pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news

Opener the Fuck Buttons were pretty good.  I’m bummed that I didn’t make it to the venue until 9:30pm and didn’t make it inside until about 9:40… as I only caught one of the FB’s set.  They were loud, but sort of an electronic post-rock duo.  Groove-oriented and somewhat repetitive, but the song I heard was enjoyable.

Mogwai hit the stage right around 10:30pm.  And they are quite possibly the loudest band on the planet (outside of perhaps Testament on the Demonic Tour).  Oy… I just don’t know why their live shows need to be so bloody loud.  It’s quite unbearable.  Their music suits a “normal” setting (unlike perhaps Testament).  I mean, what are Mogwai trying to prove by being so loud?  It wasn’t a one-time thing either… they were quite unbearably loud when I saw them in 2006 at the Wexner in Columbus, OH.

(from the Portland show)

I stayed for right about an hour.  I’m not going to bother with posting a set list, as… well… they’re a post-rock band, and it’s hard to remember their song titles.  Sorry, it was good, but I’ve got no song titles for y’all (UPDATE: setlist from fan photo).

Setlist:

• Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home
• The Precipice
• Ithaca 27ø9
• Thank You Space Expert
• Friend of the Night
• Scotland’s Shame
• Hunted By A Freak
• Ex-Cowboy
• Kids Will Be Skeletons
• I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead
• I Love You, But I’m Going To Blow Up your School
• 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong
• Like Herod
• Batcat

I’m looking forward to their upcoming album, The Hawk Is Howling, out in 3 weeks.  That way I can adjust the volume myself.

Luckily my hotel is literally 3 minutes away.  And my ringing ears shall be in bed soon.

The Appropriate Linkage:

• http://www.myspace.com/mogwai
• http://www.mogwai.co.uk/
• Mogwai’s Tour Diary about Portland: USA_Tour_Diary_pt1
• http://www.myspace.com/fuckbuttons
• http://www.fuckbuttons.co.uk/
• http://www.musicfestnw.com/

No posts for a while (meaning a few days)… perhaps (I’ve been known to be a liar).  Moving stuff this weekend to our new house.  But look out… next week is God of Shamisen (9/11) and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (9/12) in Eugene.  Plus Ani DiFranco’s upright bassist, Todd Sickafoose, is in Eugene (unfortunately the same night as GOS – Thursday 9/11), but I may swing by Sam Bond’s to at least pick up his new CD, Tiny Resistors, before the GOS show.

~Dan – recently played: Sufjan Stevens – Come On Feel the Illinoise!