A Volley Of F-Bombs: Japandroids - Live At The Lo Pub
>> Sunday, 13 September 2009
(Thanks to Sarah for sending along the top photo)
Friday night’s Japandroids show at the Lo Pub confirmed that I am irrevocably getting older and crankier.
Drats.
See, because all of the reasons why I disliked their set were what I used to love about a stupendously chaotic rock show. These include:
1. 100 people crammed into a 30 person area (now: incipient Claustrophobia).
2. Excitable indie-rock fans slam-dancing in this area (full-on Claustrophobia now + flying elbows).
3. Crowd surfing (flying elbows + kicking feet at the tiny Lo Pub? Not quite the sprawling space of Edgefest ’98).
4. Lead singer/guitarist Brian King’s volley of f-bombs (someone buy him a swearing Thesaurus)
5. Amps cranked past 11 (Vegas is giving 3 to 2 odds on me being full-on deaf by 35)
6. Lots of sophomoric song-dedications (reminded me of seeing friends’ bands in High School... “This song goes out to my best pal, The Maestro”). Plus, this badly hurt the set’s momentum. .
So yeah, even though I love/heart/adore Post-Nothing to an almost unhealthy degree, the Japandroids’ concert experience just didn’t work for me. I’m sure many of you loved it for the same reasons I didn’t. And it was Franz-Ferdinand-show hot in there. Yuck. By the time I bailed (just past 1), I noticed the crowd had thinned considerably and overheard a few people complaining about the heat, volume, and space.
On a positive note, I absolutely loved second-opener Mt St. Helens Vietnam Band. They were like a faster-paced Sunset Rubdown…who put on a stellar concert a couple months back.
Up next: The Hold Steady on September 24th.
Infinite Playlist: Junior Boys - Begone Dull Care
7 comments:
Definitely glad I brought my earplugs to that one!
It was quite the amusing night. At least I got to appreciate Mt. St. Helen's Vietnam Band.
I wonder if that dude celebrating his birthday got punched in the balls?
Man, If I could've split myself into three, I'd have been at this show, The Lytics @ the Albert, and the wedding reception that I ended up attending. *sigh*
I like the Lo, but I wish I could move the entrance somewhere else. It's a fun, yet painfully awkward place to see a show at times.
Yeah those massive pillars kind of block the view a bit.
Ha, that show made me feel old too. Although I could've handled everything except the VOLUME. I was right beside the speaker and it was actually painful. I didn't find the lead singer/guitarist especially charming either.
Mt. St. Helens were very enjoyable, though!
loved the show. finally (albeit with a helping hand from those crazy fella's from makeout videotape) the crowd seemed really into it - usually im left dissapointed with winnipeg crowds. awesome time.
I hear you for...although I did enjoy the show thoroughly. The trick (as far as reasons 1, 2, 3 & 5 go): stay near the back.
That Mt. St. Helens record is one of the sleepers of the year for me.
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