First Aid Kit- Bradley Theater, Lakeland College, Plymouth, WI 11/21/14

Is there anything more beautiful in music than pitch-perfect vocal harmonies?    This question was posed to the capacity audience by the sisters from Stockholm, Sweden, Klara and Johanna Söderberg, better known as First Aid Kit, during their stunning performance at the Bradley Theater at Lakeland College.  

First Aid Kit has become quite the buzz band on the indie folk scene this year, following their exceptional release Stay Gold, which was released in June.  From a country known for more dance and electronic musical exports like Abba, Ace of Base, and more recently, The Knife, First Aid Kit has redefined the Swedish sound to an extent, rooting themselves in the Americana, country, and folk genres.  The band received considerable buzz from notable musicians, including collaborating with Connor Oberst of Bright Eyes fame, and also opening some shows for Jack White.  This stop on the Stay Gold Tour was perhaps the most unique. While the band is selling out mid-sized theaters across the country, this show saw them play the Bradley Theater, which holds a little more than 400 people at Lakeland College in Plymouth, WI, about an hour north of Milwaukee.  

The approachable and humble nature of the Söderberg sisters was ever present in their set.  Johanna recalled their day in Milwaukee, and gave a shout out to 88.9 Radio Milwaukee for featuring them in a studio performance earlier in the afternoon. Sister Klara also stated that this was their first time playing at a college.  

Accompanied by a virtuoso drummer and an exceptional multi-instrumentalist (who rotated between pedal steel, guitar and mandolin), the band opened with "The Lion's Roar," an energetic and passionate first  track off of First Aid Kit's 2012 album by the same name.  Other highlights included a chillingly intricate performance of "Ghost Town," which was sung by the two sisters without microphones or amplification.   "My Silver Lining," the band's breakthrough track off of Stay Gold, provided great energy as well.  Perhaps the highlight of the show, was the somewhat surprising track that followed their hit. First Aid Kit recalled meeting and touring with Jack White, and performed, "Love Interruption," magnificently, giving White's original a fresh and passionate take.  The show closed with the song "Wolf," a bonus track off of the band's 2012 record with each of the band members leaving the stage until the drummer finished off the show with an impressive staccato solo.  

First Aid Kit returned for an encore, performing"Waiter at the Station," a Willy Mason cover, whom First Aid Kit toured with previously.  For this number, opening act Samantha Crain, joined the band.  From there, the band played "Master Pretender," and closed the evening's music with a riveting take on "Emmylou," perhaps the band's biggest hit and a stand out number.

Speaking of Samantha Crain, her storytelling heavy set opened the show.  Crain's lyrics, like those of First Aid Kit, are very much the focal part of her music.  In her half hour set, she played a variety of  numbers from throughout her catalog, including, a highlight, "Devils in Boston," from 2009's Songs in the Night release.  Her vocals, like those of the Söderberg sisters were fantastic. 
To answer the musical question posed by the Söderberg sisters, "is there anything more beautiful in music than pitch-perfect vocal harmonies," for their hour and fifteen minute set, the answer, according to First Aid Kit is undeniably, "NO."

Setlist:
The Lion's Roar
Stay Gold
Blue
King of the World
In the Hearts of Men
Waitress Song
Shattered and Hollow
Ghost Town
My Silver Lining
Love Interrupted (Jack White cover)
Heaven Knows
Wolf

Encore:
Waiter at the Station (Willy Mason cover) with Samantha Crain
Master Pretender
Emmylou all photos courtesy of GigShots by Stephen Bloch.

The New Pornographers- Pabst Theater, 11/13/14

photo courtesy of Benjamin Wick Photography

It's been a good four years since the indie-rock super group from Canada had visited Milwaukee for a concert.  I have had the pleasure of seeing the New Pornographers several times in the past including their March 11, 2006 show opening for Belle and Sebastian at the Riverside Theater, along with their October 2007 and June 2012 shows at the Pabst Theater.  This show, like the ones in the past, saw the New Pornographers playing to their strengths-- performing high-octane indie power-pop rock with minimal breaks between songs.  Thursday's concert was perhaps the best I've seen the New Pornographers live as they now are drawing from a deeper catalog, and putting on a nearly two-hour concert, including a double-encore highlighting tunes from throughout their career.  As a wise person once said, "if it ain't broke don't fix it," and this mantra surely can been seen as the formula of success for the New Pornographers, and their longevity to engage and draw near capacity crowds each time they play.

photo courtesy of Benjamin Wick Photography

The band was touring in support of their latest 2014 release, Brill Bruisers, a record which sees the seven piece super group return to old form, focusing on three chord guitar riffs, quick vocal interplay between Neko Case and A.C. Newman/Dan Bejar, and a heavy dose of keyboards to hold the melodies together. The concert opened with "Brill Brusiers," the most infectious and title track off of the new album.  "Dancehall Donine," was another highlight from Brill Bruisers that was played early in the set and well-received by the fans.  Later in the set, the group performed, "Champions of Red Wine," another new stand-out track which accentuated Neko Case's powerful vocal range.

However, the highlights of the show were clearly material from the group's back catalog.  The crowd erupted into a sing-along during the Dan Bejar track, "Myriad Harbor" (from 2007's Challengers). As is customary, Bejar will join the band for numbers he plays on, and then disappear backstage to until he is needed again.    He certainly got the crowd going when he was on stage though, performing an anthematic "Testament to Youth in Verse," (from 2003's Electric Version) mid set.

Neko Case had her share of highlights, nailing crisp vocals on "Challengers," (from the 2007 album of the same name), and"Crash Years" (off of 2010's Together).

A.C. Newman is certainly the band leader who keeps the eclectic personalities of the New Pornographers in order, and deserves his place as the front and center leader of the band during numbers like, "Moves" (from 2010's Together), "Use It" (from 2005's stellar Twin Cinema), and "The Laws Have Changed," (from 2003's electric version), to name a few.

The band knows how to craft a set list to make fans go home happy, and ended the show in grand fashion, closing with a riveting "Mass Romantic," (from their 2000 debut release of the same name), encoring or the first time with "Bleeding Heart Show," (off of 2005's Twin Cinema, and arguably the band's signature number), and even dusting off "My Slow Decent," (of off 2000's Mass Romantic) to end the concert after the crowd demanded a rousing second encore.  

If you didn't like the New Ponrographers before, I am not sure how much Thursday's show did to recruit new fans to the band.  Their performance was highly energetic, tried and true and the show had the audience cheering for more even after a set of over twenty tunes.  As long as the New Pornographers keep crafting their infectious pop-rock, I am certain their Milwaukee audience will come out to see it.  .

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Wick Photography

Field Report- Pabst Theater, 10/22/14

“And a very happy Field Report Day to YOU,” Christopher Porterfield stated, humbly coming forward to the microphone donned in a classic brown suit, bowing slightly to the packed crowd of devoted Milwaukee music fans who came out to see a local musical hero return home for his album release party on a Wednesday evening. Earlier in the day, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett dropped by the 88.9 Radio Milwaukee studios while Field Report was playing a studio session to officially declare
today, “Field Report Day” in Milwaukee. This honor seemed somewhat overwhelming for Porterfield who has been thrust into the local limelight of celebrity on account of his band’s stellar release “Marigolden,” which came out on New York-based indie label Partisan Records a little more than two weeks ago.

For their triumphant set in front of a captivated hometown crowd Field Report played their entire new album, “Marigolden,” along with a few tactfully-peppered-in tunes from their 2010 self-titled debut, for what amounted to a magical evening of music.

Field Report’s lush sound was crafted by a tremendously talented trio of musicians which featured songwriter Christopher Porterfield on vocals, guitar and keyboards, Madison native, Tom Wincek (of All Tiny Creatures and Volcano Choir), a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in electronic music, on keyboards, bass and layering sounds, and drummer, banjo player and harmonizing vocalist Shane Leonard gluing the whole outfit together.

The collective talents of these three virtuoso musicians gelled to create a beautifully rich sound that captivated the enormously respectful crowd at the Pabst Theater. You could literally hear a pin drop in between numbers at this show, as fans sat on the edge of their seats soaking up the sonic landscape of tales weaved together by Field Report.

 

Field Report Trio

The set opened with “Decision Day,” the uplifting opener off of Marigolden, and transitioned seamlessly into the first single off the album, “Home (Leave the Lights On).” With merely two tracks in, the audience was completely sucked into the performance, engaged and mesmerized by the sheer amount of textured music created by these three gentlemen. The third track of the evening, the somberly haunting, “”Pale Rider,” delivered its gut-wrenching tale with raw emotion and a terrific visual complement of white spot lights shown down on the musicians. For “Cups and Cups,” Porterfield employed a vocal distortion which gave the tune an added layer of complexity. It was apparent early on in the show that Tom Wincek, while unassuming in stage presence, was octopus-like in juggling a myriad of instruments, triggering electronic loops, and essentially serving as the sonic architect for the group.

In what many may consider the highlight of the set, Wincek and Leonard left the stage for the fifth track, “Ambrosia.” Porterfield declared, “We’ve got all sorts of honesty up here,” as he removed his glasses, telling how he sometimes awkwardly would hit them on the mic as he’d sing on this number. He then took the time to thank everyone, including the Pabst/Riverside crew for making this performance such a special evening. Stark, raw and pulling from the heart, “Ambrosia,” was delivered with earnest emotion which captivated the crowd. In somewhat of a surprising move, the band launched into a powerful track from their self-titled debut, “I’m Not Waiting Anymore” next, featuring the whole band back on stage and Porterfield (sans glasses) on the keys.

Having now hit his stride of confidence on stage, Porterfield transitioned from the keyboard back to his primary post as guitarist, frankly recounted to the crowd how he just realized that for about 20% of the shows he’s played up until then he’s most likely had his fly down. This drew laughter from the crowd and smiles from the singer, whose brutal honesty in his craft is what bonded everyone in the audience together after all.

Back on guitar, Porterfield launched the band launched into “Wings,” which was awe inspiring live as the track is so intricately layered on the record. “Marigolden,” followed, the title track off of Field Report’s recent release, filled with symbolism of how we all bloom, fade and prune as individuals as we journey throughout life. The band then segued into “Michelle,” which featured the beautiful keyboard melody anchoring down the track.

In my recent interview with Porterfield, he promised some rearrangements of older tracks for the show. However, no one could have anticipated what happened next. Unplugging their instruments, the band ventured to the center of the stage with a lone microphone between the three men. Porterfield and Wincek armed with acoustic guitars, and Leonard with a banjo, proceeded to deliver a stripped down mini-set consisting of “Talking Alcatraz,” and “Fergus Falls,” which ended with a thundering round of applause from the audience.

Plugged back into their regular instruments after the acoustic interlude, the band played “Summons,” an uplifting and hopeful tale which showcases Porterfield’s mastery of using negative space in his songwriting to allow the audience to fill in the gaps and insert their own experiences into the tale. The crowd crooned along as they sang the chorus, “I’m coming home to you,” along with the musicians on stage. “Enchantment,” the final track off of “Marigolden,” unsurprisingly concluded the set and caused the crowd to erupt in a sea of applause, delivering a standing ovation for the band. Porterfield returned to the stage for “Route 18,” from his debut release to conclude the show and leave the crowd both satisfied and yearning for more all at the same time.

As a songwriter, Porterfield has taken a huge step forward with “Marigolden,” and the live record release show will go down as one of my musical highlights of the year. The honesty and raw emotion of the tunes on the album came across wonderfully live and made the audience leave the exquisitely beautiful Pabst knowing they experienced a remarkable evening of music which will be talked about in this town for years to come. Bravo, Field Report, you nailed it!

review was originally published at http://ozaukeemag.com
All photos courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

Field Report: Marigolden Album Review and Interview with Christopher Porterfield

Originally published at Ozaukee Magazine and http://countyist.tumblr.com/

"Leave the Lights On: Field Report Triumphantly Returns for a Marigolden Show:"
by Will Piper; photos arranged by A. Ryan Thompson

In their sophomore release, Marigolden,  Milwaukee-based indie folk-rock band Field Report delivers a thoughtful, inspiring,  and above all, reflective album that recounts the essence of the human experience though a series of nine songs that work together wonderfully in isolation but fit together like a puzzle when put all together.

Lyrically enchanting, sonically both melodic and complex, and overall mesmerizing, Marigolden stands out as a stellar release of 2014, and a record-of-the-year contender for many music critics, myself included.  Simply put, if you like good singer-songwriter based music that will enchant you musically and challenge you lyrically; this is a must-have album for your collection. 

The record opens with a sense of hopeful exuberance with “Decision Day,” an uplifting track that encourages the listener to get out there and find something inspiring.  In a key line, singer-songwriter Christopher Porterfield (whose name as an anagram serves as Field Report’s name-sake) states, “you practiced your name in the margins of a 100,000 rough drafts, I heard they’ve roughed you up pretty bad,” showcasing the human need for work and revision.  Nobody is perfect after all.  The second track of the record, “Home (Leave the Lights On)” is the album’s first single and furthers the idea of the search for self though experience.  In what may be my favorite lyrical image of the entire record, Porterfield relays both the beauty and messiness of being human, “Downtown’s dolled up with tinsel and angels, seasons sneak like haircuts- teased apart and tangled, we were praying for a while and we took it all down, like Garland hanging off traffic signals.”

While considerably more of an uplifting record than Field Report’s self-titled 2012 debut, there are certainly some more somber tracks onMarigolden.  The potently spacey alt-country track “Pale Rider” recounts a tale of sadness over letting go of a relationship. The narrator in this track may be lamenting the loss of a person or an idea… and while ambiguous, Porterfield recounts that, “I don’t know that I can be the place to go or what you really need.”  “Ambrosia,” is another emotionally reflective number.  In it, Porterfield relays the tale of a character stuck in a depressive rut, who keeps “spinning his wheels,” that “nothing is going to change.”

As stated in his recent in-depth interview with deejay Steven Kallao of 88.9 Radio Milwaukee,  Marigolden was a record written for vinal format, and “Ambrosia” decidedly was placed as a marker between the first and second halves of the album.  The second half opens with a musically daring number, “Wings,” which sonically may be the most complex tune on the record, layered with synthesizers, percussion and subtle nuances both from a sonic and lyrical perspective.  This tune puts a fresh take on the classic Greek mythological story about Iccarus and his journey to the sun.  The album’s climatic moment, comes in the pen-ultimate tune, “Summons,” a song that revisits the reoccurring theme of movement and transition that runs across the nine songs on the album with a sweeping chorus where the narrator calls out, “I’ll be coming home to you.”

Marigolden, was released on New York based indie label Partisan records (home to other Wisconsin indie exports Slyvan Esso and Phox) on Tuesday, October 7th and has received rave reviews from local publications like the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to national publications like Paste Magazine.   What makes Marigolden such an exceptional release is its humility, soundscapes, and lyrics which transplant the listener into the narrative of the characters described vividly in Porterfield’s songs.

As a teacher by trade, Porterfield’s lyrics anchor the record and stand out as exemplary models in modern storytelling.  I had the pleasure of catching up with Porterfield  this past Sunday via phone from Kansas City, Missouri to talk about how he learned his craft as a songwriter, the theme of travel and transformation in his record, how he considers Milwaukee his home and his upcoming show at the Pabst Theater on October 22.

When did you dedice you wanted to be a songwriter?

Being a songwriter just snuck up on me.  I played music for number of years and it just kind of grew.  I studied journalism at UW-Eau Claire, and then moved to Milwaukee to be with a girl who I met there.  We’ve been married now for 8 years.  I wasn’t doing writing at that time I first came to Milwaukee, and songwriting grew out of missing the act of writing.

What do you like about Milwaukee?It gives me energy and is my place to figure out who I am as a person and a writer. It’s an exciting time for Milwaukee. Milwaukee’s changed so much in the 8 years I’ve been there.  We talked about moving, but it comes down to, “Where would I go?” Nashville? Toronto? Minneapolis? Durahm?  Milwaukee is home, man, and I love it there, and I’m proud of it and we’re in it for the long haul.  Milwaukee is great because it’s small enough to develop your work quietly and big enough to find places to play when it’s time to do so.  It’s also centrally located, so you can route an east coast tour well from Milwaukee and a west coast tour from MKE.”

I hear from folks that you’re a Vikings fan.  How has moving to Milwaukee changed or altered your sports team allegiances?  
(laughing) I’m originally from Minnesota as you know.  I’ve adopted the Brewers as my National League team and love them and and the Bucks as my Eastern Conference team.  Old affiliations die hard, however and I’ll always be a Vikings fan.

Speaking of sports, you’re on tour right now in Missouri, is baseball fever rampant there?For sure.  We just did some shows in St. Louis and Hannibal, Missouri, and there was no blue to be seen.  I tried to find a Royals hat as I’m on the bandwagon, and there were none to be found in eastern Missouri.  I like them… they’re an underdog team like the Brewers and it’s fun seeing them do well.  Hopefully I can find a hat now that we’re in Kansas City.  I’m sure we’ll see some blue here!

On your recent record, Marigolden, you use lots of traveling images in album, referencing other places like Mobile, New Mexico, and Durham.  You also talk a lot about a sense of “home,” which can be both a physical and metaphorical image.  How does Milwaukee play into this?Honestly, I’m thinking about my wife as a sense of home.  The idea of home for me is not a physical place but it is returning to a state of balance; becoming centered again.  Travel and displacement is an element on the record for sure.  The first record for Field Report was written at home, mostly in my dining room.  It’s perhaps best listened to at home in a quiet environment.  This record was written while on the road promoting the first record.  This one might work best in the car. The environment where something is created can continue to impact record.

Clearly, crafting vivid lyrical images and striking similes is your strength. How did you learn to write like you do?
I’ve always been a reader and remain a reader.  On this record I just got better at working in this form.  One of the things I have figured out is to put in specific images, people or places, in the songs so that the listener can find a reference point, but also allow enough space for them to complete the story in their head.  Ernest Hemmingway is a good example of creating this negative space.  I also wanted to be honest and open with a lot of the songs.  The songs are places that I can live in comfortably, and I’ll have to be living in them a lot as we support the record over the next few years.  It’s good to leave holes to let others bring their thoughts to the table and allow them to be part of the conversation with the music. Good records require active participation.  If you’re willing to take time to put yourself into the experience, you’ll get more out of it.  We built this record to stand up for multiple listens.

What has been most satisfying about the making of Marigolden and the subsequent tour?Making the record was a culmination of playing hundreds of shows between the first record and this one.  Seeing the record come together as a real cohesive piece has been satisfying.  Listening back to the record I’m still really pleased with it.  We did good work and we stand behind it.

The people that we have in the band right now are working to recreate it (Marigolden) intentionally in a live setting.  It’s really exciting to present a live show with this body of work.  You can tell that people have lived with the record for a while and coming to the shows familiar with it.

There is a real sense of lushness and musical nuance on the record. How do you go about trying to translate that live?

The charm of the record is all of the subtext that we reference musically, and the colors within the narratives of the songs.  Live I’ve enlisted Tom Wincek from Madison of “All Tiny Creatures,” and “Volcano Choir.” He’s been working extensively with electronic music and I called him up and he’s helped us create all of the colors and subtexts.  On tour we have myself, Tom and Shane Leonard on  drums, singing, banjo, and triggering loops.  He was a big part of making the record too.  He had a lot to do with making the record.

So, all of that sound comes from just three people?(laughing) Yes!

Radio Milwaukee Music Awards

Recently, you did a really cool interview with Steven Kallao of 88.9 Radio Milwaukee where you sat down and trackedMarigolden, doing essentially a “director’s cut” of the record.  How did you connect with Kallao and come up with the “Tracking Marigolden” project?

I have been in the Radio Milwaukee studio to do promotion for “Alverno Presents: Marvin Gaye.”  I have known Kallo and am friends with him and get a lot of energy from Kallao and we started talking about doing something like this.  As we wrapped up the recording of this record, we started talking about things I could do with the station.  We came up with a project that got put off for now called, “What We Talk About When We Talk About Songs,” and created a show that would have me interviewing songwriters about their writing and life on the road.  We both got very busy so this didn’t take off, but then we started talking about things that would be cool for the 88.9 audience and he came up with the idea of doing an interview going through the album track by track.  It’s a cool thing to wave the flag for 88.9 and the record and was a win-win for everyone.  It was really fun to do.

What can we expect at the Pabst show on the 22nd?You can expect a band that is pretty tight, pretty excited to be in that room (the Pabst) with the hometown crowd, and hear the record created pretty accurately live.  We’ll probably do a few older songs with different arrangements and have a good light show going by then. We hope to put on a good show with a crowd that’s happy to be there and it’ll be a real nice time.

We look forward to checking out Field Report at the Pabst Theater on October 22nd and hope that you do too.

Article by Will Piper. Teacher, music fan. Ozaukee & Milwaukee County Enthusiast.

Lorde- BMO Harris Pavilion on the Summerfest Grounds, 9/26/14

Lorde Rules over BMO Harris Pavilion:  by guest blogger  Caroline (Grade 6)
Rising international pop superstar Lorde made her Milwaukee debut this past Friday, September 26th at the BMO Harris Pavilion on the Summerfest Grounds.  The opening act was Majical Cloudz and they were not so great.  Lorde could have had a bigger name opening for her. The group consisted of 2 men from Canada - one wearing a white t-shirt who paced back and forth across the stage shouting lyrics into a microphone and the second played a keyboard in the background. They were very loud and played an alternative music style that I would not recommend to rush to download.  I didn't hear them give their names but at one point he said they were from Canada. Not Canada's best export. After the opening act the crowd waited 35 minutes for the main act to come on.

Lorde finally came on at 8:35 and had the crowd standing on their feet clapping and cheering. When all the crowd was finally standing she began doing her first song and some type of interpretive dance involving jerky movements and flipping her hair without ever introducing her drummer and keyboardist. There also appeared to be no background singers on stage, but there was background singers in the songs that she played so it could have just been prerecorded. In between the first half of the songs she didn't really say much except "I love Milwaukee" and reminding the crowd that we were right by Lake Michigan which we could see it from our seats. The last few songs were much better and her Zumba-like dancing calmed down. Some of the later songs included "Royals," "Team," and a cover of "Heavenly Father," by Wisconsin's own Bon Iver.   She also later talked about how all of her songs catalog her life as a teenager. Even though her songs were better in the second half of her set, the over use of strobe lighting distracted a bit from her strong vocals.  

Overall, her concert was amazing because after all she is only 17. I would definitely recommend this show.

photo by Caroline 

photo by Caroline

The War on Drugs- Pabst Theater, 9/20/14

The War on Drugs have certainly emerged as the rising stars of the Americana rock 'n roll scene in 2014, although I am not sure if you can really fit the band into this, or any genre.  Their music is, at best, a marriage of My Morning Jacket, Wilco, and Bob Dylan, which places it perfectly in this writer's sonic wheelhouse.

Their latest release Lost in a Dream, has garnered them significant critical acclaim from music pundits world wide, and is poised to be on many critics' "albums of the year lists".  As I wrote about when the album dropped in early spring, this is one of those truly exceptional releases that "sticks to the bones" in terms of its songwriting and musical craft.  Personally speaking, Lost in a Dream is probably my favorite record of the past several years.

photo by Stephen Bloch

After seeing The War on Drugs in Chicago in March, my biggest question going into their show at the Pabst Theater this past Sunday was how the band would adopt to their huge surge in critical success.  Lost in a Dream's acclaim has taken them from halls that hold a couple hundred fans to venues that fit a thousand or more.  It has also taken them to Europe and soon to Australia where several of their tour dates are already sold out.

While similar in terms of capacity, playing Chicago's Metro (a two storied bar/music hall) to playing Milwaukee's majestic Pabst Theater (a three storied historic theater) is a big jump.  Compared to seeing the band earlier on  tour in the spring, The War on Drugs seemed more confident and honed in on their songs and jams this past Sunday night.  While focused on Lost in a Dream as their primary material, the band took some risks in the set with deeper cuts, off of their earlier releases, 2011's Slave Ambient, 2008's Wagonwheel Blues.  Overall, The War on Drugs seemed not like a band on the rise, but rather a band who has arrived.  Lead singer/guitarist Adam Granduciel and company took a page out of Bob Dylan's stage presence book-- playing often with closed eyes and flowing songs into one another with no crowd banter in between.

Granduciel started with an eerie intro flowing into a spot-on rendition of "In Reverse," which gave me goosebumps as the song built from a soft number to a full on rocker at the end.  "Under the Pressure" was delivered with flawless precision,  Other set highlights included Granduciel paying respects to his obvious influence, Bob Dylan, by performing "Born in Time" off of Dylan's 1990 Under the Red Sky album.  This song was made more popular by Eric Clapton who covered it on his 1998 Pilgrim record.   A surprise inclusion to the set was "Arms Like Boulders," the first track off of The War on Drugs' debut release, Wagonwheel Blues, which was delivered with tremendous energy and featured Granduciel playing harmonica.  The set closer, "Eyes to the Wind," a stand-out track off of Lost in a Dream, sealed the deal on a set of great songs that function well both independently and in conjunction with one another.  This sense of flow in the set was a noticeable improvement from the spring and something that I see the band continually improving on as they continue to rise up the rock ladder.

The War on Drugs performing Bob Dylan's "Born in Time"

While Granduciel rarely spoke during his set, he made a point of engaging in some audience feedback during the encore, and asked for requests.  In a simple twist of fate (pardon the Dylan reference and pun) my request of "Brothers" from 2011's Slave Ambient release was played as the final song.

The War on Drugs have certainly worked hard this year to establish themselves as a top tier live act. as well as a band who has put their own innovative and experimental twist on Americana music.

Opening for The War on Drugs was Califone, a perfectly paired act from Chicago, who specialize in more jammy and experimental rock.  Lead by Tim Rutili, Califone delivered a fantastic opening set with numbers which drew from their most recent release, 2013's Stiches, and also explored back-catalog tracks, including 2009's "Funeral Singers."  Califone is a band off the radar who truly delivers a powerful performance live, and who I would eagerly see in a headlining engagement in Milwaukee.

Spoon- Riverside Theater, 9/17/14

Photo by Stephen Bloch

Timothy Showalter, lead singer and songwriter for Strand of Oaks, sums up Spoon the best when he described the Austin, Texas quintet: "Spoon is the most consistent band of the last 15 years. And by consistent, I mean perfect. I jumped on the train with Kill the Moonlight. With each new record, my world was expanded. How can a band maintain this level of focus for so long? How can songwriting with such a strong, instantly recognizable identity never get boring? I have no idea, but Spoon does it."   

Spoon is a rock 'n roll band, pure and simple.  Lead by frontman Britt Daniel, they pump out quality, catchy four minute, three chord tunes, and it works like a charm.  Their latest release, "They Want My Soul" was the focal point of much of their performance at the Riverside Theater, although in true fashion, Spoon seamlessly showcased their diverse and broad catalog in a robust set that stretched over 20 songs.   Newer tracks like, "Rent that I Pay," and "Knock Knock Knock" fit like a glove alongside Spoon "hits" like "My Mathematical Mind" from 2005's Gimme Fiction (requested by a fan with a sign) and "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" from 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.  "The Beast and the Dragon Adorned," a signature Spoon tune that kicked off Gimme Fiction was a stand-out highlight of the set, played to perfection,  The band's classic set closer of late, "Got Nuffin" from Transference ended the band's set on a rocking note.

One thing I noticed particularly in this performance is the driving bass lines that glue together the catchy melodies we've learned to love from Spoon.  The rhythm section of Spoon comprised of founding member Jim Eno on drums and Rob Pope on bass are stellar musicians whose precision punctuates the wailing guitar riffs from Brit Daniel.

Dressed in sharp black suits, the boys from Austin have taken their stage show up a notch since I last saw them on New Year's Eve 2009-2010.  Large blank screens were placed throughout the stage, projecting the band's silhouettes while playing.   This coupled with a top grade light show added to the visual engagement of the performance.   Speaking of the New Year's Eve show, Spoon recalled that experience by playing a cover of "No Time," by Jay Reatard who opened for the New Year's show and passed away a few day later.   It was a kind and fitting tribute to a friend of the band.

For more photos of the show, check out my friend Stephen Bloch's gallery featured in Relix Magazine.