Concert Fri Apr 30 2010

Review: Yeasayer, Sleigh Bells, and Chandeliers @ Metro, 4/29

By Dan Morgridge

Chandeliers might have taken the stage 15 minutes late, but they hardly needed to delay — a pretty significant amount of the sold-out show was already packing the house. They didn't waste any time on banter, and laid into the crowd with no less than four keyboards for three men, and a strong drummer keeping the pace (although the odd fog machine and fan combo to his side made it look like he was drumming through the Ragnarok, so perhaps that added a touch of epic). Aside from that, the boys weren't focused on much else but their instrumental jams, making for a decent, if not terribly invigorating opener.

If Chandeliers were more skill than charm, then Sleigh Bells came out charm-guns blazing. Leading off with new single "Tell 'Em", they laid out monster guitar chords and big vocals for just two people. Lead singer Alexis Krauss got right into audience faces, and the crowd was soon singing along to several songs of stadium-sized rock (even when Derek's guitar went on the fritz and Alexis had to improvise). If they at times borrowed some notes from the Beastie Boys, they're doing a hell of a better job at it than Ke$ha. M.I.A. has been ushering them into her N.E.E.T. label, and the energy shown here promises great things for both their upcoming "Treats" LP and their Pitchfork Music Festival appearance.

Yeasayer finally took the stage, with Chris Keating and Anand Wilder dressed in jumpsuits. Odd Blood opener "The Children" started things off here as well, with the distorted vocals matched by the pulsing colors of their stage screens and podiums. They followed with the livelier "Rome", and the dancing commenced. A crowd singalong for the first notes of "I Remember" caused the man next to me to exclaim "I don't really like this song, but it's the girls favorite." Less than a minute later, he was singing along as well. "Strange Reunions" and "Love Me Girl" continued the Odd Blood-heavy set, but they also snuck in Dark Was The Night single "Tightrope" to much cheering.

Chris Keating took an interlude to talk about his history in the area — he said he'd lived just around the corner, and had been in the Metro audience plenty of times. I'm not going to tell you who I saw...(crowd cheers "tell us!") ..okay, okay, I'll lie. Public Enemy, The Stooges and Dead Kennedy(s) — Chuck D and Iggy Pop did a duet, it was amazing." The band finished with "O.N.E.", a powerful "Mondegreen", and ended the regular set with, surprise surprise, "Ambling Alp". And just in case the old-timers from way back in the 2007 scene felt left out, their fears were allayed — old chestnut "Sunrise" was broken out to cap off the evening.