Comments on: Review: The New Pornographers – Orpheum, Madison

By: J. Keenan

J. Keenan — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:51:05 +0000

Glad to hear you’re still loving music Ryan! Maybe I’ll check these guys out at SummerCamp in a month.

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:22:44 +0000

I’m glad to see that some people enjoyed the Okkervil set because my impression was that it was just barely mediocre. Maybe it was where I was sitting or maybe it was the heat, but after the show I had to pop Black Sheep Boy in my car’s CD player to remind myself why I liked that band. Their set opening for the Decemberists at the barrymore a couple years back was phenomenal and I felt that this show just didn’t live up to my expectations.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:40:11 +0000

Okkervil puts on a better show and their records have more emotional depth. that comes through in their sets. I love TNP, but they are a straightforward power pop band. they are not the type of band to really move you live. that is not to say that i didn’t really enjoy their set. and Calder was much better than i expected. She cannot match the soaring vocals of Case, but i kind of fell in love with her, nonetheless.

and as for Okkervil, I loved the way the Wrens guitarist was playing, sort of a double-jointed half-assed Pete Townsend. i dug it.

And yes, it was f-ing hot in that place. and the Spotted Cow was gone by the start of the NP show. that was distressing.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:12:30 +0000

I really thought TNP were great. I did miss having Neko and Dan there but I felt like the rest stepped up and put on a great show — much better than I had feared when I learned that neither would be there.

Being someone who was not a huge fan of ORs recorded material (not like I hated it or anything, just sayin’) – GREAT live show. Way way exceeded my expectations and I’ll definitely see them again.

By: Ned

Ned — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:38:24 +0000

Okkervil River was lame. Like maybe Guster, only without the finger-drumming gimmick to make it at least temporarily interesting. Lots of go-nowhere songs with a few mediocre ones mixed in. I don’t agree with Dave that boingy singers and other such theatrics are what make a good show.
The NPs were unbelievable. I was expecting to hate the show when I found out Neko wouldn’t be there, but Kathryn Calder did a sensational job with the material (and is somehow even more gorgeous than Neko). Obviously she is not Neko, but she was a more than adequate stand-in and I wasn’t feeling at all let down afterward.
If you think the NPs sound like the partridge family you should not be allowed into the show or to buy their albums. It’s melodic pop music–that’s as far as that comparison carries.

By: jenny

jenny — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:50:47 +0000

didn’t see the madison show, but i will concur with the Nashville comment previously posted- okkervil stole the show. Granted i might be completely biased, seeing as i didn’t even own a NP record until about a month ago and have been into Okkervil for almost 2 years now, but still. I think the biggest things going again NP, for me, was the fact that carl had his amp up very loudly and the first few rows of people were stuck with no vocals for their set, even though Okkervil sounded perfect.

[review of the show should be post on my blog very soon, too. =) ]

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:26:17 +0000

My wife thought NP tended towards The Partridge Family and I thought Kathryn Calder just is not able to bring it up like Neko. We’ve seen the band with and without Neko and Dan, this version is more of a good NP cover band. OR, on the other hand, has become stronger since the last time we saw them in town and seem close to truly putting together a classic.
As far as the venue, who cares about the marquee, fix the plumbing and get a real stage!

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:07:16 +0000

Ditto as above. Here’s the formula:

Okkervil River – (Meiburg from Shearwater) > NP – (Neko + Dan)

And as far as Gold Digger, everything at the Orpheum sucks balls because they don’t clean their taps. Try it at a normal place, or in a bottle and you will look down at your feet and they will be bare, for your socks will have been blown off.

By: joe

joe — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:17:22 +0000

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who thought that Okkervil put on the better show. The word that kept popping in my head about the NP set was “professional” and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

My only complaint about OkR is that they should’ve ended their set with the second to last song (Unless it Kicks?). That would’ve been a tremendous closer, and would’ve left us wanting more.

By: SkylarP

SkylarP — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:08:46 +0000

Okkervil River once again rocked my socks off. By the end of their set, I remarked to my compatriots that I had already gotten my $22 worth.

This marks the third time I’ve seen them in Madison sans Ms. Case and Mr. Bejar. Hopefully the next time the full lineup will make it. Kathryn continues to get better at singing the Neko parts, but she’s still no Neko. (And I say this as a fan of Immaculate Machine.)

And “Don’t Bring Me Down” was a phenomenal cover. Great, great show.