British Sea Power [live]

Alright so I finally got myself into the Doug Fir Lounge and its pretty cool I guess and I always always get to concerts too early and that's no fun when you're by yourself and suck at meditating so I sat through most of openers The XYZ Affair which I correctly remembered had something to do with the French (Colonel would have known that it started a started a quasi-war back in the day and that John Adams led us valiantly to victory and stylish britches) and they were good kind of like Fugazi if it was made up of guys who gave up on their barbershop quartet and started a garage band and they were done and the next band was taking forever and its a good thing i didn't leave and get something to eat because Colourmusic was effin' awesome man it was like your band had one song to play in front of the whole school and you put on your unis and took a few shots and played it and put everything, every shitty thing high school meant to you and made it triumphant because you finally had your moment and your buddies and you would pump your fists and showboat and sing all together and yeah their set was like that for pretty much 9 songs and then they left. no warning, like it should be.

XYZ Affair: MmGravy
Colourmusic: MMmGravy

British Sea Power have always seemed like they were from a different world, like our world split with theirs after the war and they did nothing but seem totally otherworldy last night. They don't tour much, and are generally kinda reticent with the media and such. With their lyrics and vocal styles, well it just doesn't feel, to me, like they are guys you can live next door to. They live on an island you've never heard of because everybody forgot about it one day. The six-piece came out in costumes like if you decided to play warship with all your street urchin friends and you kinda did your best to look like sailors but it was really just some of your big brother's clothes and a lot of imagination.

Their set was great for over an hour-played half-and-half old and new, blackout was a fucking phenom and drowning was pretty great too. Then it dissolved into feedback wankery. And i'm a man who appreciates good drone and feedback and noise and gets down when ira does it. the boys (and girl violinist cuz god forbid an indie band had a dude violinst besides mr. bird) just weren't great at it. for moments their songs would shine through and sound brilliant, but they were just a little too high and they definitely lost the crowd that was totally with them. at the end though, i wish you would have been there, the lead guitarist had cut his hand earlier and was bleeding forever and he finally gave his guitar to the trumpet/keyboard player who played his trumpet while spazzing out on the guitar and then the lead singer did a hand stand and the violinist was running around and the three-stringed bass kept everyone jamming and you definitely should have been there. sorry i didn't take any pictures. i need a partner for these things. oh and earplugs would have been nice. second row definitely cost me.

British Sea Power: MMGravy

post script
all hipster girls dance the same.