All photos: Irfan Khalil & Dave Adams (team work!)
All words: Phil Cohen
Sheesh, when did Bloc Party get so huge? You would have figured from the set-up these guys had on Sunday at 9:30 that fucking U2 was gonna take the stage at some point. I got there before opening band Longwave even started and the sold-out crowd had apparently all decided to show up extra early. Nary a spot to be found. Nuts.
Oh, so the show. I’ve seen Longwave a billion times since I first heard “Tidal Wave” playing in a Tower Records in Philadelphia when I was in ninth grade and bought the CD on the spot; since then, I’ve had an emotional attachment to the semi-lame New York arena shoegaze band. But they put out an album last fall called Secrets Are Sinister that owns my face, even if the lyrics are beyond idiotic and Steve Schiltz isn’t much of a songwriter. That fucker can shred and knows his way around an effect pedal board.
So yeah, I’d seen them perform this exact same set like six times in the last few months, and it was about the same. Other guitarist Shannon Ferguson was absent due to his impending fatherhood, and I actually kind of liked the guy filling in for him, as he made up for Ferguson’s usual stoicism with a little bloody enthusiasm. Schiltz is still a madman, yelping with an open mouth that must measure like a foot and a half and busting out these solos that are so good they’re bad that they’re good. I’m probably deaf at this point but even I could tell that Longwave likes to play loud and they definitely filled up the room with their bass-heavy, dreamy and distorted sound.
Then Bloc Party showed up and played everything you’d imagine, exactly how you’d imagine. The songs from their most recent Intimacy fared pretty well, despite sounding like dogshit on the record (though “Mercury” is still absurd). The end of “Trojan Horse” was pretty baller, with Kele Okereke and second guitarist Russell Lissack busting out the same fiery riff in perfect time. Other highlights included A Weekend In The City tracks “Song For Clay (Disappear Here)” and “Hunting for Witches.”
Though I don’t know if they were really highlights. That’s the thing about this show: I guess you measure what was good in terms of the energy since everything sounds just like the album? The energy was great. The drummer is nuts and his technical, unpredictable playing keeps all these songs afloat since Okereke has a tendency to recycle the same melodies over and over again and he doesn’t really move around that much. It’s just hard to sound boring when these beats are going on in the background, I guess. They did get even more into it towards the end with “Like Eating Glass” and an equally impressive encore.
Bottom line: they were good! They played their songs!
Previously in Live DC:
- 2/9: LiveDC: Theophilus London @ 930 Club
- 2/9: Best Weekend Bets
- 2/8: LiveDC: Kathleen Edwards @ 930 Club
- 2/8: LiveDC: Thurston Moore/ Kurt Vile @ Black Cat
- 2/8: LiveDC: Thurston Moore/ Kurt Vile @ Black Cat
- 2/7: LiveDC: Demetri Martin @ Warner Theatre
- 2/7: LiveDC: Augustana/ Graffiti6 @ 930 Club
- 2/6: LiveDC: All Things Go Presents: Reptar/ Casual Curious/ Fort Lean @ Gibson Guitar Showroom
- 2/6: LiveDC: TYCHO/ Beacon @ RNR Hotel
- 2/6: LiveDC: The Kills / Jeff The Brotherhood @ 9:30 Club
God loves a cheerful giver.
Pretty lame review for what was a fucking insane show. Are you deaf??
I was there. So, inevitably, a few notes:
1. I thought Bloc party was pretty awesome (i was a little skeptical because they've taken a dreary turn of late)
2. That drummer is my personal hero.
3. I'd say having the balls to crowd surf on a Sunday night show in DC while wearing a women's Redskins jersey and succeeding qualifies as a highlight
4. Modern Love was a great end to the night, though I am sad they did not play 2 More years.
5. Overall satisfaction level wise, this was on par with Spoon, for me:
http://www.brightestyoungthings.com/live-dc/spooning-with-the-ponys/
6. Shame it was on a Sunday
Gorgeous photography. This one really grabbed me. Nice job.
"I guess you measure what was good in terms of the energy since everything sounds just like the album?"
It sounds like the album because it seems that they've started to perform with back tracks - which is all the rage these days, from Ashlee Simpson to the Killers.
I've seen bloc party like 6 times and although there were moments of awesomeness, there was a lot of phoning it in.
He wore a Skins jersey? That's fucking rad.
There's nothing wrong with using backing tracks. From a musician's standpoint, however, it can be argued that using sequencers or samples eliminates some of the spontinaeity that comes with a live performance. Granted, sampling and sequencing technology has gotten a lot better in the last 15 years. But man, if something is not triggered right, or if a powersupply goes missing, etc etc. TROUBLE.
Wow. What a sh*tty review (Great pics though!) ... Better review here:
http://dcist.com/2009/03/unstoppable_bloc_party_930_club.php
Reads like someone is either too self conscious or deaf to admit that this show rocked. Svetlana managed to illuminate much more than the writer did. The loop pedal on mercury was awesome as were all the kids in the crowd shouting along to every word.
This show was by far the best way to kick off Spring 09. Matt Tong is an animal and it was amazing to see up close just how much of himself he puts into those beats. Unfuckingbelievable! Plus, I was feeling his nirvana t-shirt.
The dudes from Longwave were way nice post-show. Not a bad band at all.
Dope show. What was the name of the first song in the 2nd encore? That shit tore it down!
Nevermind, the DCist named it! Holler
That was fucking insane! It did everything, but disappoint...It was awesome to see Longwave again, I hadn't seen them since Flectcher's in Baltimore, back in 2004...They've gone through some Destiny's Child-like changes in band membership, since then...I agree with Svetlana, I wish they played Two More Years, it shouldn't have been on a Sunday, Matt Tong is a champ, and crowd surfing with a Skins jersey on, is epic...Really hope they come around again, and bring a dj or something...
really shitty review.