M83 @ Neumo’s
Tuesday night shows can be such a hit-or-miss affair. throw in a holiday weekend, and you’re practically begging for anemic attendance. Luckily, last night’s M83 show at Neumo’s suffered none of that malaise, packing the house to an almost uncomfortable level (not uncommon for this venue).
School of Seven Bells opened, and I have to admit to not paying super close attention to them. What I heard from the side room sounded pleasant, but not exactly revolutionary. Their synth heavy sound was a good complement for the headliner though, full of drum machine patterns and breathy female vocal harmonies. It’s probably worth a closer listen at home, but with the prospect of full-on new-wave/shoegaze assault from M83 coming up, it ended up sounding like sonic wallpaper in the club.
Anticipation built pretty quickly on the main floor once SVIIB was done, and the band milked it for a while before casually strolling on stage. Frontman Anthony Gonzalez sauntered out first, letting loose a squall of rhythmic filter sweeps before the rest of the band joined him, launching into “Unrecorded,” from their first album. It was a nice nod to past before the rest of their set, which was pulled almost entirely from their latest album, Saturdays=Youth, which I guess could be described as their breakthrough record. It could also be called a nod to the past in it’s own way, with it’s sonic and aesthetic referencing of the 80s, from the Human League to Cocteau Twins.
Some bands that mesh electronics with live playing have a hard time pulling off a live show. The experience can be like karaoke if it’s not handled right. M83 never fell into this trap, keeping plenty of human playing in the mix at all times, most notably from the absolutely metronomic human drummer sitting behind a wall of plexiglass. They managed to sound dense without sacrificing clarity, tight without sacrificing spontaneity. They were in town only 6 months ago, and I have a feeling the constant touring has refined their show. It would have been interesting to see them last time around, and compare to the precision of last night’s show. Maybe they were always this good.
So. Jealous.
November 26, 2008 at 1:23 pm