This year’s Not So Silent Night was a wonderful melange of sounds. While last year had 3 straight doses of dance rock with Interpol, the Killers and Franz Ferdinand, topped off with a dose of mellow indie rock with Modest Mouse, this year bounced around with delightfully eclectic sounds.
We started with Birdmonster, winner of the Best Local band contest and surely a great band just about to depart the nest. Though their deput EP boasts only 3 songs, they are so busy and well received they were off to another gig opening for The 88 directly after their opening gig here at Not so Silent Night. They love to have fun, to thrash about, and to play great ass-kicking rock and roll with a slightly tattered but gold soul.
Next was Autolux, a sedated, seductive, reverb heavy outfit from Los Angeles who boasts production supervision from legendary maestro T-Bone Burnett (of Bob Dylan and O Brother fame). The mood of their music is moody and slightly forlorn, but as the guitar takes over in this power-trio, and they eyes lift from the shoelaces to the heavens. Check out their track Turnstile Blues with a John Bonham-esque drum loop intro. Yum.
And now for the prog-rock portion of the show: Coheed and Cambria. With soaring, epic landscapes of sound, and an afro-clad Claudio Sanchez rocking a ZZ guitar, one could not resist the urge to throw the devil horns in the air. Their instrumental jams were hypnotic, and the energy made you feel like rock ‘n roll in the traditional sense of the word was very much alive.
Hot Hot Heat came next, 4 sharp dressed lads from British Columbia who sing sincere disco-rock songs. Lead singer Steve Bays has charisma in buckets, and he does his Jagger all over the stage with his brown curls gleaming. There is no denying the love-sick lilt and bounce of these Canadians, and they had the entire Civic Auditorium buzzing and frolicking to their bop.
If you haven’t heard of Death Cab for Cutie by now you are living in a bubble. Lead singer Ben Gibbard is certainly a front-runner for spokesman of his generation, and he gets more of a chance then most, as he’s not only Death Cab’s crooner, but also the voice of the irresistible underground sensation The Postal Service. His delicately crafter melodies are enrapturing, but it his poetry that has this OC nation hooked. He can drop a metaphor so delicately in your lap you are shocked by how nicely it fits there. He makes even the most manly man believe in sweet love and heart break. Though notably mellow and symphonic, Death Cab’s set tonight brought it home with a tight jam to round out their set. A 17 year-old was heard whimpering in the bathroom afterward “I can die now”.
And finally the marquis act, that dynamic duo the brother/sister/exspouse team The White Stripes. And I finally can stop the raving. While their music is always sensational, and Jack White is a genius as a guitarist, there was definitely something distant and unfriendly about their set. Jack did not utter a single word to the audience the entire show. He walked off after a couple acoustic ballads, and they left the crowd clapping lamely for an encore for upwards of 5 minutes. Finally Meg and Jack returned, delivered another blistering 3 song encore and retired, again without a word of thanks. Maybe they don’t like playing after so many sensational acts. Maybe San Francisco didn’t give them what they need. Or just maybe all that red they wear finally made them too angry to be tolerable. But damnit all if the music still doesn’t rattle your bones.
Thanks to all at Live 105 and BGP for the great night
Bottom Pics are from the after party with Lady Sovereign
Autolux at Natural History Museum
