Live Reviews

If there is a crack in my armor of cynicism, Travis always finds a way to exploit it. For the most part, I cringe – or roll my eyes or snicker or gag – at sappy attempts of sentimental fluff in music. But, as I've said before, Travis somehow breaks me down. Every time.

Sunday's show at Marquee Theatre in Tempe, the first time I'd seen Travis live, was no different. From the band's juiced-up introduction (winding their way through the crowd in boxing robes to the Rocky theme song) to the closer (Why Does it Always Rain on Me?, naturally), Travis exudes a sincerity completely lost on the lightweight imitators the band spawned (Keane, Snow Patrol, etc.) – and every other self-important band, for that matter.

These are four guys (a fifth plays keys for the shows) who seem to genuinely enjoy making music – not just for themselves, but for others, too. The band works hard to foster a, ahem, good feeling among fans. (To wit: Singer Fran Healy spotted a young girl in the audience and jumped off the stage after a song to bring her a "gift" – a set of earplugs.)

And, yet, the way some people take cheap shots at Travis, you almost feel like you have to apologize for liking the band. Ooooh, they're not complicated enough. They're not indie enough. Who cares? I had a better time at this show – in the I'm-just-going-to-go-ahead-and-sing-every-song-and-not-care-what-people-think way – than any I've been to this year ... or any other year. Ah. There. I said it. I feel better.

After the first few songs, Healy said the band would play some old stuff, new stuff and "in-between" stuff. That Travis hasn't completely abandoned material from the 2003 commercial flop 12 Memories – the band played three songs off it – shows some guts, considering at least two people said to me recently: "The last thing I heard from them was The Invisible Band."

More power to Travis then for returning this year with The Boy With No Name, an album that could easily have been the successor to 2000's humongous hit The Man Who (nine times platinum in the UK or 2.7 million sales). Even still, Travis kept new material to a minimum, perhaps realizing that, with four years between albums – and, according to one fan, seven years between Arizona visits – it's best to reacquaint yourselves slowly. 

To that end, tucking Writing to Reach You – one of the band's most recognizable songs – right behind the Lust for Life-esque opener Selfish Jean played perfectly to the crowd. Later, Healy even ordered fans to point and chant the piano player's name (Klaus ... he's Swedish) during a solo. It's OK, he said, "It's a Travis show. This isn't Coldplay."

It was a joke. But you get the feeling Healy and his bandmates, all smiling and climbing amp stacks (what the hell was Andy Dunlop doing?), are more comfortable letting a group like Coldplay bear the pressure/expectations of being the next "it" band. If Sunday's show was a sign of a rejuvenated band in a happier place, then I can't wait to see what comes next ... at least not for another four years. 

Set list for Travis at Marquee Theatre in Tempe, 11/25/07:

Selfish Jean
Writing to Reach You
Love Will Come Through
Re-Offender
As You Are
My Eyes
Pipe Dreams
Beautiful Occupation
Side
Driftwood
Good Feeling
Closer
All I Want to Do is Rock
Turn

ENCORE:

Twenty (Fran solo acoustic with no amplification)
Flowers in the Window (Fran solo acoustic with the guys singing behind him)
Three Times and You Lose
Battleships
Blue Flashing Light
Slide Show
Why Does it Always Rain on Me?

 

All it took was a trip to the Mohawk on a "school night" (although I've been out of school for nearly a decade) to remind me that I'm getting old. What is it about music venues posting unbelievably inaccurate start times for shows? Let me rephrase that: why can't venues list the actual planned start time for an artist?

In any case, I digress. I was lucky enough to catch Earlimart on their trip through town not too long ago in support of their August release, "Mentor Tormentor." As a new fan, I was really interested to see their live show and how it compares to the quality material on the album. Lucky for me, their autumn-y set (reddish leaves backed by reddish lights decorated various instruments and aspects of the stage) was supremely satisfying, making the three hours of killing time before their set worthwhile.

"Mentor Tormentor" is streaming in full at the group's official website or stop by their MySpace page for music, tour dates and more.

 

I know, I know. It's been two weeks since the festival ended, but I've been a very busy girl.

In my usual tradition of bad news first, here are the lows:

Going into the sixth annual Austin City Limits Festival, there was a good deal of trepidation by many regular attendees. Not only had Amy Winehouse and Rodrigo y Gabriela cancelled in the weeks prior to kickoff, but Saturday night headliners the White Stripes pulled out just three days before their scheduled gig. Irate ticketholders lit up local blogs with their opinion of events, including the way ACL producers chose to push Saturday's AT&T stage roster up a set and add a replacement band to the opening 12:30pm slot rather than find another headline-worthy act. Lucky for them, English rockers Muse were able to handle the undeniably fierce pressure for Saturday's closing show, but that's a high we'll get to later.

On top of all the cancellation drama, Friday afternoon saw even more when a propane tank in the service area just outside the festival grounds exploded, sending four service personnel to the hospital with injuries. Thankfully the emergency staff contained the fire, extinguishing it before it affected thousands of concertgoers in any way.

I can't believe I'm even saying this, but the last major disappointment came with closer Bob Dylan. Aside from his slow start vocally (during the first song, "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," a passerby asked if Cookie Monster was singing onstage)
worn-out festival goers had no way of seeing the legend or his backing band play thanks to signed agreements to use only two camera angles and zero close-up shots. Boo hiss. From where I stood in the sea of approximately 50,000, Dylan was about a quarter-inch tall on the Jumbotron. To put it lightly, it was a sub-par concert experience for the majority of fans.

Now for the (few) highs:

Ghostland Observatory, as always, rocked, pulling in an enormous crowd of people who were eager to dance. Their entire set, including their two best-known songs "Sad Sad City" and "Stranger Lover," was perfectly choreographed to a laser light show that would only work for GLO.

ACL higher-ups are breathing a sigh of relief after English rockers Muse turned their impromptu Saturday headlining gig into one of the best shows of the festival. Prepared to impress, the group won over scores of new fans with their musical prowess, undying energy and captivating visual effects.

Continue reading "Wilco :: Austin City Limits Studio Taping"

Continue reading "The Cinematics"

It doesn't matter that Chris Cornell is older now, more removed from the young and hip—he's still got it. He's still got that powerful, raspy voice that men admire and women swoon over. He proved it tenfold at his Sunday night show at Austin's beloved creekside stage behind Stubb's BBQ.

Continue reading "Chris Cornell rocks Stubb’s"

 

 

I've been meaning to write about Austin's own Dynah for over a month now, before SxSW came to town, stealing the spotlight from the everyday, hard-working local bands such as this one and turning me into a music monster. 

Continue reading "Band to Watch: Dynah"

Scotland's Paolo Nutini has invaded US airwaves with a catchy, fast-paced pop song, "New Shoes." The happy, upbeat number was the "aha" moment for many at his Saturday evening SxSW showcase. 

Continue reading "Paolo Nutini opens for Iggy at SXSW"

Continue reading "Carrie Rodriguez does SxSW"

Most people know Emerson Hart as the lead singer of Tonic, a thoughtful pop rock outfit that cruised the Billboard charts in the mid- to late-'90s. But now Hart is concentrating on establishing himself as a solo artist, particularly with the impending June 2007 release of his debut solo album, "Cigarettes and Gasoline."

Continue reading "Emerson Hart’s Friday night SXSW showcase"

I've mentioned VietNam to liveDaily blog readers before. They opened for the Lemonheads show at Emo's just a couple months ago, leaving a packed house, most of whom were initially unfamiliar with the Brooklyn band, wanting more.

Continue reading "VietNam visit SXSW"

My first Elvis Perkins encounter was last year's Austin City Limits Festival, where he and his crew played a sweltering midday set on a rinky-dink side stage. Prior to his show, I'd read up on him, becoming familiar with his family line and a couple of his songs. And despite the hot, dusty conditions, he put on an impressive, folky rock show. I knew when I saw his name listed among the SXSW acts, I should do my best to check him out again.

Continue reading "Elvis Perkins’ SXSW performance"

The Annuals’ official SXSW showcase, slated for 12:45am Thursday morning on the tented Beauty Bar patio, didn’t begin as promptly as planned due to issues during sound check. But once the young group got going, they attempted to make up for it with loud, energetic rock. The packed crowd—whether eager to finally have some entertainment, to have Night One nearly over, or because they legitimately loved the show—ate it up.

Continue reading "Annuals’ SXSW Showcase"