Grizzly Bear- 4/2/13 Pabst Theater

Grizzly Bear co-lead vocalist, Ed Droste addressed the crowd at the nearly sold-out Pabst Theater recalling the band's history playing the historic venue, "Finally, we have some people on the third level," he exclaimed to the cheering crowd from the balcony, revisiting the band's earlier gigs at the beautiful Pabst (a lower-level only show with Beach House in the fall of 2007 (which I passed on to see Wilco at the Eagles Ballroom), and a $15 concert in the spring of 2010 that filled the venue through the mezzanine level- which I attended).  Droste, fellow vocalist, Daniel Rossen, and bass player Christopher Taylor, must have thanked the Pabst staff at least a dozen times during their set, recalling the kindness of people at the venue during their earlier performances.  As other reviews (JSOnline an ExpressMilwaukee) have mentioned, you couldn't ask for a nicer group of gentlemen to perform a concert for you, based on their stage presence, humility, and earnest and sincere nature.

Grizzly Bear is a band who has arrived as a major force in the modern indie rock scene.  Both their music and their stage show has progressed considerably in recent years.  2012's Shields was a frequent forerunner on critics' best of lists, and rightfully so... the album is incredibly diverse, musically challenging, and tremendously innovative.  Playing off of incredibly precise musicianship and vocal harmonies that will give you goosebumps when you hear them live, the boys in Grizzly Bear delivered a beautifully powerful record.  How can one top that?  Well, by putting on a stellar stage show, of course.

Shields tunes like "Sleeping Ute," "Yet Again," and "Gun Shy" came across as classic numbers, fitting alongside older Grizzly Bear staples like "Cheerleader" and "Two Weeks."  After seeing Grizzly Bear previously, I can say that this band has clearly taken the leap into the upper-tier of modern rock outfits.  Beautifully arranged lights and rotating visuals enhanced the visual experience of the music.  Unlike younger acts that I've seen recently (Local Natives and Alt-J), Grizzly Bear's experience and more mature stage presence, and more developed musical style helped propel their show.

This one was a classic-- a visual and sonic tale of a band ready to take the next step up the ladder in the indie rock scene.


Grade: A

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down- 3/30/13- Turner Hall

Thao Nguyen and her San Francisco band "Thao and the Get Down Stay Down" has been on my radar of acts to see for some time now.  After getting the "ok" from the Mrs. I headed down to Turner Hall for a fun evening of music.

I would sum up the set with one word, "charming."  Thao is a true charmer on stage, and her friendly banter reminded me of an early Ani DiFranco (who I had the pleasure of seeing several times as a relatively young artist during my time at UW-Madison in the mid-late 1990's).  Similar to DiFranco, Thao is an incredibly talented and versatile musician, who, aside from tackling the lead vocal duties, proved that she was more than proficient jamming on guitars, banjos and even a lap guitar.  Much of Thao's set came from her latest release, "We The Common," which has become a go-to album this year for me.  Tracks like "We Don't Call," and "Holy Roller," had a tight instrumentation that allowed their quirky nuances to be appreciated in the intimate setting of Turner Hall.  Moreover, the raw energy of tracks like "City" was also palpable.

The highlight of the show was the 3/4 full hall singing along and swaying with the title track, "We The Common," a song written about an inmate (Valerie Bolden) who Thao happened to meet at a correctional facility in California while performing service-work.

There was noting inherantly flashy about Thao and the Get Down Stay Down's stage show, but the raw emotion and fresh energy from the band endeared the audience to leave Turner Hall smiling.


Grade: B+