REVIEW - We the Kings

As promised, I'm finally getting around to a review of the We the Kings show I attended a few weeks ago. Excited? You should be.

Now, I need to give some background first. I'd seen We the Kings once before their performance on August 6th. It was about a year and a half ago in St. Louis and, while I loved their music, I didn't have the highest expectations for their live show.

I had been going to a lot of pop-punk shows, and all of them had ended up pretty lackluster. I expected the same from We the Kings, but they completely blew me away. This time around, with my last experience of We the Kings in mind, I had very high expectations for the concert. And I was far from disappointed.

Opening for We the Kings were Action Item, The Downtown Fiction, Hot Chelle Rae, and the Summer Set. My concert companion and I missed the Action Item and most of The Downtown Fiction, but the crowd already seemed pretty amped when we got there, so I'm assuming both bands put on a good show.

Unfortunately, the venue hosting the concert, St. Paul's Station 4, lacks air conditioning. Consequently, it was about a million degrees inside, so we spent Hot Chelle Rae's set listening from outside where it was significantly cooler (despite still being in the 80s). Hot Chelle Rae sounded great and, when we went back inside for the last bit of their set, the crowd seemed to be enjoying them thoroughly.

Following Hot Chelle Rae was The Summer Set, and they were fantastic. They sounded great and were troopers through the boiling conditions within the venue, even while much of the crowd wasn't. Really, my only disappointment with the night was the fact that the audience never got overly into the performances. Everyone looked like they were enjoying the performances, but, for the most part, people just stood there instead of dancing.

The Summer Set at first seemed a little frustrated by this, but I think they realized pretty quickly that the reason for the lack of movement from the crowd was the heat in the venue and not lack of interest in the band. I felt they even stepped it up for the second half of their set as a way to say thanks to everyone for enduring the heat to see them. Personally, I was a little bummed that they didn't play my favorite of their songs (Passenger Seat), but they had a solid set, and were fun to watch, so I can't complain about one song not being performed.

Finally, it was time for We the Kings. And once they took the stage, I did not stop moving for the next hour (which I'm pretty sure annoyed all the people around me who insisted on standing still).

We the Kings were absolutely brilliant. They played a great selection of songs from all three of their albums (including all of my favorites!), and were very sincere when they'd break between songs to talk to the crowd. And, of course, they actually seemed to be enjoying what they were doing. I've seen bands that will say from stage how much they love performing, but look absolutely miserable while onstage. We the Kings is not one of those bands. They make it completely evident how much they appreciate their fans, and how much pride and enjoyment they find in making those fans happy. Stage presence is an extremely important factor of live music for me, and We the Kings has it in abundance.

From beginning to end, We the Kings put on a fun, energetic, and entertaining show, even despite the heat and a couple of technical difficulties. There was one odd part where singer/frontman Travis Clark decided to give a spiel about the birds and the bees, but it was funny and led into a good song, so I can look past that. Overall, though, it was one of the most fun concerts I'd been to in quite some time. If you ever get a chance to see either The Summer Set or We the Kings live, I definitely recommend you take advantage of the opportunity.

Oh, and you know it was brutally hot in the venue when both The Summer Set (from Arizona) and We the Kings (from Florida) commented that it was the hottest show they'd ever played. Well done, Minnesota.

Who Gives a Hoot About Owl City? This Girl!

Let's get one thing straight right off the bat, shall we? Upon first listen, one may notice some similarities between Owl City and Death Cab for Cutie. After listening a bit more, though, one starts to notice more and more distinctions between the two.

So please, don't give me any of that, "Oh that Owl City guy is just trying to be Benjamin Gibbard" rubbish. Because I'll adamantly argue that he is not.

That being said, let's get down to business. What business, you ask? Owl City's live performance.

On May 5th (I promise I'm going to get better at writing about concerts closer to when they happen!), I trekked down to The Pageant in St. Louis, excited to finally see Owl City.

I say "finally" because, for me, the show had been a long time coming.

Last May, long before "Fireflies," the mega-hit that would thrust Adam Young to stardom, hit the airwaves, my ears were introduced to Owl City, courtesy of my friend Beth.

Beth was looking up concerts that were going to be taking place in Omaha (where she went to school) that fall, and told me that The Scene Aesthetic were going to be playing. We quickly decided that I would travel from St. Louis (where I went to school) to Omaha for the concert in October.

The opener for The Scene Aesthetic was to be a little band known as Owl City. I had never heard of Owl City, and Beth had only heard one or two songs-- "I listened to them on their Myspace. I think you'll like them."

So, I followed Beth's steps to Owl City's Myspace, and there heard the song "Strawberry Avalanche." I loved it, and immediately obtained Owl City's first two albums (yes, there was Owl City before Ocean Eyes). I was hooked, and and Of June and Maybe I'm Dreaming became the soundtracks of my summer. The Scene Aesthetic was forgotten about, and Beth and I began referring to the upcoming concert solely as "the Owl City show."

A couple of months went by and Ocean Eyes was released, propelling Adam Young into the spotlight. As people started taking notice of this kid who made music in his basement, I discovered that Young was a fellow Minnesotan! Just one more reason for me to like his music!

As October drew closer, neither Beth nor I became less enthusiastic about how much we wanted to see Owl City. Unfortunately, circumstances changed and it didn't work out for me to get to Omaha. Even more unfortunately, the show sold out before Beth was able to get tickets, so we ended up with neither of us able to go.

Well, as luck would have it, it turned out that Owl City was going to be in St. Louis in January. I was not going to miss out on seeing him this time! I pre-ordered tickets, and counted down the days until the concert.

Once again, fate dealt a nasty blow. The night of the concert, my boyfriend and I headed down to the St. Louis's Delmar Loop to get dinner before the show. Everything was all fine and dandy--until we walked to The Pageant.

Instead of the usual line of people outside the venue, there were clumps of people and several Pageant employees.

The concert had been canceled. Half an hour before doors were supposed to open.

We later learned that it had been canceled due to Adam Young being rushed to the hospital with kidney stones. But still, strike 2 as far as seeing Owl City was concerned.

The concert was rescheduled for May, and finally, finally, the day of the show rolled around. This time it went off without a hitch.

In the months since my initial excitement about seeing Owl City, though, I started worrying that, being so electronic/synth based, Owl City's music wouldn't translate well to the stage.

My concerns were entirely unwarranted.

Owl City put on a show that exceeded my expectations. Rather than utilizing synthesizers, Adam Young and company took a more organic approach to their performance. Young rocked the guitar, with Breanne Duren on the keyboard, and Matthew Decker on drums. Most impressive, though, were Laura Musten and Hannah Schroeder who took on the violin and cello (respectively), and looked to be having an absolute ball being on stage.

Young himself kept his energy going throughout the show, although it was obvious that all the articles referring to Young's shyness weren't kidding. He didn't talk to the audience much, and would often turn his back on the crowd and seemed to be rocking out in his own little world during his guitar solos.

Still, the atmosphere was fun, lighthearted, and positive. I've been to so many shows where the members of the band throw out the F-word every time they say anything to the crowd, so it was refreshing to be at a show that had more of an innocence to it--this included those on the floor dancing and swaying, rather than shoving and moshing.

Backed by a constant light show, Owl City's performance was as much a visual spectacle as an aural one. As for the songs played, though, I was pleasantly surprised that Young chose to go with more of the songs from Of June and Maybe I'm Dreaming than from Ocean Eyes; I thought that showed a definite appreciation for the fans who had been there since the beginning. Of course, "Fireflies" was on the set-list and, as expected, the audience went nuts with that one.

The way in which the concert exceeded my expectations, though, was in how well Owl City made the transition from their recorded music to the live performance. Playing with live instruments rather than the synth-backing gave a different sound to their music, yet Young managed not to lose the bubbly, whimsical vibe that I think has become the most defining characteristic of Owl City's music.

I'm not sure if it's because of the simultaneously upbeat and mellow tone of the music, the catchy instrumentals, or the lyrics that are both witty (if you listen closely, you will catch a ton of puns) and non-sensical but, for me, listening to Owl City has always had the effect of taking me away from the real-world for a bit, and returning me to it in an absurdly good mood. The concert had the same effect, and I walked away with a huge smile on my face.

It may not have been one of the crazier concerts I've been to, but it was a breath of fresh air to attend a show that had such a genuinely positive aura to it and delivered musically, as well. It was definitely worth the wait.

There's a Reason "Shazam" is Part of Their Name...

As I sat down to write this, I said to myself, “Carly, it’s been 2 weeks since you went to Foxy Shazam’s concert. It’s been months since you first heard– and got very excited about–their new album. Why has it taken you this long to get around to finally writing something up about them?” 

Really, I think I’ve just been too overwhelmed by the awesomeness of Foxy Shazam to be able to articulate my feelings about them. But now? I’m ready to give it a go.

First off, if you’ve never heard/heard of Foxy Shazam, you’re missing out. Rarely does a band come along that has so much character in both their recorded music and in their live performances.

Foxy released their 3rd album in April (after being leaked in February), and let me tell you: this is a band that is never going to be able to be pigeon-holed into one particular genre.

On their first album, The Flamingo Trigger, Foxy Shazam had a pop-tinged metal vibe. It was fast, it was frenzied, it was like the musical equivalent of a storm of electrically charged particles whizzing around. In short, it was insanity in the best possible way.

Album number 2, Introducing, took things in a slightly different direction. Moving away from the screams of The Flamingo Trigger, Introducing introduces (heh, see what I did there?) a more piano-centric, punkish sound. And Foxy Shazam pulls it off just as effortlessly as their previous sound.

Now, with their most recent album Foxy Shazam, the boys have changed things up yet again. This time, Foxy has created an amazing blend of cabaret/piano rock glory. It’s a far cry from the frantic chaos of their first album, but, once again, it works unbelievably well. In fact, I will go so far as to say that, on this album, Foxy Shazam comes across like modern-day Queen. It. Is. Fantastic.

I have listened to Foxy Shazam dozens of times, and am more blown away by it with every listen. The entirety of the album is pure gold–there is not a bad song in the bunch. Even when Foxy Shazam puts forth a mellower song, the result still has the same energy behind it as the fast-paced, danceable songs.

And Foxy doesn’t slack in the lyrics department, either. For example, the line “Life is a bitch, but she’s totally do-able” in the song “Bye Bye Symphony,” or “For you I wear this mask, at home I tear it off ’cause I don’t need it,” in the song “Wanna Be Angel,” all about wanting to be seen a certain way by people.

Whether it’s talking about love gone wrong in “Count Me Out,” trying to fit in, or just trucking through life when it gets rough, Foxy Shazam’s lyrics are always making a point–without beating you over the head with that point.

It’s always impressive when a band manages to successfully mix up their sound, but it’s even more impressive when a band a) is constantly experimenting with their style, and b) consistently delivers an outstanding result with each new sound. Foxy Shazam keeps proving their versatility, while consistently putting out music that is fun, energy-packed, and unique from pretty much anything else out there today.

Two weeks ago, I had the long-awaited opportunity to see how well Foxy Shazam could bring their music to the stage. I had heard good things about their live shows, but I wanted to see it for myself.

To say that I was impressed is a huge understatement.

The men of Foxy Shazam were, hands down, some of the best performers I have ever seen. How can you not enjoy a show in which the keyboardist hops on top of his instrument to play it, and the lead singer jumps on top of his shoulders? In live concerts, you often get a frontman who rules the show, while the rest of the band is just sort of in the background.

Not so with Foxy Shazam.

Don’t get me wrong, lead singer/frontman Eric Nally was without a doubt the star of the show, but his bandmates did a superb job keeping pace with him. And that was with Nally jumping into the crowd several times, eating 3 LIT cigarettes, and even scaling the rafters of St. Louis venue Off Broadway.

Nally had no trouble engaging with the audience, and the crowd responded well. There was moshing, dancing, crowd surfing (my own crowd surfing experience at the show left me standing on stage, holding Nally’s hands for a brief moment), and an all around air of heart-pounding excitement. It left me bruised and exhausted, but utterly exhilarated at the same time.

And really, isn’t that the effect we all hope for a show to leave on us?

I don’t know about you, but whenever I hear the word “Shazam” I associate it with two things: superheroes, and a certain sort of “wow” factor. While I’m not sure I can quite stretch the superhero idea to Foxy Shazam, the “wow” factor definitely applies to the guys of Foxy Shazam. Onstage or recorded, Foxy Shazam have an extra oomf to their music and a presence that is rarely found. They are rock stars, and it’s easy to see why “Shazam” is part of their name.