Category: Concert Review (Page 6 of 8)

Review: WATERS @ Webster Hall

December 9, 2011 / aftertheshow

On Wednesday (12/7), I got the chance to see WATERS open for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at NY’s Webster Hall.

WATERS, a four man band from San Francisco led by Van P, played songs from their first record to a packed room (the show was sold out).

For the opening song, the drummer played with a tambourine in one hand and a stick in the other hand, creating a unique percussive wall of sound. The songs were more energetic and lush live than on the album, and they benefited from the more driving, rockier feel of the drums.

A drum-driven instrumental break segued into the song “Back To You,” one of the highlights of WATERS’ set. Towards the end of this song, I noticed that the drummer broke one of his sticks, but he recovered immediately.

Before the last song, Van switched to an acoustic guitar and explained that he wrote the song “Mickey Mantle” when he was living in New York for a little while. To my surprise, he came down from the stage (along with his bandmates) and stood in the middle of a circle of people in the crowd.

Playing the last song unplugged was a good idea (a la Brandi Carlile with “How These Days Grow Long”), but in reality it was terribly disappointing. Unless you were lucky enough to be standing close enough to the band, it was impossible to hear anything. People entering the room had no idea that anything was going on — they couldn’t see and couldn’t hear, so everyone started talking to each other, making it even more difficult to hear the song.

(Partial) solution: I left Webster Hall listening to “Mickey Mantle” on my iPhone.

WATERS is touring Europe in February with Nada Surf.

Milo Greene @ Mercury Lounge + Special Video for YOU

October 28, 2011 / aftertheshow

Last night, I discovered a spectacular new band called Milo Greene. Composed of 5 members, the band sounded polished and seasoned despite being relatively new (they haven’t yet released their first record).

Each of the 5 members could easily have fronted his/her own band, but instead they came together to create a powerhouse/supergroup.

I noticed the band’s use of percussive instruments, the drummer’s decision to use mallets which created a full, orchestral sound, and how the band members switched instruments between themselves, playing guitar, bass, and even banjo for different songs in their set.

I’ve never seen a band where all 4 members up front could sing so well, harmonize together, and switch off vocals for different songs.

Check out video clips of “1957” and “Silent Way” that I took from last night’s show at the Mercury Lounge, along with a special video “hello” to YOU – readers of After The Show — from 2 members of Milo Greene, Robbie and Andrew.

Uh Huh Her at Irving Plaza

October 12, 2011 / aftertheshow

Last night, on the eve of the band’s new album release, Uh Huh Her headlined a show at Irving Plaza in New York.

Photos and video of “Never The Same” taken by After The Show:

Holly Miranda Photos/Video @ Bootleg

July 8, 2011 / aftertheshow

Highlights of last night’s Holly Miranda show at LA’s Bootleg Theatre were “Waves,” “I’d Rather Go Blind,” “Every Time I Go To Sleep,” and “Slow Burn Treason.”

Photos & video by After The Show:

The Elected @ Mercury Lounge: Concert Recap

May 27, 2011 / aftertheshow

The Elected (Blake Sennett) played at New York’s Mercury Lounge on Tuesday, May 24, 2011.

The band opened the show with a cover of “You Got Lucky” by Tom Petty going into The Elected’s song “Not Going Home”:

Highlights of the show included “Greetings in Braille,” an acoustic version of “Time is Coming” to end the show, and “Babyface” (see video clip below):

The best part of the concert was when Blake played a snippet of his Rilo Kiley song “August”:

Photos below taken by After The Show:

Photos property of After The Show.

Early Winters at Hotel Cafe

March 18, 2011 / aftertheshow

Last night, Early Winters (and Nightmare and the Cat) played at the Hotel Cafe.

This show was the second of Early Winters’ March residency, and 4 musicians backed up bandleaders Carina Round and Justin Rutledge.

The band started with “Turn Around,” a song that equally featured both lead singers and reminded me of The Swell Season.

Early Winters then played a song that’s not on their EP, perhaps called “What Kind of King.” A great, more electric, and slightly faster version of “Spanish Burn” was next.

“Light of Day” was a solid, catchy, up-tempo song featuring a keyboard/harpischord-like solo, followed by “Tough Love.”

The band finished its set strong with “One Time In Your Life” — the drums really drove the song and the audience responded well to the music.

Check out Early Winters’ official website here.