The Rock Blogger

Despite suffocating in clouds of tobacco and pot smoke, the Tool concert last evening was a hypnotic experience. Amid the throngs of white-trash and spotty teenagers, I could still revel in the cosmic death-dance that was Tool’s set list, which primarily focused on songs from 10,000 Days and Lateralus.

Maynard and his band were in top form as they hammered through densely textured performances, extending their already lengthy songs with spiraling solos and haunting drones. Revisions of “Stinkfist” and “Lateralus” in particular were stunning, as unexpected twists and turns in songwriting gave the night an almost tribal sense of spontaneity.

It was also strange and fascinating to watch thousands of lighters creep above the crowd as the high pitched guitar drone of “Lost Keys” split over the Molson Amphitheater like a haze of incense, showcasing Tool’s otherworldly mystique. As the intro led into the colossal “Rosetta Stoned”, a song about receiving messianic truth from aliens (only to forget it), I had to admire the band’s ability to weave dark humor with insatiable spiritual longing.

The ying/yang of destruction and creation was revealed with greater clarity with “AEnima” and “Lateralus”. The former, an apocalyptic diatribe against vapid excess (owing much to Bill Hick’s “L.A. Falls” on Arizona Bay), showed Tool at their most caustic, as screaming guitars echoed Maynard’s calls to “wash it all away”. The latter song took up the cause of rebirth and resurrection, as the slow-burning climax called for wholeness, catharsis and the opening of new possibilities. It is refreshing to see a metal band engage with both ends of an antagonistic spectrum, sending out deconstructive energies in the most creative and explosive light.

The most striking appeal of this show, and for Tool’s music in general, is the tension between harrowing despair and purifying release, a movement that can help characterize the band’s artistic development from the subterranean laments of Opiate and Undertow to the expansive and searching spirit of their most recent work. It is progressive metal that is progressive in nearly every sense of the term, drawing out deep personal (and perhaps universal) forces and letting them “spiral out” above and beyond the fallen everyday.

Last night, Wolves in the Throne Room brought forth cathartic release to the extreme. Scaling textured walls built from layered tremolo riffs and relentless blast beats, WITTR provided one of the deepest concert experiences imaginable. An uncompromising passion channeling suppressed emotions, long hidden in the Cascades. With movements both raw and complex, the band weaved through material from their three LPs without a moment’s hesitation.

While these performances were recognizable, their sheer density, exemplified further in the flesh, pushed music outside of the containment of “song” and into a deep seated aesthetic consciousness. Music as a pulsating life force, not to be controlled as separated subject matter but an underlying state to be reveled in, lost in, destroyed in. Wolves in the Throne Room, in developing their caustic and spiraling rituals, conceived as unfurling movements into the darkness, called out higher truths from concealment. The performance was not so much a recital of notes, riffs and routines, but of recovering the twisted roots of longing and sorrow that lie behind artistic expression.

I must also mention the equally impressive lineup that opened for WITTR.

A Storm of Light: Sludgy, drugged out post-metal featuring both male and female vocalists in faithful Neurosis worship. An arty and inspired set that took its time to lay down hypnotic dirges.

Krallice: The band closest to matching WITTR’s post-black aesthetic. Raw, densely layered metal that centered on the hyper-mathematical guitar compositions of the legendary Mick Barr. Very few bands can rival the sheer technicality and evocative atmosphere of Krallice.

Thrones: The wild card of the night, Throne’s set consisted primarily of long extended bass drones accompanied by sparse, angular guitar solos. Experimental and patient, Throne’s sound was distinct and intrigued more than a few awe-struck listeners in the crowd. A strange yet satisfying contrast to the relentless speed of the main attraction.

After listening to these Icelandic post-rockers for almost 7 years, I was finally in their midst last evening. It was Sigur Ros who, alongside Godspeed You Black Emperor and Mogwai, had drastically altered my taste in music, drawing me into a genre that thrived on mystery, drama and enduring patience. When I first heard the glacial tones of Ágætis byrjun, I knew there would be no turning back to the comparatively shallow world of mainstream radio rock. So sitting in the front row of Massey Hall in Toronto, awaiting their highly anticipated performance, meant facing the force that sent me on to my musical discoveries.

Their performance last night exceeded my wildest expectations, not only triggering memories of past lonely winters but also brought about strange, warm feelings in the shimmering atmosphere of their new material. While I have stated previously on this blog that I prefer the somber, shadowy drama of their earlier albums, the bright innocence from Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust melted my apprehensions away as its translation on stage revealed the band’s newfound sense of intimacy. The trickling piano lines of "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur", Jón Þór Birgisson’s sweet falsetto on "Við spilum endalaust" and the infectious, hand clapping, confetti strewn finale of "Gobbledigook" showcased the wistful urgency of their latest work.

The scattered trips down memory lane were equally captivating, including the oceanic percussion of "Ný batterí", the sweeping xylophone intro of "Sæglópur" and the graceful chiming piano of "Hoppípolla". Everything they played was not only note perfect in accordance with their recorded counterparts, but also illustrated the emotional intensity within them with stunning clarity, due to the band’s dynamic and commanding stagecraft. From the bombastic crescendos to the soft creaking of Jón’s vintage pump organ, Sigur Ros had the audience hypnotized as they shifted between rustic, folksy textures and cascading psychedelia.

The highlight of the evening for me though came from the pre-encore rendition of "Untitled 8", the searing climax from 2002’s ( ) . The wiry guitar intro was immediately recognizable, leading the way for the inescapable power of Jón’s vocals. The intricate arpeggios continued to glide along until the building tension finally gave way to pounding drums, bringing us to that inevitable, apocalyptic crescendo. The band ignited into a fury of rapturous guitar solos, earthshaking reverb, and haunting wails, rivaling the cosmic scope of Mogwai’s masterpiece "Mogwai Fear Satan". That explosive performance alone was enough to justify Sigur Ros’ global adulations, as very few bands can reach those celestial heights.

To conclude, seeing Sigur Ros live meant falling in love with their sound all over again, having come face to face with the incredible emotionality of their performance. Whether it was the pained, lovelorn expressions on Jón’s face as he belted out those cryptic verses or the alien drone of bow scraping against a guitar, each glorious element demonstrated the band’s remarkable sensitivity, not only to melody and distortion but to love, fear and boundless joy. It was this sensitivity, rather than the actual set list itself, that had the entire concert hall hanging on their every note.

Untitled #6 (You and the Lights E-Bow), courtesy of Triasas and A.S.

Wolf Parade. "I’ll Believe in Anything" Apologies to the Queen Mary 2005.

I’ll start off by apologizing for the lack of pictures and video from the show, I don’t usually drag my camera along to venues, so I’ll try to convey the concert experience with mere superlatives. In short, Wolf Parade’s live show puts their already excellent recordings to shame - the energy and speed of their set was simply electrifying. Spencer Krug’s spacey keyboards dueled marvelously with Dan Boeckner’s high-strung guitar work, keeping up with each other as they burned through their dancable anthems. All the nuanced vocals, with the harmonized yelps, falsettos and ‘la-la-las" were pulled off perfectly as the duo traded roles as the band’s front man.

Arlen Thompson’s drumming was also impressively frantic and gave their songs a crackling urgency. Hadji Bakara’s sound manipulations were produced with precision, giving the band that oddball, regal quality that hearkens back to the glory days of 70s prog-rock. Dante DeCaro’s bass thundered along without overpowering the others, and gave their whole performance a strong, powerful backbone.

While the band was in top form, the audience wanted to make their voices heard as well - which was both a good and a bad thing. The fist-pumping, chanting and singing along certainly added to the epic and raw quality of Wolf Parade’s set, especially the barn-burner encore of "I’ll Believe in Anything’ with its life-affirming refrain, "Because nobody knows ya, and nobody gives a damn". The crowd was in full agreement. That being said, there was plenty of jackassery to go around, with all the drunken shoving, pushing and falling taking place. I guess indie rock brings out some of the worst in hipster crowds, specifically those who are just there to get plastered and look ‘cool’. Fuck them. And did anyone else notice that water was dripping from the ceiling? Whatever maintenance problem the Kool Haus was having was distracting to say the least.

Despite the annoyances, which were far beyond the band’s control, Wolf Parade put on an incredible show, running through every song off At Mount Zoomer and the most notable fan favorites from their groundbreaking debut. All the bases were covered (see set list below). With their latest tour ending stint in Toronto, Wolf Parade showed that they possess both stellar musicianship and the ability to get people’s hands in the air. It’s just too bad that those hands were spilling Budweiser down my back.

Set List

You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son
Soldier’s Grin
Call It A Ritual
The Grey Estates
Dear Sons And Daughters Of Hungry Ghosts
Language City
An Animal In Your Care
Shine A Light
Bang Your Drum
Fancy Claps
Fine Young Cannibals
California Dreamer
This Heart’s On Fire
Kissing The Beehive
Encore:
Grounds For Divorce
It’s A Curse
I’ll Believe In Anything

Click for full image

A spot-on comic from Viruscomix.com that satirizes your average concert goers. Having been next to some of these characters at numerous shows, this made me chuckle. They missed “the really tall asshole that stands in front of you” though.

On Monday, Chicago’s annual Lollapalooza Music Festival announced their stellar lineup for the August 1-3 event which will take place at the city’s Grant Park. This year looks to be unbelievable, with three of the 90s greatest acts (Radiohead, NIN, Rage Against the Machine) headlining and some excellent Canadian groups joining in as well.

Advance tickets are going for $190 US. They’ll go up to $205 once those are gone.

Go to Lollapalooza.com for more details.

You better start planning your road trips now.

The Full Lineup Below:

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(pictures form the show coming soon)

While the final show of Matthew Good’s tour of the U.S. had few surprises, it was still a remarkable feat of perseverance. Succumbing to food poisoning and bouts of insomnia midway through his state-side journey, Matt had canceled several of his shows, including a coveted spot at the South by Southwest festival in Texas, a gig that could have sparked interest from a whole new audience. Despite Matt’s terrible luck of late, he managed to pull himself together for his last stop at Club Infinity in Buffalo, overcoming sleep deprivation to serenade a packed house of eager fans.

Being a continuation of last year’s “Nothing to Hide” tour, Matt took to the stage alone with only an acoustic guitar in hand and immediately launched into a note perfect rendition of “I’m a Window”, the second single from last summer’s Hospital Music. He then proceeded to play through revamped versions of his older material, like the hit singles “Load Me Up” and “Strange Days” as well as most of the tracks from his latest disc, with some candid conversation thrown in for good measure.

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