Saturday, May 22, 2010

41st & Home CD Release Party w/ Aidan Knight, We Are The City & In Medias Res @ St James Hall -- 05/21/10

I have complained enough before about the heat and stuffiness that can arise at St James Hall, so I will dispense with that and just get onto the show itself.

Due to a myriad of reasons, partially my own failing, partially the universe conspiring against me, I got there a little late. I thought I had missed half of Aidan Knight's set, since there was supposed to be a 730 sharp start time, but I later found out I came in part way through the first song, so that was a relief! For his set there were nine people on stage; a couple of The O'Darlings, who are on his album Versicolour, as well as We Are The City. I was wondering how he would sound live, since his album can be pretty lush, and I was not disappointed. The last half of The Sun was fantastic, and the set just got better from there. Knitting Something Nice was another highlight, with the intensity building throughout the song, and Jasper was a great way to end the set. He had a pretty good stage presence as well, and even through his somewhat nervous banter, you could tell he was incredibly comfortable on stage. I can't wait until I have the chance to see him live again.
setlist:
The Sun, [new song], North East South West, Altar Boys, Knitting Something Nice, Jasper.

Next up was We Are The City, and their set was way too short. It seemed just as they were getting started, they were done. Despite playing only a handful of songs, they were as energetic as ever. Even though this is the fifth time I've seen them in the last few months, they never fail to entertain and amaze. They played a few off of In A Quiet World, and the songs seem to be evolving slightly when played live. Nothing too drastic, just a few additions, which give the songs that much more of a kick. They also threw in a new one (which I am going to guess is called Morning Song) before ending, as they usually do, with Astronomers.
I'm glad they'll be playing the Biltmore in a few weeks, where hopefully they'll play a lot longer.
setlist:
There Are Very Tiny Beasts In The Ground, There Are Very Very Big Lights in the Sky, April, Morning Song[?], Astronomers.

After them was 41st & Home, whose CD release party it was. They, too, packed the stage with members, and their rich sound interested me at first, though some of their songs seemed... not generic, but just lacked a kick. They were good, but nothing really caught my attention. Until their last two songs, which really grabbed me. Most of their songs seemed to start off slow or quiet, and build to a horn-filled ending, but those seemed had a grandiosity to them that I was was present in the rest of their set. If I wasn't incredibly broke, I would have no doubt picked up their CD, but I will be sure to keep an eye out for the next time they are playing.

Unfortunately, I had to bail at 11; I figured a show at St James would be done by then, due to the curfew, but In Medias Res was only just going on. I'm not really sure why they were going on last, since it was 41st & Home's CD release party, but oh well. From what I caught, they were not too bad, and while I may not go to a show with them headlining in the future, I wouldn't be adverse to seeing them live again.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.