2008年 Apr 2日 Wednesday, 11:15

So, before I talk about the last two concerts, let me post a couple random asides:

At the end of spring break I went to the local liquor store to pick up a bottle of wine for my girlfriend who was coming back from Arizona. While in there, they were playing Is There A Ghost. This is not the strangest story I have.

That would be the other day when I went to get some crystal light and water from Kroger (Payless for you Indiananans)… and what should I hear over the speaker but the sweet strains of Space Age Love Song. I didn't know that anyone was legal allowed to admit that Flock of Seagulls songs besides I Ran existed.

So at the end of February, Ben Folds came and played at Elliot Hall. His opening act was Eef Barzelay. As Purdue is apparently primarily attended by douchebags (or maybe it's just Ben Folds fans? but I don't think that's as true), Eef did not receive a very positive reception. He was definitely playing a little over his head, and his falsetto was a little weak, but I think in a smaller setting, he would've been really enjoyable. He just didn't really seem to be able to "fill" the room. Ben Folds was great, as funny as he was on Ben Folds Live, and he's definitely the amazing pianist that shows up on his albums.

Then, two weeks or so ago, I had the pleasure of attending a couple concerts. On thursday I went to see Hallelujah the Hills at The Venue. I really felt bad for the guys, they put on a tremendous show… for 6-8 of us. Myself, my girlfriend, and a group of about 4 girls were the only people there who didn't seem to be connected to the bands in some way, which is a real shame. Granted, the Venue has the same problem that Downtown Records had: too much sound in too small of a space, but it's still all we've got in the greater Lafayette area. And it was still better than the fucking Canopy Club. Appomattox were also really good, but we only caught the end of their set, and due to other crap I had to do tomorrow, we didn't stay for Plunkett.

Then Saturday, we loaded up Joe's truck and drove out to Urbana-Champaign to see British Sea Power at the Canopy Club. The aesthetic of the club was nice, and the bar service was good, but the sound quality was awful. First off, who opens the doors an hour and a half before the show for a little club show? I've never seen more than 30-45 minutes, but maybe that's just because I've been spoiled by concerts in Chicago and DC. So, after we listened to an hour and a half of soundchecking for Common Loon, we sat through their set. Other than sounding pretty much like a Wilco rip-off, I guess they were okay. Maybe we were just in a bad mood because of the sound check though. Then, another 45-60 minues of sound check before the 1900s came out. You know, as a little indie band, it seems kind of lame to ask the bar to send you alcohol to stage… I don't care if you're playing drunk (unless you're the Strokes and can't actually do it…), but c'mon. We paid to see you play music, not to hear you order a drink. It's also telling when the sound guy asks a band to play another 4-5 songs and they reply they've only got 2 more. Needless to say, I was not impressed. So, after two more or less disappointments (and another 45 minutes or so of sound checking) we finally got to British Sea Power. Thankfully, they made the night worth it. Crazy antics and great music triumphed, and was capped by just a ridiculous freak out at the end of the show, including some crowd surfing by one of the guys in the band that ended up with him upside down on one of the stage poles. Anyways, I took a few shots of BSP: Photos!

So that's about it. Due to financial and time situations I don't see a lot of concerts in the near future, but I'm probably going to end up going to see REM, Modest Mouse, and The National at the United Center in June because that line up is just so ridiculous.