Jonny Leather’s 25 Best Concert Photos of 2009
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- Echo & The Bunnymen @ All Points West
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- Black Lips @ Williamsburg Waterfront
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- Ponytail @ Bell House
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- Fucked Up @ Williamsburg Waterfront
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- The Walkmen @ Summerstage
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- Thee Oh Sees @ Bell House
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- Elbow @ All Points West
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- Grizzly Bear @ Williamsburg Waterfront
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- The Raveonettes @ Siren Festival
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- Ponytail @ WIllamsburg Waterfront
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- Crystal Antlers @ Williamsburg Waterfront
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- Health @ Williamsburg Waterfront
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- Gogol Bordello @ All Points West
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- Thee Oh Sees @ Siren Festival
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- Akron Family @ All Points West
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- Gogol Bordello @ All Points West
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- Motel Motel @ Market Hotel
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- The Dears @ Bell House
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- Apache Beat @ Santos Party House
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- OKGO @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
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- St Vincent @ All Points West
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- Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers @ Southpaw
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- Dirty Projectors @ Williamsburg Waterfront
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- Foreign Born @ Bell House
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- Mission of Burma @ Williamsburg Waterfront
Siren Music Festival 2009 Recap
Have you ever gone to a concert and were too busy drinking and talking to remember a single minute of the concert?
Was getting wasted and being seen really your only intent for going in the first place?
Hidden behind the main stage at Siren Music Festival, a large contingent of hipper-than-thou music industry insiders managed to spend much of their day avoiding great performances by Built to Spill, Thee Oh Sees, A Place to Bury Strangers, and Frightened Rabbit.
While I hopped back and forth between the 2 stages for the long long day, I couldn't help but take notice of the always crowded VIP section. Even when indie music icon Frank Black took the stage with Grand Duchy, the free alcohol remained too important to leave behind. VIP's and press had access to a special area right in front of the stage—"the best seats in the house"— and though that area was usually cluttered, it wasn't ever too congested and it always seemed to be the same bunch of us.
The music industry is a social network, and as most of my friends are members of the industry, it must be noted that some of those people I criticize here are my own friends. In their defense, I know some of the fools are really large music fans, but how do you go and let alcohol take priority over an epic performance by Built to Spill or Thee Oh Sees guitar-biting, spit-catching return to true rock and roll?
This all is nothing new. A lot of the time when you're at a show, the people talking in the back, or the guy text-messaging all night are members of the music industry, too cool to actually get themselves wrapped up in what's happening on stage. Sure, they may have seen a bunch of these bands before, but so have I, and still that Built to Spill performance had me completely stunned.
If you've lost that ability to enjoy live music anymore, then I feel sorry for you, because no matter how many shows I see every year, I never tire of it, and when the stars align for a great band the resulting performance is breathtaking.
Tiny Masters of Today: The youngest band I've ever seen. These three really shouldn't already be sharing a stage with people like Frank Black and Built To Spill, but they also don't deserve to be trashed like they were on Pitchfork. Give them a couple more years, and these kids could be garage rock stars.
Blue Van: Pretty generic anthemic cock rock that made me miss Diamond Nights.
Micachu & The Shapes: The first really good performance of the day. Poppy female-fronted British band with a unique electronic sound behind folk guitar and Mica's interesting voice.
Bear Hands: A Brooklyn band that prefers pounding out a good rock song in the vein of Jawbox.
Japandroids: Energetic guitar and drums duo played a strong set, but nothing comparing to the hype that surrounds them.
Thee Oh Sees: Set of the day. John Dwyer and co. played a very very short set, but every minute of it was as inspired as anything I've ever seen.
Frightened Rabbit: Another heart-stopping performance by this Scottish band
Future of the Left: Most heavy-hitting performance of the day
Grand Duchy: Pretty disappointing for a Frank Black project, yet still good
A Place to Bury Strangers: As good as I've seen them musically. The sonic assault was turned all the way up.
The Raveonettes: The Jesus & Mary Chain-influenced Danish rockers weren't at their best, but were still pretty amazing
Built to Spill: Those guitars snaked through each other creating an epic whirlwind that engulfed us all, peaking on "Carry the Zero."
The Oh Sees Soak Bell House in Beautiful Reverb
Thee Oh Sees
Bell House, 4.4.09
When you see as many concerts as I do, it's easy to become jaded. The gimmicks, the tricks, and the other bullshit becomes more and more apparent, but then a band like Thee Oh Sees comes in to town and restores my faith in rock & roll.
A week ago Rick Froberg and his new band Obits took the stage at Bell House and tore through a ridiculously good set loaded with Froberg's razor-sharp riffs. It was the type of set that's impossible to walk away disappointed by. Last night, on the same stage, John Dwyer and his latest project Thee Oh Sees provided an equally memorable performance. Much like Obits, as good as the rest of the band is, it all revolves around the genius frontman/guitarist—in this case ex-Coachwhips frontman John Dwyer. Much like Froberg, Dwyer seems far more in command of his instrument than most, as if it's an extra limb. The songs he and Thee Oh Sees creates are essentially nothing more than simple poppy 50s style surf-guitar rock & roll drenched in a dirty reverb, but it still sounds totally unique in its delivery. Thee Oh Sees are the band for all those who have grown sick of watching a couple of brightly dressed hipsters in sunglasses tinkering away at keyboards in that same faux avant garde style that lacks any sense of melody.
It was a pleasant surprise to see the large room so full for them headlining, after they essentially came through town relatively unnoticed on their tour last year. John Dwyer is finally starting to get his due respect.
Melodic Fuzz
Thee Oh Sees
Death By Audio, 9.28.08
Last night, I found myself sweating bullets and listening to fuzzed-out garage rock at Death By Audio. On the floor was San Francisco's Thee Oh Sees, the new project of former Coachwhips mastermind John Dwyer. The room was packed, and I was so close to the band that I was lucky to survive the performance without having my face struck with a tambourine or guitar neck. The intimacy, and DIY nature perfectly complimented the perfectly raw nature of the grimy music Thee Oh Sees generated in the unbearably hot space. Buried underneath a furious level of fuzz/reverb, John Dwyer and company played a melodic blend of psychedelic, garage-style surf rock that had the room simultaneously shaking their hips and tapping their toes.
For more about Thee Oh Sees, check out Greg Burgett's recent feature on the band.
MP3: "Ghost In The Trees"
