| « What is the Future of Music? | Adventures in Modern Music, 2008 » |
Review Tue Sep 09 2008
Reviews: Shudder to Think & Wombats/Telenovela
After years of not officially reuniting by instead playing some shows that were of the "We're all here, we might as well play some songs together" variety, Washington, DC post-hardcore band Shudder to Think has apparently reformed for at least a while. Friday at Park West, they displayed much of the greatness that made them essentially a cult classic in the late 80s and 90s. Even though their roots are in Washington's hardcore scene, they regularly deviated from that style by throwing elements of metal, power pop, jazz and glam into their music. And they brought it all to the stage on Friday. Craig Wedren's distinctive high vocals and Nathan Larson's heavy guitaring were both in top-notch form as the band drew from across their discography in front of a modest yet rabid audience. The hour-long set included some hits (if you could say a band so inaccessible to the mainstream had hits) alongside hidden treasures from early on in their career.
At the other end of the career spectrum, the Wombats played their first ever show in Chicago on Saturday. The Liverpool trio has received favorable press based on singles like the Supergrass-influenced "Moving to New York" and "Let's Dance to Joy Division." Unfortunately, the quality control manager at the British rock music factory is on an extended vacation. In his absence, the Wombats have somehow been allowed to cross the pond with little proficiency in playing instruments or singing. Frontman Matthew Murphy didn't sing nearly as much as scream and the group seemed worn down as they dragged their way through 45 minutes. Only near the end of their set did they show signs of the liveliness that's been much vaunted. (Pockets of the audience compensated for the lack of energy onstage.) However, the night was not at all a loss because Chicago's Telenovela played too. Easily comparable to a raw Elastica, Sleater-Kinney or even Pylon for their female vocals, tight play and, dare I say, angular sound, the trio rolled through an energized and rather fun set featuring many tracks from their latest record You're Gonna Need It.
