Here’s some math for everyone out there: Flawed perception + low expectations = possibility. In terms of pride, you don’t necessarily want to be here, in a place where you can be made to realize that your bullheaded disposition can and will be proven wrong from time to time. But as a music fan, sometimes this is the best place to be, because when your expectations are low, you leave yourself open to the possibility of shock and awe. And that is exactly where I found myself on Wednesday night: as a member of the shock and awe camp, gawking at the spectacle that is a Friendly Fires performance and reassessing if I should ever convince myself of anything again.
So what was I convinced of? It was that the promoter had made an egregious error in putting Friendly Fires over the xx as the headliner. It seemed simple to me. The xx released one of the best CDs of the year and in terms of buzz are this year’s Vampire Weekend. Doesn’t that earn them a headlining gig when they board the metal bird and cross the Atlantic? Then again, what did I know? I hadn’t heard a lick of Friendly Fires going into this. All the information that I had was that they were from England (like the xx) and fell into the category of dance-punk/indie dance-rock. Whoever they were, Friendly Fires had their work cut out for them because from what I saw, it was abundantly clear that the crowd that stuffed the Doug Fir like the next day’s turkey were there for the xx, too.
The showdown for “shoulda been headliner” supremacy would come later, and even though she wasn’t in the running, opener Holly Miranda showed herself to be a viable candidate in her own right. If you see her live, what you immediately notice about her is her voice. It was enchanting and struck me as a cross between Florence (from Florence + the Machine) and Fiona Apple, though I’ve heard Cat Power comparisons as well. It was the most powerful arrow in her quiver, and she used it to her advantage, piercing the crowd with enough technique to wow, but not enough to make you think she was some knock-off Aretha.
Her music’s echoey and delay-enriched nature reminded me of The Joshua Tree and the expansive valleys that permeate that record. It was a lot of sound for two people (she had a second guitarist) and with another group, it might have seemed like they were hiding behind the echoes, but not them. They created a space for her to take flight and she tried her best to meet the sky. And while it wasn’t new ground and it wasn’t extremely varied, it showed some serious promise and made it easy to see why folks like Dave Sitek and Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio want to work with her.
Next band up was the one I came I see, the xx, and by this time, the shoulder-too-close-to-shoulder vibe suggested that we were at capacity. When the band finally emerged in its (fairly new) three-member format, the place gave them a welcome befitting a band much older, much more established. It was extremely loud and I’m sure it felt good.
Dressed in all-black everything except a touch of steel gray on lead singer/guitarist Romy Madley Croft’s sweater, the group launched into “Intro.” And when Jamie Smith hit that first square drum shot on his MPC sampler, the crowd burst and the bass came out to play. Suddenly, the minimalism of the record didn’t feel so minimal. It had a fullness to it, a warmth, and I fell in love with the group even more.
They followed “Intro” with “VCR” and that breathy, reserved-soul phrasing that the xx is known for made its first appearance. Croft and bassist Oliver Sim took turns with the lead vocal, each taking a verse before reuniting in unison for the chorus. Their voices fit together perfectly in soothing, long-drawn strokes. And when coupled with the focused space of the music, their paring seems intimate, though more platonic than sexual. It’s nothing that is enhanced by seeing them live, but rather one of the many pieces that make them an exciting group to discover and revisit.
Their performance of “Crystalised” was particularly clutch when its tension and release dynamic was brought to its full potential in front of an adoring crowd. The volley between Croft and Sim only amplified our anticipation, and even though I knew the song was about to break open, when it finally did, with its “hai ai ai” and that sidewinder guitar line, I felt like a little kid. R&B tints and dark pop overtones make a pretty pair and when they are blended in this way, it’s hard not to feel a rush. What can I say, I love this group and I was surrounded by 200 people that felt the same.
And that might be the most exciting part about seeing the xx at this stage of their career. You can see them up close in fun-size venues right before they blow up and become everyone’s favorite band. And I’m sure that day is coming where 10,000 people are singing lines from “Shelter” or perfecting their perfectly sly dancing during “Islands.” Which is kind of an odd thought since the music feels so personal, like something just for you. But isn’t that exactly the kind of music that brings people together and causes them to swoon? Mass acceptance will be here soon, just watch.
They ended with “Infinity,” a track whose very essence sounds like a musical (not lyrical) resurrection of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.” It’s like walking on clouds after a storm. You are know the steps are a bit iffy, so you take your time, but the more you do it, the more confidence you get. The song builds in confidence much in the same way until Croft gets to a point where she says she “can’t give it up” and Sim eggs her on, asking her to turn over her hesitation and “give it up.” It’s a cool song and the growing intensity, especially with the bass rattling my rib cage, lent itself well to a final song placement. New favorite.
After it was over, they walked off stage smiling to a recorded version of their fantastic remix of Florence + the Machine’s “You Got The Love.” The sound guy cranked it and the satisfied crowd had to pick whether they were going to dance it out until Friendly Fires made their entrance or they were going to leave. 2/3s stayed. They were the smart ones.
The faithful were rewarded when lead singer Ed Macfarlane bounded onto a stage inhabited by a drummer, two guitarists, and a horn section complete with sax and trumpet. I looked at them in those few seconds before the first funk-filled measure guessing at what they would sound like and planning out my early exit if they failed to deliver. But when the bass player started laying down his groove and the room began to bob up and down, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Lovesick” was the perfect opener, introducing me and my feet to the joys of a good dance-punk song. And inspiring you to dance is what these guys do best. Ed showcased his own manic moves for the soon-to-be-sweaty crowd, which only sent the spurs deeper into their sides. His torso would swivel out an S shape and then pop it to his legs, only stopping for a second so he could open his mouth for a loud wail of “in your arms!” It was like the man was reveling in a recurring case of uncontrollable whiplash.
It was a contagious energy that was matched by his band, who progressively got sweatier and more passionate as the show went on. Lead guitarist Edd Gibson looked like he was having the time of his life as he uncaged his body and laid down his own mix of hard rhythms and tasteful licks. Their drummer, Jack Savidge, was a human groove machine as well, alternating between complex cowbell taps and fast-paced drumming. And whatever they chose to play, it was always fun and the crowd was inspired. It was like they were in Footloose and they had finally found a place to dance after a long ban. People were losing their minds and screaming loud enough to make their lungs pop. And they had to because the sheer volume of the show was punishing. It fit the energy of the event, so we made do, but by the end my ears were underwater.
Back on stage, Macfarlane led us through pop gems like the pulsing getaway anthem “Paris” and the hyperactive’s delight “On Board” which may or may not have borrowed from Jamie Lidell’s “A Little Bit More.” Each was like a mini-bash and our hosts were the life of the party, twisting knobs to add a little bit of electro or cueing up their horns for a blast of brass from the back. It was like I was working my way through a Prince outtake CD where the musicians were going to jail tomorrow and they had one night left to party. It all just kept feeding off itself and by the end, I was ecstatic.
They ended with “Ex-Lover,” and as Macfarlane cried out “you’re all I need” I marked Friendly Fires down on my list as a band I have to see every time they come to town. So here’s the deal: if you like electro, if you like funk, if you like indie, if you like pop, and you like dancing, go see Friendly Fires. They will blow you away and for all those that are still wondering, they deserved top billing.
DOWNLOAD: Friendly Fires - Lovesick (MP3) or Follow us for more Friendly Fires MP3s (Twitter)
he is amazing bro his style can not be touched....some people dont know what he is talking about caz u dont do what he does he is sickkk bra
by dylyn on Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 11.59 am from the entry: Wiz Khalifa: Burn After Rolling (Mixtape)
Wow,Great post.Thanks for sharing with us. land wi
by wisconsin land on Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 09.53 am from the entry: of Montreal + Gang Gang Dance - Orpheum Theatre (Boston, MA; Oct. 30, 2008)
Ugh. Paste’s profile of Free Energy made me kind of hate them. So does your review. It’s this unctuous defense of good-time rock-and-roll ("we’re just here to party, and we’re awesome!") that seems more self-serving than fun-loving.
by beth on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.41 pm from the entry: Foreign Born + Free Energy - The Knitting Factory (Brooklyn, NY; Mar. 12, 2010)
that inescapable feeling you are referring to, is that like when you hear something and you could have sworn you heard it before because of the nostalgic catchy quality? or is is like when you’ve heard a band exactly like said band?
great post by the way!
by paul on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 03.15 pm from the entry: The Novel Ideas - "The Sky Is A Field" - Borrow It
Whoa! I had no idea she was enegaged. You would never know with the way she behaves! Wow!
by art on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: Nikki Darlin and John McCauley: 1+1=1
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
Review is spot on! I, too, was lucky enough to see this trio of incredible bands and came away from the night feeling thoroughly pumped!!
that bill was unreal! whoever set that up deserves a party thrown in their honor or at the very least a promotion.
Agreed. What I really liked about it was the acts actually complemented each other, which I feel is a rarity these days. If more shows were put together with respect to how they might sound one after another, I think fans would really appreciate it!
Shock and awe! Couldn’t agree more, Siri. Usually, I could care less about openers, but Miranda fulfilled the true meaning behind a “warm-up” with her velvety tones. I came to see the xx. Two words: STEL LAR! As for the Friendly Fires, it took no more than 10 seconds of their dance tunes to get into the party! Impressive group combo with flow like Multnomah Falls.
love the review...makes me wish even more that I’d been there!! & the photos are killer, colin!
thanks nicci! just go see any of them next time. It was one of the best nights of music I have seen in a while. And on the pics, Ro Tam took them, not me. They are good though, aren’t they?
Fantastic review and show Colin. Agree with the other posters that the bands all complemented one another. I was originally going to the show for the Friendly Fires, but picked up on The xx a couple weeks prior to the concert and was definitely looking forward to them. They did not let me down. BTW, thanks for the note with the link to the site. Enjoying all the concert reviews.
Thanks Jerry! Glad you made it over here and are enjoying the site. Had you seen Friendly Fires before or were that first time like some of the rest of us?