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Concert Tue May 11 2010
Review: Frightened Rabbit @ Metro, 5/8
Hailing from Scotland, Frightened Rabbit has been crafting their sound since 2003 and touring persistently to cultivate their sizeable fan-base. On Saturday, May 8th they took to the stage of Chicago's renowned Cabaret Metro, performing a variety of songs from all three of their albums to a sold-out crowd. Openers Our Brother the Native and Maps & Atlases got the young, polite crowd modestly warmed up. After 30 minutes of downtime, Frightened Rabbit steadily began their 75-minute set with "Skip the Youth", a track from their latest album, The Winter of Mixed Drinks. Drummer Grant Hutchison anchored the lengthy set, providing unique and powerful tempos that added a peppy flavor to nearly every song. His enthusiasm also set the tone for the evening, as he passionately sung along while pounding away, despite having no microphone to contribute back-up vocals to.
Frightened Rabbit's sound is definitely rooted in '90s alternative, and enjoys enough hooks to make a compelling argument that this band is knocking on the door of mainstream success. At points, their music is reminiscent of everyone from Semisonic to Counting Crows. Indie rockers might liken them to acts like The National, but as Frightened Rabbit continues to evolve the emphasis really is on the pop tendencies. Their Metro performance added increased instrumentation and at times a ridiculous amount of guitars, providing a glimpse of what a future show in a larger venue might be like. The dark lighting added a pleasurable ambiance to the already pristine-sounding atmosphere, making it that much easier for the attentive crowd to indulge in the many great songs. The night ended with "Keep Yourself Warm," which was a perfect way to close the set. For those lucky enough to be in attendance, this may have been a last chance at an intimate glimpse of a group destine for bigger things.