Quinta-feira 21 Jun 2007, 21h:08
Ps: for (crappy) pictures, visit http://polyphonyprevails.blogspot.com/2007/06/menomena-in-houston-walters-on.html
There were a couple things that surprised me about this show. The venue was so small, and Menomena was selling their own merchandise. Both of these details ultimately added to the experience of the event.
I wasn’t sure if there was going to be an opening act for a while because the Walter’s website did not say who was opening, but it turned out being All Smiles. It was hard to know what to expect from a group called All Smiles; I thought it could be anything from hyperactive pop to the most depressing and ironic band ever formed.
All Smiles played a pretty simple act. The songs were short but charming. It was hard to hear the lyrics, so I have no input there. The lead guitarist left me wanting more from his solos, but he did an admirable job with backup vocals and some piano as well. The lead singer was pretty funny throughout, remaining very modest and even feeling remorse for causing the audience to stand to their feet once they got on stage (because of the nature of the venue, it felt natural to sit down in front of the stage before anyone started playing). He also seemed to have a complicated admiration and jealousy for Menomena which I found pretty hilarious.
Their act was short, and I would say it was pretty enjoyable. But once Menomena got on stage, they were pretty much blown out of the picture. First off, let me try to explain how exciting it is just watching Menomena set up their stage. There were only a couple roadies and the band seemed to be doing most of the work and tuning. The instruments they hauled on stage include four guitars, a bass guitar, a bari sax, an alto sax, an electric keyboard, a Macbook (with a heard cutout covering the apple) that hooks up to the electric keyboard, two sets of bells, a very interesting bass pedal instrument (reminded me of an organ), countless pedals and looping machines, two egg shakers, and of course a drum set. That is a lot of instruments for three people to play in a show.
Once they started, I and the rest of the crowd were in their hands. Their sound was just as full as the sound in their albums which I found astounding since they rerecorded and looped themselves in studio. Their sound was also more unique live; obviously some parts were left out but others were embellished and improvised. At one moment in the concert, when the drummer was supposed to play a part on the portable bells set into the microphone, Danny didn’t have enough time to switch sticks and instruments, so he sang the bells part into the microphone.
There were a couple of times when they would have an awkward start to a song, like Danny starting early or one of the members rearranging instruments still or ect. But even when those moments occurred, I appreciated the band almost more for sacrificing any prideful showmanship for the principle of putting on a good show.
They were also very amusing throughout the show, especially in between songs, particularly during a moment when Justin addressed the jealous-complex All Smiles lead singer and professed to their making sweet, sweet love later that night, “Houston Style!…*crowed mumbles*…or, uh, Dallas Style?…*crowd boos*”.
Each member also had their own idiosyncratic performance style. Brent, on keyboard and guitar mostly, would use lots of arm and often look up at the ceiling while he sang. Justin seemed heavily focused on the many parts he was playing, sometimes up to three or four in a song, but would relax and joke in between songs. And Danny played aggressively the whole show with never a dull moment, and after each song, he looked like he was about to die (and who cold blame him? Such an energetic drummer).
I extremely appreciated the level of attention and focus they put in their sound. For the first couple songs, Justin was frequently gesturing to the sound people in the back in order to balance a couple of his instruments. And as far as song selection goes, I was completely satisfied. Song selection is strictly a matter of taste, but still, they played every single song I would have wanted them to play (and from both albums). They even got me to love a couple songs that I previously didn’t care too much for. Once again, I am finding myself unable to emphasize how excellent this performance was.
What raised their esteem even more was their kindness after the show. Because the venue was so small, they really didn’t have anywhere to go hide like most bands would; that and one of them stuck around to sell merchandise anyway. After the show, each one of them was dripping with sweat, but they were all still able to shake hands, sign autographs, pose in pictures, and listen to us rant about them. And of course the worst picture of me ever is taken with Justin. Needless to say, this show rocked. I almost felt compelled to drive to Dallas to see them twice.