Singer-songwriter Ben Howard and his three opening bands performed the last show of their United States tour Saturday night at Café 939. The sold out show began at eight, but fans were lined up an hour ahead of time to see if they could get their hands on some tickets. Unfortunately they could not be accommodated. It just goes to show that Ben Howard is blowing up in Boston. And rightfully so!

The evening began with Bear’s Den. The three-member band played a few songs to warm up the crowd. Their technical difficulties in between songs made their live set seem more intimate than any studio version could. They were down to earth and honest in their admiration for all the other bands they were touring with. Their music was easy going and set the mood nicely for the rest of the night.

The next performance came from a warm individual. Nathaniel Rateliff was a great guitarist, had strong, emotional vocals, and kept the crowd laughing with witty comments in between songs. He’s just one of those people you strongly wish was your friend. The same could be said for the next band, too. And I’m not just saying that because they all had awesome British accents.

The final act before Ben Howard was The Staves. The three sisters gave a folksy sound to their music with harmonies and minimal instruments. Their songs reminded me of something out of “O Brother, Where Art Though?” I especially enjoyed their cover of Chicago by Sufjan Stevens. They definitely did it justice.

Then there was Ben Howard. His set, much like all the sets prior, was laid back and enjoyable. The multi-talented group included Ben Howard who sang and played guitar, a cellist/bassist, and a drummer/bassist. Not to mention guests from previous bands that played various instruments.

The band seemed very humble and appreciative of their fans. They clrealy enjoyed the music they were making. They made it seems easy to please a room jam packed full of Bostonians using only melody and lyrics, but I think we can all agree it’s not that simple. There is an ingredient of showmanship that one must have to make a live concert worth seeing and Ben Howard definitely had it.

The crowd was obviously full of Ben Howard fans who knew all the lyrics to each of his songs and sang along proudly. They shut their eyes and swayed back and forth to the pleasant rhythms.

I’m sure all the bands were exhausted Saturday night after being on the road from Texas to Boston, but they sure didn’t look it. Their performances were filled with passion and good music. All four bands are worth checking out if you’re interested in easy listening. I’m not sure when they’ll be back in the states, but when they are, I recommend checking them out. They’re not bad. In fact, they’re quite good!

 

For more photos, check out the WTBU photo gallery.

When the rest of us were listening to Blink 182 in middle school, Dylan Baldi was probably discovering hardcore bands. It may explain why in just a few years, his band, Cloud Nothings, has released three full-length albums, and the band’s sound as a whole has undergone an evolution from dorm-room lo-fi pop-punk on 2010’s Turning On to a fearlessly loud and modular sound that toys on the threshold of hardcore. Click here to read more.

For more photos, check out the WTBU photo gallery.

By: Perry Eaton

The sold out crowd gathered at the Paradise Sunday night for the spectacle that is an Of Montreal show was treated to a high-energy, eclectic and overall wild performance. Prior to Sunday I had only read reviews, seen pictures and heard stories about the overwhelming audio and visual nature of a live Of Montreal show, and I was not disappointed.

The show kicked off around 8 P.M. with a couple of diverse openers; the first was former Berklee student Kishi Bashi, who was received extremely well by the already packed venue. Bashi’s obvious immense musical talent combined with his genius looping effects, reminiscent of Andrew Bird, provided the perfect start to the evening. Loney Dear hit the stage around 8:30, the Swedish duo was also received fairly well by the crowd but their lack of energy and stage presence provided a less exciting performance than the dynamic Kishi Bashi.

As 10:00 approached “Montreal, Montreal” chants began to fill the Paradise, as the anticipation of the crowd was clearly building. Finally, dressed as always in an elaborate array of costumes, the headliners hit the stage and the crowd exploded. As they began the show with material from their latest album “Paralytic Stalks” the 4 projector screens surrounding the stage displayed extremely psychedelic images to complement the music. The nature of the music combined with the imagery on the screens and costumes of the musicians already amazed me, however, this was only the beginning of the elaborate live performance the night had in store. Throughout the show a group of men dressed in full body suits with eye and mouth cut outs appeared on the stage to add to the experience. Whether they were hoisting lead singer Kevin Barnes on their shoulders, creating human projector screens, throwing props like balloons into the crowd or stage diving, their presence added an extra element of chaos and excitement to the show.

While some bands may create such an extravagant live experience to perhaps compensate for a lack of live musical ability, this could not be further from the truth in the case of Of Montreal. Despite the elaborate nature of the live show, Of Montreal’s unbelievably tight musical performance was impossible to overlook. Stunning harmonies, beautiful incorporation of wind instruments like the flute and saxophone as well as tight keyboard, guitar and percussion further complemented their stunning visual display.

After about 75 minutes of a crowd rocking show Of Montreal departed the stage, only to return shortly after for an even more epic encore. Their encore jam of hit song “Gronlandic Edit” was nothing short of incredible and equally as exhausting for the musicians and crowd alike. This was a show unlike any I have been to in the past and it is not one I will soon forget. Next time Of Montreal is in town I know I will be attending, and if you are a fan of a wild and fun live show experience, I recommend you do the same.

By: Taylor Chumas

Boston has been doing a superb job, as of late, at showing its support for live music. So many shows have been selling out, including last night’s show at the Paradise Rock Club for The Joy Formidable.  This alternative rock band from the UK has had recent success with the frequent radio play of their song “Whirring” and only one album and an EP behind them. But that’s enough to get them big gigs like Glastonbury 2011 as well as a sold out crowd at a mid-size venue like Paradise.

The stage was decorated nautically, including a lighthouse, twinkling lights, a ship’s wheel, and treasure chests around their instruments and sound systems.  They also had a gong on stage, which they have had at nearly every show they’ve played, as well as a new edition for this tour: an electric harp. We had to wait until the encore to find out what that was for, but it was worth it.

Ritzy Bryan, the lead singer and guitarist, looks like she is having the time of her life on stage, running around in her beautiful and interesting red leather cut-out dress. She made faces at her band mates, Rhydian Dafydd and Matt Thomas, and gestured to the audience to amp it up with her. The only problem was that the floor was very tightly packed and more than half of the audience had alcoholic beverages in their hands and were unable to jump around as much as I would have liked to have seen. Really, the bar at Paradise must have made quite a lot of money from the huge number of older patrons who attended this concert.

Between songs, Bryan took the opportunity to compliment Boston on its rowdiness and bantered with her drummer, Thomas, who could only reply with drum hits because he didn’t have a microphone.  They openly swore at the crowd and each other, like it was part of their conversational vocabulary, which is something that makes Bostonians cheer even louder.

The set seemed to fly by and before I knew it they had left and returned a few minutes later for the encore.  Bryan came back on stage with Dafydd to announce that they had finished recording a new album and played a new song called “Silent Treatment.”  It was acoustic and slower than their other songs, but it holds a lot of potential as part of their new album.

Finally, a harpist came out and started plucking away to the intro of “Whirring” and the crowd was too mesmerized (or drunk) to start cheering yet. Then the rest of the band joined in and they finished the show with a powerful rendition of that song, including the breaking of a few guitar strings and the banging of the gong a few more times.

The Joy Formidable puts on a great live show because of their energy on stage. Bryan has a broad smile on her face as she plays her heart out on the guitar, and Thomas seems to go absolutely crazy on the drums. They were nearing the end of the last tour for their album The Big Roar, and they said they were glad to be wrapping up their U.S. shows in Boston.  And I know Boston will welcome them back with their new album in the same way they did last night.

For more photos, check out the WTBU photo gallery.

When you go to see a concert not knowing much about the band, one of two things could happen. A) You could find the show distant and uninteresting, or B) You could jump right into the energy and discover a new band worthy of obsessing over.

For me, the California 5-piece Delta Spirit, who played Tuesday March 27^th to a sold-out crowd at the Paradise, was able to slap the excitement right into me and get my feet movin’ and groovin’ from the first song. Delta Spirit combines a mixture of Americana and rock music that begs listeners to stomp there feet in agreement to what they’re hearing. Singer/guitarist Matt Vasquez performed with such raw emotion it was hard not to hang on to every note or word he bellowed into the audience. At times he looked like a madman shouting and smiling into the mic and looking deep into individual faces in the crowd. The more he danced across the stage, raised his fists, and fixed his baseball cap, the more we responded. He repeatedly had us clap along to songs as if to make sure every last audience member was participating and having a good time. Multi-instrumentalist Kelly Winrich kept the songs fresh and full of life, switching back and forth between his keyboard and a second drum set, while Will Mclaren concentrated intensely as he performed the bands most intricate guitar parts.

Vasquez kept the energy high between songs by keeping a connection with the audience. “This is a dance number,” he warned, “like every fucking song we write.” It was comments like those that got the tipsy audience to cheer and raise their beers in celebration. Each member of the band (especially bassist Jon Jameson) smiled constantly and made the audience feel like they were truly grateful to be playing that night. Vasquez constantly thanked the audience for coming as he took full advantage of his being-in-the-band-gets-you-free-drinks perk. Despite the liveliness of the show, there were some serious moments in the set. Vasquez dedicated the new song “Yamaha,” a mesmerizing ballad and departure from most of their other high-energy tracks, to his wife, stating “I miss her like hell. She’s only four hours away and it’s a total mindfuck.”

Delta Spirit is a band known for their live performances. When I went home after the show and listened to some of their songs on YouTube, I couldn’t help but notice how much better they were live. This was a show I know I’ll remember and I can’t wait for the next time they come around so I can sing along with the rest of the audience.

By: Pat Malave

The Paradise wasn’t sold out prior to the show, but by the time Ben Kweller took the stage around 9:15 Friday night it sure had the look and atmosphere of a sell out. The crowd was entertained by a couple of solid opening bands to start, New York’s “The Dig” and Kentucky’s “Sleeper Agent” provided a great start to the night with some energetic, crowd pleasing rock.

Kweller kicked off his set with “Mean to Me”, the opening track off his new album, “Go Fly a Kite” and immediately got the crowd at the Paradise going. He continued with an energetic variety of both new and old songs, all of which the crowd seemed to love. After a strong and energetic start to the show the band exited leaving only Ben Kweller on stage to provide the crowd with a beautiful and personal cluster of stripped down songs. As he played songs like “Thirteen” and “Lizzy” which featured just him on the piano with a harmonica, Kweller’s passion captured the room as everyone attentively listened to his every note and quietly sang along with him.

Like many, when I go to a concert I love interaction between the musicians and audience; throughout the show Kweller maintained almost constant communication with the audience, from personal stories to jokes, his stage presence and obvious respect for the crowd made the show even more enjoyable. During one of his anecdotes between songs he divulged to the crowd his love for Boston, which I’m sure almost every artist says in every city they visit, but in telling the crowd this Ben Kweller sounded genuine. He reminisced about how much time he spent in Boston his whole life, how some of his best friends live here and how he met his wife in Cambridge. After expressing his love for the city of Boston he also pronounced his love for the Paradise and proceeded to dedicate his next song to the people stuck behind the poles, which everyone in attendance could appreciate.

After a set of about 17 songs he exited the stage and thanked the crowd for their attendance and participation in the show, it was not long at all before he re-entered for a highly demanded encore. He opened up the encore set with “Commerce, TX,” a lively rock song from his first album “Sha Sha.” Next he yelled to the audience “Now it’s time for the Pearl Jam covers segment of the show,” which he and his band followed up with a hilarious and seemingly unplanned cover of Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy.” Finally it was time for the night to truly come to an end, seeming overwhelmed by the love and energy of the crowd, he thanked the audience once again and closed the show with the wonderfully catchy and energetic “Penny On the Train Track.”

As the crowd exited it seemed everyone’s expectations, including my own, were highly exceeded by the wonderful, personal and entertaining show Ben Kweller put on at the Paradise Rock Club Friday night.

By: Taylor Chumas

Gotye and Kimbra performed a sold out show Thursday night at the House of Blues and what a night it was. For those unfamiliar with Gotye or Kimbra, they each have a sound all their own. They both are a bit quirky and offbeat, but in a good way. Refreshing would probably be the best way to describe their music. I had my expectations set fairly high for this concert and I can safely say that Gotye and Kimbra did not disappoint.

Kimbra opened the show, performing a nine-song set that lasted a little less than an hour. She pranced on stage in a tea party dress with her lips painted a deep red. And, man, did this girl have energy! She danced around the stage and enthusiastically shook her tambourine to every song. Her raspy, piercing voice took over the room and set the crowd swaying as she belted the most soulful parts of her songs. She even used an awesome loop during “Plain Gold Ring.”  There’s no doubt she’s a musical talent.

Once Kimbra had said goodnight and the stage was set for Gotye, the lights dimed and the five-member band emerged to deafening cheers from the House of Blues crowd. The band modestly picked up their instruments and began their first song of the evening, “Eyes Wide Open.” All of their songs were accompanied by some unbelievable video art projected on a screen behind them. The art ranged from surreal drawings to space images to cartoons that were reminiscent of those played on Cartoon Network in the ‘90s.

He interacted with the crowd and involved them in a couple of his songs. The obvious favorite of the night came in the middle of the set when Kimbra was brought back on stage to duet “Somebody That I Used to Know” with Gotye. The second she stepped on stage the crowd whipped out their cell phones to record the performance. The crowd cheered and sang along with every lyric. Gotye ended his set and walked off stage with a wave and a quick goodnight. The crowd shouted and applauded until the band came back on stage for a three-song encore. After the last note was struck, Gotye said goodnight again and briskly walked off stage.

Now, I need to say that Gotye makes great studio albums, but nothing can compare to what he does live. Please, if you ever get the chance to see him live, do it! He takes his audience on a fantastical tour of sound that cannot be experienced anywhere else. I’m not even entirely sure what genre to put his music under. It’s modern, futuristic, tribal, psychedelic, rhythmic, and folksy all at once. Don’t be fooled though. His music isn’t only made for eccentric individuals. It can easily be enjoyed by anyone who is even slightly interested in music.

I really can’t say enough good about both Kimbra’s performance and Gotye’s performance at the House of Blues. I was extremely impressed by both of their sets and will definitely be catching their next show in Boston. I recommend you do, too. You won’t be disappointed.

By: Danielle Medina