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Saw them open for Wilco last year. I've always considered them more of a studio band, so it wasn't a surprise that they didn't translate so well onstage. Karen was a nonpresence (although I did enjoy her Karen Carpenter look), and you could barely hear her because they played so loud. Also her brother kept having to change instruments throughout the songs to keep up with the frantic changes in them. I'm interested in knowing whether they've grown as a live band, though. They also might fair better in a smaller club. They were at the Meyerhoff when I saw them.

 

Well, in retrospect, tres boys came away pretty happy while one girl came away pretty much so.

I first saw them a bit before the Wilco show, but at exponentially smaller Ottobar, and was quite impressed.

At the Ottobar show, at least, they weren't even playing songs, but rather brief snippets from their songs, run together -- which is particularly impressive given that that's largely what their actual songs qua songs are anyway.

Last night, they actually took rather traditional stabs at a dozen or so songs, interspersing those with more Cuisinart. Like Yo La Tengo or any of Broad's jazz gods, they can be very different on different nights. Last night was very angular, with the pop strained out and the rounded corners pounded straight and true.

All that said, I suspect I'd have had the same response to the Meyerhoff opening set. It just ain't a rock venue, excepting maybe for bands that suck at the Greater Radiohead teet like latterday Wilco (it's been a long time since "Casino Queen/my Lord, you're mean!" and scary long since I caught got to watch the bad vibes between Tweedy and Farrar way back when in the Bush Pere' era during which they were still simply "roots rock").

Anyone out there (Jen?) listened to any of the Jay Bennett solo CDs, by the way? 50,000 YHF fans can't be wrong, but I still personally put Summerteeth at the head of the Wilco class.

 

Hey, I'm glad to hear you had a good time! The show at the Meyerhoff was weird. Their volume was so loud that you couldn't hear anything but feedback mostly, which I don't understand. Why not turn down the volume and use the acoustics of the Meyerhoff?

My favorite album is actually Being There.

I haven't heard any of Jay's stuff. He was so funny in the documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart. I have totally known people like him—talened and well-meaning but overbearing!

 

Thanks for posting a review Mark, my impression was somewhat subjugated by Walover's India Pale Ale....

 

Quick PS...

1. Insert missing definite articles into my post as needed.

2. Obviously, I hope, the Tweedy/Farrar ref was to Uncle T, not Wilco per se, though it may have seemed that way.

3. Bennett certainly had his hand in both YHF and Summerteeth, but I think his own output has been far closer to Summerteeth.

4. Appropos of nothing -- or at least not much more than Uncle T bringing back memories of 80s roots rock, I just have to say: long live Scruffy the Cat and Gear Daddies.

5. Back on the Furnaces front, that young Matthew Fri...whatever really does need a good haircut, for goodness sake!

Done. Cheers, all!

 

That was the best show, ever.