Sunday, 20 Jul 2008
In an hour I’ll be seeing M. Ward at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. It’s hot. I know a show in outside in the simmering heat couldn’t possibly compare to last night’s beauty at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. I have a hand full of text messages and an inbox that says last night was one very special evening.
We’ll handle the visual recap, but you guys go ahead and leave your thoughts/reviews in the comments. Thanks, as usual, to MoB friend and contributor Daniel Brielmaier for the stellar shots below.
Related: 5 Questions with M. Ward
Myspace: M. Ward
Find MP3′s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic
July 21st, 2008 at 8:36 am
The show was great! M.Ward and his band were mesmerizing. Too bad you don’t have any photos of the Watson Twins. Their set was also awesome and made for the perfect opener.
July 21st, 2008 at 8:42 am
Thanks Brooke, I’ve got some from the Watson Twins, I’ll add them here later.
July 21st, 2008 at 10:10 am
Yea! I didn’t take my camera because I’m not a good photographer and have never gotten good pictures at the Pabst. Also, I apparently suck because I entered my website in wrong on my first comment. FAIL. There is actually a review up on the site.
July 21st, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I had a really great time at this show, those pictures are wonderful!
This was the first general admission show I’ve been to at the Pabst in awhile, are they typically allowing people to stand in front of the stage for this type of show? I ended up moving to the balcony for M. Ward because I couldn’t stay sitting toward the front of the theater and see. It’s not really a big deal but I thought it changed the atmosphere of the place a little compared to shows I’ve seen there in the past.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:05 pm
That was the first time that I’d seen people allowed to stand in the pit as well. It made the first few rows of seats among the worst in the house. I got up after the Watson Twins and stood as well.
That said, the show was great. It consisted mostly of songs from Post-War and Transistor, and rocked more than I had expected. M Ward is a brilliant guitar player, better than he shows on the records, and the songs translated very well live.
The Watson Twins were charming, and several of their songs stood out, esp. their beautiful version of Just Like Heaven.
Question for Brooke: where is the review of the show that you referred to?
July 21st, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Yeah, if I would have known in advance I would have just gone for first row balcony right away. I’d like to find out if it will be that way for Bon Iver and Joshua Radin coming up.
July 21st, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Who decides if it’s an all-seated show or not?
The artist, The Pabst, ???
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:27 am
I have seen them allow standing in the pit area before. The Okkervil River show back in October comes to mind. For that one, I sat at the very back and had a great view. We got there around 7:20ish and sat off to the left (stage right), back a few rows. We were just far enough back that we could see over the standers but still pretty close to have good views. I need new glasses, so I was glad we could be that close.
The review is on my website (http://beerspectacles.wordpress.com)
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Hi guys,
The Pabst got in touch as they read your inquiries into the seating question and asked that I post this for them:
“As music fans we understand the importance of an amazing concert experience. Seating arrangements at The Pabst are determined by both the artist and the venue. Many general admission shows do feature standing room, however for many intimate acoustic shows seating is preferred.
Keep in mind, to get a spot in the pit, you’ve got to get there early. And please don’t discount the amazing sight lines from both the Mezzanine (my favorite place to watch a show) and the gallery level — the glistening chandelier is always spectacular.
Joshua Radin, Vanessa Carlton (Aug. 10) = seated
Bon Iver, AA Bondy (Aug. 14) = seated”