10 February 2008 (gig)
10 February 2008
This Sunday I went down to the Astoria to see the Brooklyn band, Les Savy Fav.
Opener, Los Campesinos, revved up the capacity crowd with their sprightly indie rock. Their current single, Death to Los Campesinos, was awarded the warmest response from a semi-receptive crowd. They appeared to waiting for the final two bands of the evening. Future of the Left, from Cardiff, were a unanimous hit. I was initially taken aback by their aggressive, teetering on angry, vocals. It’s not a quality I generally enjoy in a band’s sound; however, by the end of their set I was completely won over. Their song structure proved unique, and often times quite fun. Their chant-along break downs were nearly poppy at times, but always fit the tone. The band closed their set with some theatrics. Towards the end of their final number, then leader singer began to dismantle the drummer’s kit, which he resumed playing until it was completely gone. The crowd approved, and the bassist acknowledged this show of support with the, 'Thanks,' he’d written on the back of his bass.
Headliners Les Savy Fav put on an exhibition in entertainment and sound control. From the very first note of their first song, 'What Would Wolves Do,' it was apparent they came to rock. Smoke machines were in churning, purple and red lights were flashing, and front man Tim Harrington was on the prowl. He preceded the bands entrance onto the stage, adorned in Phantom of the Opera style mask and a boom box blaring the Hall & Oats classic, 'Rich Girl.' As soon as the band took the stage he was already undressed and running through crowd. With his beer belly bouncing and bald head glistening, he cracked jokes continuously in the breaks between songs. The crowd erupted at the first signs of, 'Sweat Descends,' for which Harrington brought a lucky fan on stage.
Proceeded to jump on his back and ride him around the stage like an old western cowboy. It wasn’t the end of his crowd interaction. He exchanged hats, led sing alongs, sampled drinks and gave hugs throughout the night. The band came back for an encore, during which Harrington wore both an angel and shiny red devil outfits. They covered Pixies, 'Debaser,' and then bolted off stage to catch their next plane, and I bolted from the venue to catch the last tube home.
