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Music I've been in Kansas City exactly 170 days today and it took me 168 to see the first decent show in this town. I spent St. Patrick's day doing nothing special. I didn't even wear green. To be quite honest, I've never been a huge fan of using semi-holidays to celebrate drinking. I try not to discriminate against drinking that much. During the day I went in to work for a couple of hours, then hung out with Stephanie and went to Minskey's and grabbed a pizza. For those not in the Kansas City area it is the best pizza in KC. After bidding my lovely and talented fiance' a good evening, I headed over to the gambling Mecca of the midwest, Harrah's. It's really not the gambling Mecca of the midwest, however I felt the need to spice up an establishment that houses Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar and Grill."
Of course, this being a casino, I needed to find an entrance to where I was going without the hassle of having to produce a "Harrah's Players Club Card" since it's nothing but a pain. I took the back entrance and bypassed this minor nuisance to where I was suppose to meet up with my concert buddy for the night. While waiting for my friend John from work outside Starbucks (they're fucking everywhere, not that insightful I guess) Kyp Malone crossed my path with who looked to be his special lady friend. Since I'm not a starstruck asshole I did really nothing to ackowledge the fact that I noticed him. Although he does stick out in a Kansas City casino filled with blue hairs and gelled up, button down shirt wearing, former jocks crowd.
Moving on to the venue itself, the Voodoo Lounge has been around, according to my companion for the evening, two or three years. It's a nice place, if you've ever been to a House of Blues, it's basically the same thing. The drinks were reasonable and the bartenders were mildly entertaining with their flare bartending skills. It's always nice to see someone do their best Tom Cruise impression. Or Brian Brown, which ever you prefer. It has it's standing room only general admission floor, however John and I decided to stay close to the bar and grabbed a table. We've had our fair share of concert crowd battles as we sharred before the opening act.
Sublte was an interesting group to say the least. I saw the vocalist before the show started milling around by the bar. You knew he wasn't from these parts, as he looked like a mix of David Cross, Joe Strummer's mohawk, and the Riddler. At first, before they took the stage, we thought Depeche Mode may have been opening for TV on the Radio, however this was not the case. The band is supposed to be "genre-less" although they had mostly a hip-hop feel to them. While being all white, they did have an interesting take on the music they had on display that consisted of hand painted backdrops, stage props, and monologues between each song. At first the music is a tad hard to swallow and get used to, but after awhile I found myself enjoying the beats and the nasaly, high-speed polyrhythmic rapping style and abstract lyrics put on by the groups front man, Adam Ducker, or better known by his stage name "Doseone." Bandmembers with stage names are ok with me. After about 45 minutes of cannibal jokes and anti-California rhetoric I was primed for the headliner to take the stage.
Just as sort of a sidebar, what I was most surprised to find out is that most of the people there looked like your general crowd that would come to see a show like this no matter where it was being held. On the other hand there were also a good portion of people that looked a little out of place and shell shocked by Subtle's performance. John and I determined that these had to be the regulars that just showed up for anything that was going on in "their" club. They were sort of entertaining to watch and react to the music that clearly was not their forte'.
TV on the Radio has been around for a few years now, and for those that do not know, are David Bowie's favorite artists. Now while I don't need the Thin White Duke's endorsement I'm sure that TVotR has enjoyed the validation of being embraced by one of rocks most unique figureheads. TVotR took the stage and opened with one of my favorite songs by the band "Wrong Way" off of 2004's Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes. It was incredible from the get go. They basically turned the song into a two step which shifted the set from zero to a furious pace in an instant. I love bands that just take the stage and start fucking playing, like they have something to prove. Groups that play with a sort of chip on their shoulder just seem to get to me more at a live performance.
I'd love to break down every song and detail it for you in a review type of entry, however I didn't bring a notepad and write down a set list or take notes on each song. So it may not do the performance justice. All in all, it was one of the better shows I've been to in quite some time. It was nice to get out and do something that I really enjoy. I've been slacking since I've been down here, however now I don't plan on continuing that trend. Just to tie everything together, since all that has a beginning must have an end, the show ended on "Staring At The Sun" which is another one of my fav's. What I enjoyed the most is they didn't play it exactly as is on the album. Some people like to see a concert and don't want a single note or vocalization (is that a word?) out of place. I'm quite the opposite. I've most likely already spent the $9.99 on iTunes (or download for free off BearShare) to listen to what you put down on wax. When I come see you, I like a little versatility in my experience. TVotR seemed to have the ability to step outside their music just enough to walk that fine line of being different and showing their musical chops, yet not getting lost in what they were doing or where they were going.
I'd love for them to come back, and I hope they do in the very near future. If you find yourself browsing through your local newspaper and see they are on their way to your fair city, I would highly recommend attending.
 | Currently listening :
Return to Cookie Mountain (with Bonus Tracks)
By TV on the Radio
Release date: By 12 September, 2006 |
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