Saturday, 19 Sep 2009
While Tyler was off catching Atlas Sound, El Valiente, Collections of Colonies of Bees and others at last night’s Forward Music Fest, Ed Oliver was snapping photos of Ra Ra Riot, Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, Flatbear, Archie Powell & the Exports.
Discuss: What band’s did you check out last night? How were Ra Ra Riot? Leave a comment with your thoughts/reviews on the festival thus far and who you’re looking forward to tonight.
September 19th, 2009 at 11:42 am
This was my 5th time seeing Ra Ra Riot and they never disappoint. I think this was the best I’ve seen yet.
September 19th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
I thought the show overall was great (once it started). Ra Ra Riot were fantastic. Did anyone know what the deal was with Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s? I was really excited to see them, but they were sans about 3/4 the band. The frontman said the rest of the band was an ‘important funeral’ or something. He looked pretty emotionally drained as well, but I thought the performance was still riveting.
Sleeping in the Aviary were great; just an all around fun band- wish more people would’ve stuck around for it, but I think the show starting late was the reason for that.
September 19th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Archie Powell & The Exports and Sleeping In The Aviary deserved way more props than they got from the sleepy indie rock crowd that was there. AP&E rocked the stage and the kids there barely took notice, which was lame (PS – their free EP is pretty cool and accessible even to that kind of crowd). Everyone cleared out after RaRaRiot and missed a rip roar of a set by SITA that had beer flying and blood. Everyone wishes they could be as cool as them, but just don’t even come close.
Next year FMF needs to do a show with these bands and others like them that will have the crowd moving around instead of lining up their sleeping bags and shushing each other.
September 20th, 2009 at 2:20 am
“Archie Powell & The Exports and Sleeping In The Aviary deserved way more props than they got from the sleepy indie rock crowd that was there”
While I agree that SIA were great and more/less unrecognized, Archie Powell and The Exports may have been the most generic, repetitive, predictable, ‘Bowling For Soup’ sounding band I’ve seen in a long time. They weren’t necessarily bad at what they did, but they were very uninteresting, and it was very clear that the entire band either had not listened to a wide range of music, or had completely ignored anything out there that hasn’t been on MTV in the last 10 years. And their ‘cover’ of Berry’s Maybeliene’ only made it worse. There is not one argument against that.
The night would’ve been much better had they just not jumped into the lineup at all (since they weren’t on the original bill) for many reasons…
September 20th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
“While I agree that SIA were great and more/less unrecognized, Archie Powell and The Exports may have been the most generic, repetitive, predictable, ‘Bowling For Soup’ sounding band I’ve seen in a long time. They weren’t necessarily bad at what they did, but they were very uninteresting, and it was very clear that the entire band either had not listened to a wide range of music, or had completely ignored anything out there that hasn’t been on MTV in the last 10 years. And their ‘cover’ of Berry’s Maybeliene’ only made it worse. There is not one argument against that.”
Gonna have to respectfully disagree on this one – Bowling For Soup? That’s an enormous stretch of a comparison. I found their sound to be reminiscent of Attractions era Elvis Costello and “Pleased To Meet Me” era Replacements. Add the honky tonk element to that equation and you will land far, far away from any of the emo-pop schlock that the industry has been shilling for the past 10 years.
I came for Sleeping In The Aviary and was unaware that AP&E would be on the bill, as you said, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I wasn’t going to be treated to sleepy time bands all night long. I’ll agree that their sound isn’t novel, but it’s a fresh take on an American roots music approach that I for one have been missing lately. Plus, I just thought the songs were good.
My two cents
September 20th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
I bounced back and forth between the The Corral Room and the Frequency. I didn’t even realize that Decibully was playing until I saw them watching the Invade Rome show (which is what I originally came to see after their slot was bumped) at the Corral.
What an awesome night. Invade Rome was just ridiculous…it was like a basement show with high energy–you could tell that they were happy to be there. After their incredible 22 minute set was finished, I went to the Frequency to see Decibully, who were equally awesome. The new songs sounded really really good. Can’t wait for the new 2xLP to come out!