There is so much that went right with this show that writing this review without turning into a complete, gushing fangirl is going to be difficult. For your benefit, as well as mine, I will do my best. But I make no promises.
The venue is a fine enough place to start. Northrop Auditorium has always been one of my favourite places to see a show. Like the Orpheum, it is a classic theater where, to look at it, one might expect to see an opera or a ballet, rather than a rock show. That, in itself, gives me no small amount of joy. The visual juxtaposition of a bunch of post-punk revival rockers against that formal architecture and décor is excellent. For sound, Northrop actually surpasses the Orpheum, structured in such a way that the balcony doesn't have a muffling effect over the latter rows of the main floor. That, combined with the larger, more open stage (more room to spread the speakers out), and some top work by the technicians, resulted in a crystal clear sound experience. And sightlines? You just can't beat 'em. The snaking aisles and staggered seats guarantee that no matter where you're seated, and no matter how tall the jerk in front of you is, you're going to have a clear shot at the stage (from the main floor, at least; I've yet to see a show from the balcony). By far, my favourite theater venue, and possibly my favourite venue overall. Note to bands I like: Play there!
Moving on to the music, The Cribs served as the openers, and they more than held their own. Why these guys haven't made it big here yet is beyond me, but when they do, I will totally be saying "I toldja so." Instruments and vocals were spot on, and the band members were charming and fun. They played pretty much all of their album, The New Fellas, making it obviously a very strong set, but "Hey Scenesters," "Mirror Kissers," and "Hello? Oh..." (you know how I'm a sucker for songs that say "hello"!) were the highlights for me; favourites from the album that were even stronger live. Fans of The Libertines/Babyshambles, The Arctic Monkeys, and, of course, Franz Ferdinand should find them as fetching as I do.
Speaking of those Scottish darlings, Franz Ferdinand were up next. Given the proximity of the shows, it was difficult not to compare theirs to that of The Strokes, and I was taken by the vast differences in the performances. While both demonstrated unquestionable musical skill and talent, The Strokes' show seemed... almost too perfect, in retrospect. It was a tremendous performance, don't get me wrong. But it just didn't seem quite as live, somehow? Franz Ferdinand, on the other hand, did not have this problem. Their performance was such that you could envision seeing a completely different show from one night to the next, each song very much a departure from the album original. Different styles, tempos, and especially, vocals. I always assumed the restrained manner utilized by Kapranos on the albums was a conscious choice, and it may well be. But live, he completely cuts loose.
And even more importantly, they just seemed to have so much fun! One of my pet peeves is when rock stars take themselves too seriously. I mean, they've got the greatest job in the world. Why not enjoy it? And Franz Ferdinand totally did. Alex Kapranos seemed barely able to keep the grin from his face throughout the set, interacting with the audience, interacting with his band, dancing and running around the stage whenever he wasn't singing (and sometimes while he was).
The setlist was a good mix of new and old (including one brand new song, "Lindsey Wells," from "The Fallen" single). While I missed "Evil and a Heathen," they have an expansive catalog, and had some pleasant surprises from their selections. Highlights of the unexpected/forgotten variety? "Michael," "This Fire" (how I didn't remember how much I love this song, I'll never know, but I appreciated the live reminder), "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" (with a much punkier spin), "Walk Away," and "Dark of the Matinee." And of course, the hits remained hits. "Do You Want To" predictably killed, and the extended version of "The Fallen" was spectacular.
And the best part? They didn't play "Take Me Out," those cheeky monkeys. I love it.
The worst part? They weren't the closer. Two dates later, and I would have had an encore. Alas, what I had was a mosh-pit-esque experience at the t-shirt stand and Death Cab for Cutie.
Don't get me wrong, kids. I love Death Cab as much as the next person. Ben Gibbard is a stellar songwriter, and faithful readers will know that Plans was among my favourite albums last year. And my prediction that they were the sort of band that's quiet on cd, but completely rocks out in person? Dead on. I mean, who would have guessed that those sensitive lads were a heavy metal band in sheep's clothing? They had a set that somehow only they could have, crooked houses and skeletal trees, like something out of a high-budget grade school production of Our Town.
But... they've got this brand new album, and they only played three songs from it, one of which ("I Will Follow You Into the Dark, and my personal high point of the show) in the encore. I get that playing older songs is like a chocolate covered treat for the fans that have been down since day one, and I'm not one of those people that goes just to hear the singles (which, with the aforementioned exception, was all they wound up playing for it), but come on. "Marching Bands of Manhatten" would have been a killer opener to replace "Passenger Seat," and would it have been such torture to give four and a half minutes to a beautiful track like "Brothers on a Hotel Bed"? Transatlanticism saw a little more action, but the lack of "Lack of Colour" was a big disappointment.
I get the impression that if I was a hard core fan, I would have been blown away. But having only discovered them with Transatlanticism, and having only truly fallen in love with Plans, I found it to be a little anticlimatic after the powerhouse of a show delivered by Franz Ferdinand.
All in all, though? An amazing show all around. You just can't make a sweeter line up than than these three bands on a single stage, and I was lucky as hell to have witnessed it.
P.S.: What I didn't witness earlier in the week? She Wants Revenge at First Ave., and Stellastar* (with openers The Editors) at the Fine Line (a gaff I will almost certainly be regretting to the end of my days), both on Tuesday night. Note to bands I like: Work out a schedule amongst yourselves. There's plenty of Minneapolis to go around. There's no need to crowd into one week!
P.P.S.: Blurry camera phone pictures to come soon.
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