Los Campesinos! + Titus Andronicus - Paradise Rock Club (Boston, MA; Feb. 13, 2009)

Here’s a connection I never noticed before: Welsh rock bands turn undergraduate males into 12 year old girls, complete with wild dancing, screechy screaming, and pigtails. Or at least two out of three. And had I been slightly more familiar with Los Campesinos! before their recent concert at the Paradise (and had that very night, like many, consumed my first beer ever), I probably would have joined in, pigtails and all.

First, though. There’s plenty to decry about the Paradise Rock Club these days. The ‘Dise was picked up by LiveNation, which is still popping boners about its continuing (successful?) plan to be as obnoxious a competitor to Ticketmaster as possible, such that they themselves get bought up by the ticketing behemoth. Their other plan: lame-up all the venues they manage. The Lounge is history, the space now reduced to a bar that you’re shepherded through on your way to the actual club. And now, in the club whence grew sweet memories of countless junior proms, where U2 did that thing they were famous for doing there, there are plasma screens running continuous LiveNation ads, PSAs about fire exits, and ticketing fees and guidelines that would make even the most usurious Shakespearean protagonist blush.

But they still get great shows. And the Los Campesinos! with Titus Andronicus lineup was no exception.

I loved 2008’s Titus Andronicus release, The Airing of Grievances. So much so that I voted it one of the year’s best, though I apparently did not sufficiently lobby other contributors to join my motion. I understand that it was both liked and not-liked by a great many people. But on stage, running around, screaming into mics, I don’t see how the band couldn’t be liked. Or, at least, how they couldn’t be found to be entertaining. My ears are still ringing a day later, and though the lyrics were hopelessly lost in the din, and whatever emotional power of said lyrics therefore also dissipated, I am left with great affection for the band. I can’t say for sure how much of the awkward dawdling and chatting about New Jersey and Massachusetts was affect and how much was for reals, but once they get singing and playing, it’s exactly the kind of drunken diabolical orgy with the visigoth queen we’ve all always dreamed of. Though in a pleasant way. The sound is antagonistic, probably intentionally difficult to handle at times, but has the power and recklessness to be fun. Riotous fun. Just not wholesome fun, certainly.

The Paradise was full-to-busting by the time Los Campesinos!’s seven-strong lineup hit the stage. From left-to-right: (Aleksandra) redheaded gal with a mic, a little glockenspiel, and keys; (Ellen) blond gal with a bass, a mic, and an awesomely surly attitude; (Gareth) lead singer guy with a mic, a broken micstand, a standing tom, a cymbal of some stripe, glockenspiel, synth/keys; (Ollie) drummer fella with a kit, an constant smiling sneer, and no shirt; (Neil) guitar guy; (Tom) guitar guy; and (Harriet) brunette with a violin. Now, I have mixed feelings about traditional strings in live setups with electric/-tronic instruments. I like it when it “fits,” I don’t when it doesn’t. Generally, a violin is too syrupy, too smooth, too differently textured to really work with a rock band. But here, it fit. The immensely appealing Gareth has a slightly-better-than-normal indie/emo, whine-and-holler of a voice, and it paired beautifully with Harriet’s plucks and bowing.

Neil and Tom share a mic, yelling and singing at each other and at the crowd, playing combinations of clean, fast picking and noodling with more growly noise. They’re all fantastic performers, but Gareth really runs the show. He jumped down into the crowd at one point (much to said twelve-year-old-girl-BU-undergrad-males’ delight), dancing and singing with whoever was near him. Tom also dropped into the crowd, leaning back into a sea of hands and arms supporting him as he continued to zip about on his guitar. Other visual highlights: everyone standing on monitors at the front of the stage in ACTUAL LIGHT in a Boston venue. Unheard of!

Again, I wasn’t familiar with Los Campesinos! before I went to the ‘Dise, other than what I recently heard at Great Scott after the Heartless Bastards show. But I’m sold. Super compelling guitar hooks, lots of singer-shouters, great connection to the audience. And they truly seemed pleased by the crowd’s enthusiasm, telling us that we were three times the size of the last Boston crown they’d played to. At this rate, they’ll be at the Orpheum in no time. Or, should one want to avoid LiveTicketslutNation, the Wilbur....

Stimulate the economy:

Los Campesinos!
Hold On Now, Youngster...: | We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed:

Titus Andronicus
The Airing of Grievances:

DOWNLOAD: Los Campesinos - My Year in Lists (MP3) or Follow us for more Los Campesinos MP3s (Twitter)

Los Campesinos review to your liking? You'll sweat:

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