Vivek’s Blog

Ok so there was a third band in the line-up called the 1990s. Pretty good stuff. I had heard their album a couple of times before the show and thought it was okay but live, they sounded a lot better. But I’d like to keep this review short, so I’ll move straight on to the two main acts.

Art Brut put on a crazy show, and I mean it in the literal sense of the word crazy. Eddie Argos was insane. In the middle of Modern Art, he went crowd surfing and then came on to the floor to dance and jump with the audience. In fact, he was right next to me at one point! They played a lot of their good stuff although the focus seemed to be on the new album. I was initially not impressed with the new one, but it has since grown on me. Eddie was making comments and talking all the time. He made us clap for the drummer because he has no history of sexual problems. Also, the song Rusted Gun of Milan is about Jasper (guitarist) not getting any sex. Jasper for his part was making weird faces and generally acting nuts. At one point, Ian (guitarist) was playing his guitar with his left hand wrapped around Jasper’s head. The song ended with Jasper spitting out a drum stick! The drummer was playing the drums standing up.

The only complaints I had from Art Brut’s set were minor: the vocals were sometimes buried in the mix and the set was too short! But considering that The Hold Steady were the real main act, this was an acceptable set.

When I started listening to The Hold Steady, I realized that their shows would have a lot of drunk and stoned people. What I did not anticipate was just how drunk some of these people would be and how much they wanted to jump around and push people. I had gotten to the venue relatively early and was standing well in front. But once THS came on, I had to move to the side to avoid ending up with broken bones. I was almost regretting coming to the show.

But once I had moved aside to a quiet section of the crowd, I was able to relax and enjoy the show. I stood next to this big, bald guy who was pushing anyone who dared to mosh near him. THS sound great live and I was so glad they played my favorite, The Swish. It came right in the middle of their set too. They played four new songs for us and they sounded great. Obviously, more work is needed but it looks like the next album will kick ass too. The band ended their main set with Southtown Girls which was a surprise to me. I love the song and I didn’t think they’d play it live. The encore consisted of First Night, How a Resurrection Really Feels, and Killer Parties. Eddie Argos and Ian came on to end the show. Ian played lead guitar and Eddie sang a duet with Craig Finn.

The energy throughout the show was terrific. All bands were feeding off the crowds’ enthusiasm and it reflected in their performances. I enjoyed the show and got back home quite tired. Hence the delay in the posting of this review!

Setlists:

Art Brut

Pump Up the Volume
Bang Bang Rock and Roll
Blame it on the Trains
Bad Weekend
18000 Lira
St. Pauli
Modern Art
Rusted Gun of Milan
My Little Brother
Post Soothing Out
Emily Kane
Nag Nag Nag
Direct Hit
Good Weekend (with Formed a Band in the middle)

The Hold Steady

(Not in order)

Hot Soft Light
Stuck Between Stations
Chips Ahoy!
Stay Positive *
Ask Her for Some Adderall *
Multitude of Casualties
The Swish
Lord I’m Discouraged *
Party Pit
Massive Nights
Hornets! Hornets!
Joke About Jamaica *
You Can Make Him Like You
Your Little Hoodrat Friend
Southtown Girls

Encore:

First Night
How a Resurrection Really Feels
Killer Parties

* New Songs