In my experience, it takes more courage to play to empty rooms than full ones, and for the twenty-five or so lucky souls at the Tralf last night, the show was righteous. Local four-piece Cold Comfort opened to a nearly-empty venue and they spared no emotion during a noisy, abrasive set. It was raw and loud, and it suited me just fine.
The headliners of the two-band bill, Lower, are a great band on record. They play a kind of slogging downer rock that shuts down any ideas a crowd may have about dancing. So I was a bit skeptical when their their singer mentioned "energy." Speaking over the
phone a couple of weeks ago, I asked Adrian Toubro about the band's stoic sound; he said they drew energy from artistic contrast and balance. Right. Energy.
Downer rock.
As soon as they hit the stage, though, the scales fell from my eyes. All four dudes from Copenhagen played with heart. Bass was solid and intricate; the drums pounded away like a drop hammer in a steel
mill; guitar tied everything down with its high-tension guy wire shriek,
and in front of it all, Toubro put every ounce of urgency and emotion
into his performance.
There was energy - and it was awesome.
It's a real shame the show was so poorly promoted - a couple of locals took to pinning up
flyers at the 11th hour out of a sense of duty or pity. I know a lot of people who would have dug their set. Fortunately, Lower have an LP due out next spring, which they fully intend
to bring stateside with a tour. Looking forward to it, guys.
* * *
Lately, Cliff has been wondering aloud if Buffalonians aren't
going to shows because Buffalonians are boring. I have no idea how many people showed up for MGMT last night, but at least half the group at
the Tralf were either working or playing. I felt a little embarrassed - I
would have liked to welcome our Danish friends with a full room, but,
sometimes, that's just rock and roll. Lack of promotion certainly factored into
the miniscule headcount. The main problem, if you can call it that, is that Buffalo is suffering from an embarrassment of riches. Jonathan Richman,
High Dive (heading a full bill of killer local acts)
and MGMT were all playing in or around Buffalo last night. Leafing through the
local calendar, the choices don't get much easier as the summer goes on.
We've lost a few good venues in our city, but new ones are
cropping up all the time. And if you don't like Adam Ant, there are plenty of other shows going on almost any given night.
I'm glad Cliff brought up the discussion. Reading the
comments section of his article, it's encouraging to see so many readers were pissed off enough to respond - it means we do have a pulse, and the appetite for music in this city
is healthy. But I'll have to respectfully disagree with his thesis. Buffalonians aren't boring - on the contrary, there's just too damn much to do. Also, the drive to Lewiston is a pain in the ass.
In any case, I'm glad I chose the venue I did last night. Next time will be even better.
In any case, I'm glad I chose the venue I did last night. Next time will be even better.
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