Event Reviews: May 2008

Despite the fevered reinterpretations of their tunes, Hot Chip don’t totally forgo their feelings--it takes five songs for them to show their sensitive side. It’s a side that the fans clearly aren’t here to see.

Muldaur had the audience in the palms of his hands, or more precisely, in his fingertips, as he deftly played an assortment of classic American blues compositions by such masters as Lonnie Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt, and Sleepy John Estes.

You can’t quite call them a power trio, but they put out a big sound.

Boasting no fewer than three indie heroes (in Neko Case, Carl Newman, and Dan Bejar), this is not a band that should have to work to get a capacity crowd into a lather. But work they did.

The show is sold-out, and only the tallest and closest have a decent vantage point. The thing is, though, you don’t really need to see Beach House to “see” them.

Vandaveer admitted he hadn’t picked up a guitar in a week, which was not evident from his sure-handed acoustic riffing. But he did seem unpracticed at alcohol consumption.

Blitzen Trapper seem to know just how good they are, and revel in their tightness, their intensity, and their passion. This is a live act it’s hard not to enjoy.

Much as the entrance of Tim Curry in his outrageous tranny outfit defines the film version, the roof lifted off the theatre when iOTA emerged in full space-bitch garb as Frank.

Soothing bells and swathes of sound swish around the room, providing the uninitiated with an aura of calm. Let's hope they're braced for the storm.

Yes, a Xiu Xiu performance is intense. However, this intensity does not much involve an audience. It’s an intensity directed inward, with frontperson Jamie Stewart offering little to no interaction with the crowd -- indeed, very little eye contact at all.