“…the power of songs like “Old Soul Song” and “Road To Joy,” which utterly brought the house down. But his most effective moment was the set closer, “Lua.” Featuring Oberst alone on acoustic guitar and a couple of Walcott horn solos, it was the simplest reminder of the stark beauty of Bright Eyes’ songs.” – AV Club Milwaukee

“…but opening act Titus Andronicus threatened to steal the show, heating up the crowd within seconds with spirited, take-no-prisoners punk. At one point, frontman Patrick Stickles climbed the speakers to the balcony to lead an exuberant crowd clap-along. His antics inspired throngs in the pit to push and shove and launch crowd surfers up to the stage. Shakespeare this definitely wasn’t, but you couldn’t ask for a more thrilling way to start a show.” – Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

View additional videos of Bright Eyes + Titus Andronicus in Milwaukee here.

Buy: Bright Eyes – The People’s Key | Titus Andronicus – The Monitor

Titus Andronicus is opening for Bright Eyes here in Milwaukee as well as the two shows in Minneapolis. If you haven’t heard Bright Eyes The People’s Key, you can stream the entire record here.

By Alex Schaaf

I walked into Saturday night’s Titus Andronicus concert as a casual fan. I had listened to both of their albums, and I had recently fallen in love with their 2010 release The Monitor enough to try and figure out when they were playing NYC next. Luckily, they were playing Webster Hall only a few days later, and I walked out of the show a devoted follower.

What I love about Titus Andronicus is their complete lack of restraint. Their songs are long (many tracks on The Monitor are at least seven minutes long), the lead vocals are yelled and screamed, and the guitars are crushingly loud. Seeing them live affirmed this love, as the band played a raucous, joyful 90-minute set that drew largely from The Monitor but that also included some songs from their debut.

Lead singer Patrick Stickles made it clear that Saturday night’s show was a special one for the band. It was the last show of their current tour; it was a near-hometown concert (the band is from New Jersey) and thus many family members were in the audience. Stickles especially pointed out his father, standing in the front row of the balcony right in front of the stage. The presence of his father seemed to fit perfectly with the night, as Titus Andronicus came off as that loveable little band that started in obscurity and is getting bigger and bigger with each go-around. You couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride, even if you had nothing to do with the band’s growth.

To further illustrate the special quality of Saturday night, when a string on Stickles’ guitar broke midway through the set, instead of going to a backup guitar while a stagehand fixed the string, he announced that he was going to just change the string right then and there. He said, “My other guitar sucks and this is a special night, so I want to play this guitar.” The crowd patiently waited while he changed the string, and then the night was back off and running.

The band has seen many lineup changes over the years, but it is currently a 5-piece, with Stickles’ howling vocals and guitar being complemented by keyboards, strings, and the standard guitar-bass-drums backdrop. This lineup seemed to work perfectly Saturday night, as the songs were just as full and loud as they sound on the record. Many of Titus Andronicus’ songs feature some sort of sing-along chorus that turns them into near-anthems. The sensation of a room full of people yelling, “You will always be a loser” or “The enemy is everywhere” along with Stickles is quite the experience.

A special compliment must be paid to Webster Hall, a wonderful venue that is similar to the Bowery Ballroom as both venues feature an open-floored ballroom with balconies on all sides. Webster Hall is a bit larger, but it made up for the lack of intimacy in several ways. Beautiful lighting, shining through the impressive levels of fog in the room added greatly to the visual aspect of the show. The air conditioning was pumping at full force (something that can’t be taken for granted when it comes to concert venues, I’ve discovered) and the sound system was punishingly loud. Some people don’t like to have their ears demolished at shows, but I much prefer that than to have the system be too quiet.

But back to the concert, the show really reaffirmed my suspicion that The Monitor is one of the finest releases of 2010. It’s grand, it’s epic, and it’s loud. The live rendition of these songs did not disappoint in the slightest, the show just went to further my appreciation for the band and their unabashed enthusiasm.

Looking at the openers of the night, Screaming Females was a huge thrill and definitely made it on my list of bands to check out further. Lead singer and guitarist Marissa Paternoster blew the crowd away with her huge guitar riffs and her ferocious screams. Free Energy, tour mates of Titus Andronicus, played a solid set that did not blow me away, but a set that was nevertheless enjoyable.

MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Four Score And Seven” (Part One)
MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Four Score And Seven” (Part Two)
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Buy: Titus Andronicus – The Monitor

Words: Tyler Fassnacht | Video: CJ Foeckler

Ever since I saw Titus Andronicus open for No Age back in 2008, they have been in the running for my favorite live band. Each time I have seen them grace a stage with their energy and stage presence, it has been better than the last, and this concert was no exception. When it was announced that they would be playing the Project Lodge, one of my favorite intimate venues, I bought my ticket immediately, especially because this would be my first time seeing them as a headliner.

Local Madison group His and Her Vanities opened and started the evening off a great foot. They are able to mix jangly and catchy with dissonance and elements of math-rock, into their art-rock sound. Their set did a good job of getting everyone excited for the headliners, but was also memorable in their own right. Since this band doesn’t play too many shows, I would suggest seeing them if you ever get the chance, or just pick up last year’s awesome The Mighty Lunge.

Titus Andronicus came out on a stage covered in American flags, to a cheering, completely packed audience and jumped into the opening track from their near perfect new album, The Monitor. As soon as the song began, the front of the crowd went crazy and continued throughout the rest of the show. It had been a while since I left a concert so sweaty. Something that makes this band so great live is that in almost every song there is opportunity to dance, pump your fist or shout along with big choruses and memorable lines (I have never heard so many people shout “FUCK YOU” in unison). Playing mostly tracks from their new album, they tore through all the epic songs, even the magnum opus, fourteen minute long, “the Battle of Hampton Roads.” They also threw in a handful of tracks from their amazing debut album; so older fans were made happy as well.

There was some trouble with the mics turning off at some points, but they were fixed pretty quickly. My one complaint with the sound, however, was how the vocals seemed a little muddy, but with front man Patrick Stickles growls and yelps, it wasn’t too noticeable.

After more than an hour of playing, they put down their instruments and left the stage. The audience applauded and chanted “one more song!” until Stickles came out to say that they actually didn’t know how to play any more songs. That was the sad realization that the night was over. Though after the comical banter, the moshing, the raging guitar solos and the scream a longs, I was completely satisfied. Yet again, Titus Andronicus blew me away with their live show, which is something I think everyone should experience at least once in their life.

Previously: Video: Titus Andronicus – “A More Perfect Union”
Previously: Review: Titus Andronicus :: The Monitor

Buy: Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
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MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Four Score And Seven” (Part One)
MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Four Score And Seven” (Part Two)

Titus Andronicus tore the Beauty Bar in Austin up during SXSW. Simply put, they are a live band that is absolutely not to be missed should they pass through your city. Above, catch the video for “A More Perfect Union” from their fantastic new album, The Monitor. “Tramps like us, baby we were born to die!”

Coming Soon: Titus Andronicus will be playing the Project Lodge in Madison on April 6th. This band puts on one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen, so I suggest that no one misses out on this, as it is likely a concert that will be remembered.

Previously: Review: Titus Andronicus :: The Monitor

Buy: Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
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MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Four Score And Seven” (Part One)
MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Four Score And Seven” (Part Two)

By Tyler Fassnacht

“As nation of free men, we will live forever, or die by suicide.” This is the end of the quote by Abraham Lincoln that kicks off Titus Andronicus’ sophomore album, The Monitor. Through our actions and sacrifice, we will be the cause of our own demise and without surrender, without compromising our integrity, we will keep fighting, even though it will most likely end in failure and defeat. Hints of this message ring throughout the entire album, which focuses more on the enemy and hate than victory.

Right from the explosive, seven minute opener, “A More Perfect Union”, its apparent that the band has come back, full force, with a higher production value, louder vocals in the mix and a beefed up tone. Yet, even with the cleaner advancements, Titus Andronicus still keep the majority of their signature reverb soaked guitars and gritty vocals, often yelled. I mean we are still dealing with the same lovable lo-fi, shoegazy DIY punk band. One new thing for this album that is quickly noticeable is the variety of instrumentation used. Heard throughout The Monitor are fiddles, piano, brass horns and even a bagpipe.

On their first album, we got used to some longer songs, but this time around they have really expanded on that. Five of the ten songs clock in at more than seven minutes, with the epic closer “The Battle of Hampton Roads” at a massive fourteen minutes. Actually I would consider almost all the songs epic on this album. Building up from quiet guitar picking to mammoth, shout along choruses and sprawling solos reinforced with a wall of buzzing distortion, Titus Andronicus really know how to fluctuate through different sounds and write an engaging song. Even though the album runs at approximately sixty-five minutes, it seems to go by like a bullet.

Titus Andronicus created a really unique musical experience with their second album; it is hard to compare it against other recent albums, even with band’s first album. The Monitor is not so much about songs and singles, but a message that needs to be heard in its entirety and that also happens to kick ass.

SIDENOTE: Titus Andronicus will be playing the Project Lodge here in Madison on April 6th. This band puts on one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen, so I suggest that no one misses out on this, as it is likely a concert that will be remembered.

Buy: Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
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MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Four Score And Seven” (Part One)
MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Four Score And Seven” (Part Two)