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Concert Fri Jul 20 2012
Review/Photos: Liars @ Cabaret Metro 7/19/12
Amongst all of the indie bands out there today, it seems Liars is continually setting the standard for a intensely memorable set. They've defined their sound and honed in on creating what almost seem like dance hits that made lead singer Angus Andrew so angry he attempted to destroy them. They are still catchy but, just like their lead singer, they often threaten to spin out of control with inner turmoil.
There were people dancing and moshing at different times during the hour long set but even those movements contained an oddness to it. The assaulting sound is a little disorienting, though a welcome ravaging of one's ear drums. One never cared less about the next day's impending tinnitus than when at a Liars show. Still, there were times when Angus Andrew let the brooding mood alone intensify without the dancy beats and those moments saw the air thicken.
In contrast to earlier sets, Andrew moved around remarkably less. Instead of pacing the stage frantically, he stayed for the most part on stage right, shaking his head about while playing keyboard and singing. He went to the middle for part of one song and crossed over to the keyboard stage left but chose his side for the majority of the set. Still, the music itself was more than capable of gathering up its own tumultuous stage presence and their hour long set centered on some fantastic songs from their most previous release, 2012's WIXIW such as "Brats", "Who is the Hunter" and "Octagon" . It was also nice to hear some occasional songs from earlier releases, such as "Scarecrows on a Killer Slant"
During their set, the band also changed places and instruments with drummer Julian Gross playing bass as well as Aaron Hemphill playing a mixture of synth keyboards, guitar, and drumming himself. (Angus Andrew also drummed at one point). It would be an understatement to describe the band as tight. It's challenging to make intense drone noise so haunting and captivating. The songs came off flawlessly strong with a maelstrom warranted by their compositions. At the end of the hour long set, fans may have felt a little raw, perhaps even a bit abused in terms of their senses but overall changed in a good way and, above all else, alive.
New Zealand's three piece Uknown Mortal Orchestra were also fantastic, although it was difficult to hear lead singer Ruban Nielson's vocals at times with his guitar louder in the mix. They treated the audience to psychedelic guitar reeling diversions and fantatic garage rock tracks as they most recently had at Pitchfork Music Festival. Those who dug those tracks should also check out Nielson's previous band The Mint Chicks as well.
