Sunday, July 27, 2008
Wolf Parade at La Zona Rosa
I am a Spencer Krug addict; I can admit that. It started under control with a few Sunset Rubdown songs from "Shut up, I am Dreaming of a Place Where Lovers Have Wings" but by the time I found Wolf Parade and Frog Eyes it was an intense habit. So, as soon as tickets for the Wolf Parade show at La Zona Rosa were online I bought some, just to ensure that there was no miniscule possibility in this life that I wouldn't get in.

I was looking forward to the show for weeks, and I patiently tolerated the lengthy delay between bands. And when Wolf Parade started playing I was as giddy and fist pumping as the the other fans in the sold-out crowd that were pushed up around me. "Oh my god, Spencer, the master of the emphatic nonsensical lyrics....I'm not worthy!" As they opened with "You are a Runner and I am my Father's Son," the vocals and instruments sounded golden coming out of the excellent sound system. The band played with a lot of energy, but with each next song, my excitement began to dwindle.

I looked around into a field of people swaying and lip syncing, but no one was that into it. There's no denying Wolf Parade played a great show, but they didn't do any spicy variations of their songs, or attempt to say much more than "thanks" to the audience. It's no secret that their first CD is better than "Mount Zoomer," and they didn't even try to hide it. They played old favorites from their first CD including "Ground for Divorce" and "This Heart's on Fire," as well as the obvious gems from their new CD: "Soldier's Grin," "Call it a Ritual," and "Fine Young Cannibals."

But in the end, the cavernous warehouse that is La Zona Rosa sucked out all the personality and intimacy that I was looking forward to from the performance. Or maybe Wolf Parade just isn't one of the best bands to see live...but I'd rather not believe that.
Posted by desperate bicyles
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1 Comments:
Blogger Tasteless said...
Wolf Parade put on a solid show. Don't be fooled by the fools like me who sometimes get stuck in a daze from watching too intensely instead of flailing my arms around and spazzing out. The best part of the night for me was when Spencer's keys went crazy and he had to stop. I've witnessed this happen a few times in my own band, and it's a scary thought when you think your keys may not come back to life and you have to finish the set rewriting all the songs. They handled it quite well.
9:07 AM  
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