Saturday, October 26, 2013

Animal Collective @ The Pageant (10/25/2013)



Opener:
  • Deradoorian.  Not particularly fond.
Setlist:
  • Seemed like they mixed in stuff from a bunch of their albums.  Considering that I really only like (and am familiar with) their last two albums, despite having them all, I coulda done without some of it.  But my BIGGEST complaint is that they didn't play their best song - "My Girls".
Stage:
  • Blow-up lighted semi-arch things with video projection the whole time.  Interesting.
Observations:
  • Geologist wears a head lamp while performing.
  • Most of the song transitions/intros/outros were too long for my taste, especially the glitchy ones.
  • Their live sound doesn't quite match the studio magic.
    High/low-lights:
    • The live version of "Brother Sport" is apparently a dance party.
    • I was literally dumbfounded when they closed the encore without having played "My Girls".
    Rating: 3.8/5

    Wednesday, October 02, 2013

    Sigur Rós @ Fox Theatre (10/1/2013)



    Opener:
    • Juliana Barwick is too mellow for my taste.  But she at least has a good voice.
    Setlist:
    • Lots of songs from Kveikur, which was a good thing, since it's probably my second favorite album of theirs.  Three of my all time favorites from Takk... (their best album) - Glósóli, Hoppípolla, and Sæglópur.  None from Ágætis byrjun.  Track 1, and maybe Track 8, from ().  A couple from Valtari.  And one song - Festival (the closer) - from Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust.
    Observations:
    • Jónsi really loves playing his guitar with a bow.
    • The crowd sat for most of the show, but stood up for the crescendo of a couple of songs.  It was a little awkward, especially when we all sat back down.  A couple of people tried to keep up the energy by standing and dancing toward the end.
     High/low-lights:
    • The highlights were many.  The band (including the many backing musicians) is pretty good at replicating the studio sounds live.
    • They include all the extended outros from the songs in their live performance.  This could be viewed as a good or bad thing.
    • The Fox is a visually stunning place to see a show.  However, I feel like the acoustics messed with a couple of songs a tiny bit.
    Rating: 4.7/5