as openers at a sold out Old National Centre — hard not to assume. Well, you know what that does.

The Somewhat Unexpected: Oklahoma teen duo Skating Polly bring it live. With songs that blend a sweet Tegan and Sara-like vocal chirpiness with riot grrl rage, step-sisters Peyton and Kelli were raw and refreshing. Loose, ragged, and fun, Skating Polly burned through a 35-minute set highlighting their newest record, Lost Wonderfuls. Heads up, Girls Rock Indy, here’s a band for next year. So refreshing to watch a young, female band that prefers the ferocity of Kathleen Hanna over the vacuous Disney girl pop that gets shoved through the radio.

The Disappointing: The Flaming Lips have built an impressive career as experimental pop masters. The Soft Bulletin remains one of my favorite albums, and whether you like the band’s stylistic twists and turns since, their recordings have never been boring. And yet, that’s what their performance was Monday night.

Newest record, The Terror, is admittedly dark. Despite a frenetic light show, those songs never came to life. Each one seemed to blend into the next, to the point that even old favorites like Are You a Hypnotist? and One More Robot were barely distinguishable amidst the drone. The show came alive briefly near the beginning with a spirited version of At War with the Mystic’s The W.A.N.D., but the closest the Lips came to re-reaching that peak was a solid, though not exciting cover of Bowie’s Heroes. I’m hesitant to say the show was depressing, but I can’t ignore how little fun it was.

And why was Wayne Coyne holding a baby doll most of the night?

Maybe I just needed to be high. The guy in the dress in front of me was, and he seemed to be having a good time.

Were you there? What did you think of the show?

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Gaslight Anthem w/ Bouncing Souls – Old National Centre 3/2/2013

March 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Close to three years have passed since the Gaslight Anthem last made their way through Indianapolis. The venue has gotten bigger — the Egyptian Room at Old National Centre now, up from the Vogue in 2010 — but the sound is still essentially the same. Lead singer/songwriter Brian Fallon and his cohorts have established a solid foundation that straddles the line between Springsteen-esque arena rock and three-chord punk. What makes the band work so successfully, however, is the earnestness and conviction they bring to each and every song. No posturing or pandering; just the joy of rock ‘n’ roll.

Gaslight Anthem kept things interesting from the start, opening with the unexpected Boomboxes and Dictionaries from first album Sink or Swim. Getting the one song from that record was a surprise, but the band went back to that album later and trotted out Wooderson.

The majority of the set was, as expected, focused on their newest, Handwritten. The title track, killer single 45, and Too Much Blood all stood out. Queen of Lower Chelsea from American Slang was a nice mid-set tempo changer — the band was so focused on maintaining a consistent level of three-guitar energy that some songs blended into the ones that followed. The 15-song main set was completed in exactly one hour.

A big question going in to the night was whether signature song ’59 Sound would make the set list. The two previous stops on this leg of the tour didn’t feature the track. But Indy stayed lucky as the band included the song as part of their 8-song encore. The Backseat, as usual, closed out the show.

The audience was, to say it mildly, raucous. A few fights broke out and crowd surfing was frequent near the front of the stage. I saw security escort out several wobbly attendees. Through it all the band was tight and lean, efficiently crunching out one song after another.

Twenty-plus-year Jersey stalwarts the Bouncing Souls opened the show with a solid set. Nice move by Gaslight Anthem to bring the band along. If Springsteen had an opener, it would be the equivalent to Southside Johnny getting the nod.

Gaslight Anthem, like Social Distortion, doesn’t do anything revolutionary. But they’re excellent at what they do. Their audience has grown organically and their style of music will never fade away. As long as they keep knocking out the fist-pumpers, I’ll be listening.

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Imagine Dragons w/ Atlas Genius – Egyptian Room 2/28/2013

March 1, 2013 By 2 Comments

Stop number one on my last day of February concert tour was the Egyptian Room at Old National Centre for Imagine Dragons and Atlas Genius. My love for big-hooked, arena rock is deep. I can go entire days listening to nothing but the Killers and classic U2. But the flip side is that when the saturation point hits, it hits hard.

Imagine Dragons holds nothing back, so depending on your mood, their show last night could have been the greatest thing you’ve ever witnessed or an exercise in crushing the life out of nuance in music. Honestly, I fall somewhere in between.

I can’t deny the rush when the show started. Round and Round and Amsterdam were immediate ass-kickers. The crowd was passionate and loud and the band had the dial turned to 11 from the get-go. But then the euphoria began to fall. What began as a rush slowly turned into a pummeling. Eventually, I needed to breathe.

Most of the audience couldn’t get enough. I would have preferred some moderation.

The buzz around openers Atlas Genius has been growing steadily for a while now, and it’s well deserved. They probably tire of the comparisons, but the Australian band has locked in to that Phoenix-like, pop sweet spot. Their songs boast hooks that stealthily work their way into your brain until you find yourself humming them without knowing where they began. The band also benefits from an unforced sincerity. Songs like If So and All These Girls are ingratiating without coming across as calculating.

Atlas Genius returns to Indianapolis in June. I’m looking forward to seeing how the band evolves until then.

So lay it on me. I’m sure my opinion of Imagine Dragons falls in the minority. What did you think of the show?

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Are You Rested, Indy? Concert Season is Here!

February 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The 2013 Indianapolis concert calendar has thus far been a collection of baby steps. But that all changes this week as the event listings explode. Some highlights of the next two weeks:

February 28 — Imagine Dragons w/ Atlas Genius at Old National Centre is sold out. You can try your luck out front with scalpers but a great alternative is to head over to the Melody Inn for the In-Store’s show featuring Hotfox, The Kickback, and Rodeo Ruby Love.

March 1 — First Friday, so head down to the Do317 Lounge for a free show featuring The Pass and Bailiff.

March 2 — Gaslight Anthem is back in Indy for the first time in 3 years. Tix still available for what is guaranteed to be a rocking show at ONC.

March 4 — Two great options: The Hives with local legends The Zero Boys at the Vogue or head down to the Do317 Lounge for the Seedy Seeds.

March 5 — Back to the lounge you go for Helado Negro’s album release show.

March 6 — This one is big. Buzz-band The Orwells make their way to the Hooser Dome for an all ages RAWK show. Go.

March 8 — A road trip to Bloomington is in order. The Bluebird has Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Foxygen, and Wampire. No question this one will be amazing.

For additional info on these shows and more, check Do317.com.

Enough to choose from? Get out there, Indy!

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Indy Rock Live Top 8 Concerts of 2012

December 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I attended 79 concerts in 2012. That’s a lot of time in places like Radio Radio, White Rabbit Cabaret, Old National Centre, and Melody Inn. But there’s little I would trade the lost sleep or ringing ears for. Live music restores me. It grants me a unique euphoria that, as I get closer to 40, becomes too infrequent.

Can I keep up that pace in 2013? Probably not, especially as my business expands. (Indy Rock Live is still, simply, a hobby.) I do, however, plan to book 10-12 shows in the new year — the first is the legendary Ken Stringfellow at the Do317 Lounge on February 11 — and rely on more contributors. I like to think what this site provides is a window into all the great music that passes through Indianapolis. If I can encourage even just a handful of you to get up off the sofa a few more times, then I’ve been successful. For the thousands of readers that stop by each month, thank you. Keep on going to rock shows.

Below are my Top 8 of the year in alphabetical order with links to my original write-ups.

Band of Skulls w/ Boom Chick – The Vogue, August 6, 2012: Fuzzed out, sweaty rock didn’t come much more pure and muscular than this show. Band of Skulls were hot and Boom Chick — since renamed Crushed Out — were a whirlwind of rockabilly punk electricity.

Delta Spirit w/ Waters — Radio Radio, March 24, 2012: Delta Spirit was great, but Waters was revelatory. Formed from the ashes of Port O’Brien, Waters delivered the single-best opening set of the year. And their passion and fire channeled directly into Delta Spirit’s raucous set.

Drive-By Truckers — The Bluebird (Bloomington), October 21, 2012: I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen the Truckers live now. Though they’ve never let me down, this one was spectacular. An unbelievable set list, a packed club, and, what would turn out to be one of John Neff’s final shows, equaled perfection.

Elliot BROOD w/ Pack AD — White Rabbit Cabaret, March 8, 2012: The surprise of the year. A pair of Canadian bands with no track record in Indianapolis left it all on stage. The result? A hot, foot-stomping, hootenanny. Fantastic show that resulted in many new fans.

Kishi Bashi — Joyful Noise, May 23, 2012: The show of the year. Touring in support of full-length solo debut 151a, Kishi Bashi in the cozy confines of the Joyful Noise space in the Murphy Building was intimate, engrossing, and unforgettable. A perfect concert experience.

Nada Surf w/ Waters — Deluxe, June 23, 2012: One of my favorite bands. And with the addition of Doug Gillard on guitar, a live juggernaut. Waters, for the second time in 3 months, was incredible. But the moment of the evening came after the lights went up. As 20 or so people huddled around the merch table, band leader Matthew Caws came out with an acoustic guitar and played Blizzard of ’77 to the crowd. A moment I’ll never forget.

Okkervil River — Upland Brewing Company (Bloomington), August 31, 2012: A great band delivering on all fronts. Add the outdoor beer garden environment that didn’t hold back on intimacy and it equaled a terrific night in Bloomington.

Stars — Deluxe, October 4, 2012: The most party-like concert atmosphere of the year. The band performed with passion and the audience returned the love. That euphoria I mentioned earlier? Stars was a perfect example.

What were your favorite shows of the year?

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Divine Fits w/ Cold Cave – Deluxe 10/26/2012

October 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A Thing Called Divine Fits, the first album from “supergroup” Divine Fits, is a tight, nearly flawless shot of indie rock — unquestionably one of the years best. The songwriting combo of Spoon’s Britt Daniel and Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner, matched with the propulsive drumming of New Bomb Turks’ Sam Brown, has locked into something so immediately catchy, you might think they’d been writing songs together for years. Expectations, therefore, were high for the band’s first performance in Indy. Divine Fits exceeded them.

After the atmospheric opener Neopolitans established mood, the band galvanized the connection between itself and the audience with an astounding version of Baby Get Worse. Every song on the album was played, and each sounded like they’ve been live staples for years. Would That Not Be Nice, featuring Daniel’s wounded howl was electric; My Love Is Real was a funky jam. It all worked.

Divine Fits also mixed in a couple of choice covers that seamlessly integrated with their originals. Tom Petty’s You Got Lucky could be the template for the band’s sound. A chugging version of the Wipers Doom Town was also impressive.

The night would have been a success with the Fits performance alone, but factoring in opener Cold Cave, the show hit another level. Though the band’s Joy Division/New Order inspired sound — maybe call it next-gen Interpol — occasionally felt drowned by too much noise, the power and intensity of the set was undeniable. Dressed in leather and commanding the stage, Cold Cave left nothing behind. Each song was an exercise in passion and fire. Underworld USA was a juggernaut, a perfect excuse to scream pent up rage. Confetti, with it’s deliberate hook, was another standout.

The Indy indie crowd was split between this show and Sleigh Bells at the Vogue. I’d find it hard to believe those in attendance Friday night at Deluxe left wishing they’d gone to the other.

Divine Fits Setlist:
Neopolitans
Baby Get Worse
What Gets You Alone
The Salton Sea
Civilian Stripes
My Love Is Real
Doom Town
You Got Lucky
Like Ice Cream
Would That Not Be Nice
Sway
Shivers

Enc:
Flaggin’ A Ride
For Your Heart

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Stars – Deluxe 10/4/2012

October 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Stars throws a heck of a party. The show Thursday night at Deluxe was an exciting, sweaty blast. I can’t express how much I love watching a band that invests everything in their performance. Lead singers Torquil Campbell and Amy Milan, as well as their supporting cast, spent the entire show dancing and interacting with the crowd. And the feisty crowd gave it back in equal measure, singing and clapping along.

The Montreal band has been around about a dozen years now, but they sometimes get lost in the shuffle of great Canadian bands. Even in their own “collective,” Stars is often the third or fourth band mentioned. Metric is still going strong, but Broken Social Scene are on indefinite hiatus and the Stills are defunct. Newest album, The North, and the source of this tour could change that hierarchy, as it’s their best since Set Yourself on Fire.

Theory of Relativity from the new one was a nice opener, followed by a sturdy version of The Five Ghosts’ Fixed. A Song is a Weapon, also from the North, is where the melodrama surged up. Campbell and Milan played off each other and the song built with tension. The classic Ageless Beauty was next, and the first high-point of the night. The track exploded on a wave of nostalgia and emotion, the crowd absorbing every note.

The song that fully brought down the house was Your Ex-Lover is Dead. The audience was in full voice, clapping vigorously, and drenching the stage with appreciation and love. It was the song that took the show to that rarefied, classic-show air. A good sign that the concert was top-notch: Stars altered their typical set list to include fan request How Much More as well as Bitches in Tokyo.

The show never settled into complacency, each song hitting its mark. Elevator Love Letter was rousing; Hold On When You Get Love And Let Go When You Give It was irresistible; Take Me To The Riot was a passionate juggernaut.

I could go on, but I hope my point is made. The show was absolutely phenomenal and easily one of the best of the year.

What did you think?

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Ben Folds Five – Old National Centre 10/3/2012

October 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Ben Folds is a frequent visitor to Indianapolis, but it’s been several years since his group, Ben Folds Five toured as a unit. The band’s newest, The Sound of the Life of the Mind, reunites the three-piece for their first proper album and tour since 2000.

The last time I saw the trio was in the mid-90s. For the most part, little has changed. Folds, bassist Robert Sledge, and drummer Darren Jesse sound as cohesive now as they did then. But with an added a dash of age and maturity — certain songs fit better than others at this stage in their lives — the WTTS Rock to Read crowd at the Murat Theater Wednesday night enjoyed a satisfying dose of piano-based pop.

Seven of the 19 songs were off the newest record, and the band blended them well with older favorites. Folds and company opened with Michael Praytor, Five Years Later followed by Whatever and Ever Amen’s Missing the War and another new one, the smooth Hold That Thought. The first big moment of the night was the fourth song, Jackson Cannery, off their 1995 debut.

After revving things up with that track, the band settled back for a terrific version of Selfless, Cold, and Composed. Overall, the set leaned to the more subdued side with spikes in the performance like the back-to-back Battle of Who Could Care Less and new song Do It Anyway. Indy was treated to the tour debut of Thank You For Breaking My Heart.

The set featured a nice little break about two-thirds of the way in when Folds, after seeing a young concert-goer at the foot of the stage, recounted his first concerts. Snippets of Dr. Hook, Kansas, and Sledge’s Steve Perry imitation followed.

The main set closed with the rousing trifecta of Narcolepsy, Kate, and Army, followed by an encore of Magic and Song for the Dumped.

Watching Ben Folds Five now, leaning on some of the more mature songs in the catalog, it was amusing to think back to what loose cannons they used to be. Now they’re controlled and polished. I suppose you could lament the loss of that youthful exuberance, but it’s easier to accept that they, like many of us, have mellowed out. Nothing wrong with that when a show is this strong.

Set List:
Michael Praytor, Five Years Later
Missing the War
Hold That Thought
Jackson Cannery
Selfless, Cold and Composed
Erase Me
Alice Childress
Sky High
Landed
Thank You For Breaking My Heart
Battle of Who Could Care Less
Do It Anyway
Brick
Draw a Crowd
Narcolepsy
Kate
Army

Encore:
Magic
Song for the Dumped

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