Transmission Entertainment is bringing Of Montreal to town again! I saw ‘em twice last year, at Monolith and Fun Fun Fun Fest; both times they brought an enormous crowd. In other words, you better buy your tickets ASAP because this is gonna sell out damn quick, and then you’ll be cryin’ ’cause you missed them at an 850-capacity venue.
Mohawk, May 23rd (yeah, that’s a Sunday, so what? Verbose songs about ambiguous sexuality, death, drugs, and etc beckon you!)
Tix here. Noot D’Noot and James Husband (from Of Montreal) open.
Posted 2 weeks, 3 days ago at 7:45 am. Add a comment
It’s hard to go wrong with French pop. When Yelle came to town a few years ago, you know I was in the middle of that party. And though the differences between their electro-dance and the dreamy, bossa nova cover-heavy pop of Nouvelle Vague are numerous, the draw still stands.
While they didn’t blow my mind, the show was a lot of fun, and their covers were great. They have the equation down pat: recall the original song – exactly duplicate + subsist well on their own.
I dug both of the encores: Love Will Tear Us Apart, and In A Manner of Speaking. Each allowed the two singers an opportunity to showcase her vocals alone on-stage.
The only downsides to the night were their late start (30 minutes after they were supposed to go on, really?), and the fact that going to this show meant missing RJD2 at Emo’s. But hey, the odds of catching a French group again versus an American group I’ve already seen? Totally worth it… and did you see the coat she was wearing? Ridic!
Posted 3 weeks, 6 days ago at 12:33 pm. Add a comment
Shooting a runway show is fun, but demanding. With music, you usually have at least three songs to get the shot. For fashion, you get the walk down, maybe a pose to each side, and the walk back – say, 30-45 seconds. If you screw up, too bad, too late, your only other chance is catching them at the very end. Good luck.
Which is why I ended up shooting at least 700 photos (gotta get the shot!). Prototype Vintage, New Bohemia, and Buffalo Exchange showed. Click the pics to see the entire set of 250 at Flickr.
Posted 1 month ago at 12:18 pm. Add a comment
I love Free Week, but thank god it’s over. 10 days of late nights, jumping between 3, 4, or 5 venues each evening, and taking over 1500 photos in too-damned-cold weather is a recipe for live music burnout. (though it is good prep for the insanity that is SXSW (only 60ish days away!))
As usual, click the pics to see the rest of the set.
Amplified Heat
Cartright
Smoke & Feathers
The Ugly Beats
Vinhomudeh
LIONS
the inside band after LIONS… can anyone help me out? I don’t think this was In Dudero…
Harlem
Posted 2 months ago at 9:24 am. Add a comment
Balmorhea was lovely as usual, though the move inside to avoid the weather was regrettable… it was packed, hot as hell indoors at the Mohawk, and the noise from people at the bar interrupted some of the more hushed moments of musical tension.
Ola Podrida was spot-on with every song, professional, and sounded like they’d been touring together for years, despite the fact that two of the band members were really new. Would watch again.
I really dig Brazos’ new album, and Martin Crane’s solo stuff is almost as intriguing. One song, though, he joked about giving to a girl group… he really should. A credit to his songwriting skills, it was catchy and fun, but very odd coming from a guy whose usual offerings include poem adaptations and brooding thoughts on late nights downtown. Anyway, <3 for anything this guy does.
The Duchess and the Duke were drunk, obnoxious, and a complete disappointment. I was looking forward to this show, but my only thoughts after were disgust at them wasting my time. Watching them was like watching an unknown band, and thinking that there was maybe something there, if only they could sober up and take the music they were attempting to play seriously.
Also, the lead singer slurred at me from the stage: “stop doing your job and just have fun!”. I’m sorry, but my job is photographing you. I’m not using flash, I’m not being obtrusive or in your face, so can you please just butt out and try taking your job a bit more seriously?
Amazing guitar-playing skills… I was completely entranced by him, which is a little impressive for just one guy with a guitar who didn’t even sing for most of his set. He brought out a few members from the Duchess and the Duke for a song together at the end, which I enjoyed more than the rest of their following set.
Remembering a name as odd as Fergus & Geronimo may be difficult, but you should try… they were fun, energetic, and really happy to be playing for us. I dug it.
A few more pics… hover over for band name:
Posted 2 months, 4 weeks ago at 9:30 am. Add a comment
WOXY @ Stubbs Jr w/ Neon Indian (pic above), the Tunnels, Tigercity (pic above)
J. Tillman (Fleet Foxes) @ Mohawk
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago at 11:58 am. Add a comment
Last night’s sold-out Friendly Fires // the XX show at Mohawk started off with disappointment, as opening act Holly Miranda had to cancel last-minute. The show went on with only two acts, the first of which kinda didn’t live up to the ticket sales.
The XX did well with their chilled-out new-wave music, but it would’ve been nice if they had played for more than 25 minutes. Yes, they only have one album out; if they didn’t want to just play tracks from it they could’ve thrown some covers in, anything to fill out that set time.
Friendly Fires completely redeemed the night, though, with irresistable dance party awesomeness. Singer Ed Macfarlane dropped some hip-shaking dance moves throughout the entire set, and for once – in seemingly dance-phobic Austin, at that – the entire crowd was moving with the tunes. It was a tight and impeccably-executed set (though with the amount they’ve been touring, that should be expected), and fully justified the packed-to-the-gills venue.
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago at 9:58 am. Add a comment
OK, so it was mostly at the Mohawk.
Wednesday (Flipscene/Cherrypeel Party)
Friday (Black Angels)
Saturday (White Ghost Shivers)
Posted 4 months, 1 week ago at 10:14 am. Add a comment