Buzz kill
In the first of two sold-out shows, Yeasayer and MGMT provide musically and visually enticing contrasts
By Britt Julious
Published: February 10th, 2008 | 11:01pm
February 8, 2008, in
Chicago — Sometimes, first impressions are not everything. The new Yeasayer
album, All Hour Cymbals (WE ARE
FREE), was interesting, complicated, and good, but certainly not my favorite. However,
my previous notions changed instantaneously on Friday night during the band's
double bill with MGMT at Schubas in Chicago.
After starting 20 minutes late, Yeasayer declined to
initially engage with the audience and instead dove headfirst into an eclectic
blend of indie rock, African drumming, and Middle Eastern harmonies. Lead
singer Chris Keating's keyboards and electronics were facing away from the
audience, but this disengagement with the crowd proved to be beneficial rather
than detrimental. For the powerful, rhythmic songs from All Hour Cymbals, Keating needed space to breathe, to clamor, and
to devour each lyric as his own and the audience was left enraptured by the
emotional clout — often bleak and pessimistic — that each song held.
After seamlessly transitioning from one song to another,
Keating acknowledged the Chicago audience and the show time saying, “It’s good
to play early shows.” Later that night, Yeasayer took the stage for a later,
originally-scheduled show at the same venue, also sold-out.
What sets Yeasayer apart from other acts, and what was
apparent during Friday’s show, was the rich, subtle layering of sounds,
instruments, clapping, and vocals. As the audience watched the masterful songs
come together, such as in fan favorite and single “2080,” the band members
seemed entirely organic, as if each new second was as original as the last.
“Forgiveness” and “Wait for the Wintertime” were surprising numbers with many
of my neighbors singing along and banging their heads.
However, just when it appeared that Yeasayer’s momentum was
beginning to peak, Keating began to address his band mates, seemingly exhausted
from the all-too-short 45 minutes of the group's performance. “If I pass out in
the middle of a song, just keep going,” he joked. A few minutes later, Keating
said, “I thought this was the later show … bummer,” as the audience laughed.
The final song of the set, “Sunrise,” continued the theme of deliciously
animalistic psych rock that had encompassed Yeasayer’s set.
MGMT’s Oracular
Spectacular (Sony) has become a perennial favorite. The band's set,
however, seemed to be plagued with strange technical and sound problems
throughout the night, drowning out Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser’s
vocals with guitars. Like Yeasayer, each song blended smoothly into the next,
however, VanWyngarden and Goldwasser only acknowledged the audience once. After
beginning with “Weekend Wars,” the group transitioned into “Future
Reflections,” though the vocals sounded hoarse and too strained.
When single “Time to Pretend” began, the audience
immediately perked up, with couples and friends hugging and singing along, some
pushing to get closer to the front. The enthusiastic pop-synth styling of the
song didn’t match the rest of the tracks from Oracular Spectacular, which generally fits somewhere between
psychedelic and classic rock. “Electric Feel,” the second to last song of the
night, roused the audience members once again, with many dancing and singing
along to each word. However, as the set ended, the band members quietly left
the stage through the middle of the floor and the audience was promptly asked
to leave for the later show, leaving out popular songs like “Kids,” to the ire
of many attending.
MGMT wears its influences on its sleeves, and although I was
entertained, I left with a bad taste in my mouth, feeling somehow cheated from
the brilliant charisma of their debut album.
--
Photos taken at the late show on February 8, 2008 at Schubas in Chicago
Issue #35
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