Mogwai w/ Parlour and Aurore Rein @ Metro 3/24/01
Glasgow’s Mogwai has started a dangerous trend in music today: post-rock. At their recent show at Chicago’s Metro proved they were intent on putting it to an end. Since forming in 1996, Mogwai, along with bands like Tortoise, and Shipping News, have indirectly influenced thousands of emo kids, punkers, rockers and jazz musicians to venture into the depths of post-rock. There problem with this new breed of bands is they all stink.
Mogwai is on a mission, then, to defend the honor of great bands like Papa M and The For Carnation, and to destroy this collective of pubescent guitar brats. How did the “Scottish Guitar Army” accomplish this? With distortion, of course.
Mogwai’s hour-and-45 minute, late-night set began with a couple of subdued numbers, including the beautiful “Stanley Kubrick” from their EP+2.
The set concentrated on new tunes from the upcoming Rock Action on Matador Records. Leader Stuart Braithwaite broke the silence early on by lending vocals to the new “Secret Pint” and “cody” from their Come On Die Young.
Midway through the set, the band played “Christmas Steps,” which could be the most deceiving song ever written. A soothing guitar riff puts everyone at ease for about the first four minutes of the song.
Just as the song appears to be wrapping up, the darkest, most evil bass line pops into the speakers. Then, all hell breaks loose, sending Braithwaite and the rest of the guitar army into five minutes of frenzied riffs and distortion.
To cap everything off, Mogwai came out for an encore and lit into a 25-minute version of “My Father, My King,” which features 12 minutes of the most ear-shattering distortion imaginable. As the band walked offstage, the amps were still howling.
Bright Eyes @ Vintage Vinyl 3/26/01
Bright Eyes is essentially the genius of a musical prodigy from Omaha, Neb. named Conor Oberst. His old band, the equally superb Commander Venus, started their own local record label, Saddle Creek Records, which has provided opportunity to memorable acts like Lullaby for the Working Class.
Oberst and the rest of his band managed to pack the local St. Louis music store on a Monday evening, in order to showcase some of the new songs that he has just written. The band was in town to play at Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room after receiving a personal invitation to open for alt-rock legend J Mascis and his band, the Fog.
Oberst’s new songs evoked the spirit of bands like The Apples in Stereo and Neutral Milk Hotel, the latter of which helped his record the finest Bright Eyes album, Letting Off the Happiness. In addition to mirroring many of the bands on the excellent Elephant 6 record label, Oberst delivers his songs with a subtle beauty that gives his indie-rock audience someone to identify with. He’s not unlike a kid version of Damien Jurado.
He continuously churns out great tunes, developing himself as a legendary songwriter. In this day and age, that’s quite rare isn’t it?
