“Like a cast shadow”
I don’t often make it down to the Sunset Strip in Rock and Roll West Hollywood. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just that it’s expensive and the parking is absolutely terrible. However, I’ve a lot of fond memories of late night jaunts to The Rainbow Room for pizza, beers, and bitch sessions about freelance work with some close friends and it just so happens that the Roxy Theatre is right next door. So, of course I was going to make a trek out to street where rock and roll really cemented its place in popular culture to see The Faint and whoever is touring with them.
CLOSENESS
I can’t help but feel that Closeness should have been second on the bill. They’re spiritually close to the Faint — since it’s the husband and wife duo of Todd (The Faint) and Orenda Fink (Azure Ray, Now It’s Overhead) — and have a good energy about them considering the limitation of their stage set up, facing each other with a synth wrack separating them. Despite the relation to The Faint their songs are quite well divorced from any spillover influence and have a lush shoegazer feel with some experimentation with post-punk and dreampop. Too bad half the audience wasn’t there to catch it, they missed out on quite a gem and I eagerly look forward to future releases.
Choir Boy
Despite my initial less than enthused reaction to the album, Choir Boy held my attention. There was a tense energy about vocalist Adam Klopp that betrayed his otherwise pretty vocals. There was an anger present in the sentiment behind the words that was visible at times on his face. The band are fully committed and neighbors in the audience frequently cited comparisons to the obvious 80s influence from bands like Roxy Music and the Cure. While I normally can’t stand Morrissey-esque singing, I found myself truly enjoying the show as it unfolded. Once again, it’s fascinating to me how a band’s energy on stage can completely change how their music is perceived.
The Faint
To quote a friend of mine: “The Faint are still a thing?!” Well, yes and boy are they. I am ever amazed by bands that can keep on truckin’ for 20+ years and still put on high energy shows like they’re still teenagers and The Faint is one of those bands. With a set list of prime cuts from albums as far back as Blank Wave Arcade, the four piece from Omaha still kicks ass and never looks back. I had so much damn fun I actually danced for the first time in ages. Unlike certain subcultures of the darker side of electronica, the crowd at The Roxy all seemed to be super keyed in on having a good time albeit with many a cellphone in hand. While normally I find it maddening to see people in an audience holding up their phones for 20 minutes, it was almost appropriate given the context of the new album Egowerk which is all about social media’s role in abetting toxic behavior.
When all was said and done, a lot of smiling, sweating faces, ambled out of the Roxy onto the street and I heard nary a negative word on my way to the garage across the street, making the evening quite the success. These are the types of shows that always leave a sense of elation afterwards and it’s hard not to just bask in the glow.
Setlist provided via setlist.fm
1. Quench the Flame
2. The Geeks Were Right
3. Desperate Guys
4. Your Retro Career Melted
5. Southern Belles in London Sing
6. Mental Radio (Tour Debut)
7. I Disappear
8. Chameleon Nights
9. Evil Voices
10. Let the Poison Spill From Your Throat
11. Skylab1979
12. Take Me to the Hospital
13. The Conductor
14. Young & Realistic
15. Worked Up So Sexual
16. Paranoiattack
ENCORE
17. Child Asleep
18. Agenda Suicide
19. Glass Danse
