Hopewell/Linfinity
Pianos, 5.19.09
Celebrating the release of their new record Good Good Desperation on Tee Pee Records, Hopewell packed the back room at Pianos on Tuesday night. While a room full of people is always a good thing for a band, having it be at place as small as Pianos was just another reminder of how overlooked Hopewell has been over the years. It's never made a whole lot of sense, but Hopewell has never seen great success despite Mercury Rev-lineage, a tour with My Bloody Valentine, a solid discography, and most importantly one of the better live shows around in the the biggest music scene in the world.
Good Good Desperation is another spaced-out psych rock gem that continues along the road that they began traveling years ago. It's darker and heavier than anything the band has ever done, and that makes for an even more intense live show.
Oddly enough, after pounding mostly through their new tracks, the band ended the set very abruptly which left a lot of fans looking pretty baffled.
On the second night of their Pianos residency, Linfinity preceded Hopewell and did everything in their power to make it known that they are the next big thing in the NYC scene. From the opening seconds of "Holy Rain" to the emotional closer "Molly Mar of Rome," the six-piece displayed an intense sense of urgency not unlike Arcade Fire or DeVotchka (the two bands this band's sound will be compared to most). This was my third time catching the band live in less than a year, and they've grown noticeably tighter, and really developed their songs and live show. Mustachioed frontman/songwriter Dylan Von Wagner carries the type of strong presence and powerful voice necessary to draw the band attention in the near future.
