Headphones On

In my work-all-day, travel-all-the-rest-of-the-time world of late I've not been waxing poetic about some of the fantastic shows I've snuck into my schedule...

I've waited what seems like a lifetime to see Mew play live so there was no trapping me in the office a week ago when they opened up for Kasabian at the Metro. Not even the hurricane force winds and flooded streets of Chicago kept us away. And thank goodness.

I've always wondered if a band like Mew, who so obviously holes up in the studio for ages creating masterpieces like And The Glass Handed Kites, could reproduce their sound live. As I peered over the edge of the stage staring at a *perfect* set list featuring new and old tunes and wasn't quite sure they could pull it off. When they walked out on stage (accompanied by a few friends on bass/guitar/keyboards) I knew the Metro was in for a treat.

This might be one of the occasions that words fail me but I'll try. When Jonas Bjerre began to sing my insides began to melt, my ears perked up, my body was suddenly overcome in goosebumps and my brain went on hiatus. By the time the band got into "Am I Wry? No" the Metro was just awash in layers of sound. The overwhelming spectral odyssey that you hear on record was actually heightened during their live show. The eight (err... maybe nine?) songs in their set were aural perfection so perfectly melding the brains of everyone within earshot. As the norm with fantastic sets I can't get enough of, it was over too quickly but they closed with "Comforting Sounds" clearly captivating and stunning everyone around us. I didn't stay for Kasabian... after a performance like that I didn't think my ears or my heart I could take the let down. At least I'll be able to see Mew again in a few weeks when they kickoff their US headlining tour.

Oh Lily... what are you doing? I've not made a secret of my love for Lily Allen's debut record so when I discovered she'd be in San Francisco the same time as I was, her show at Popscene became priority number one. Oh how I could have better spent that Thursday night. I hate to say that, but it's too true for me to ignore.

For some unknown reason, there were no advance tickets sold to this show. This let to us standing outside for an hour and a half of chilly San Francisco wind to get in the door. The only good thing about this was that we could hear Lily and her band's hour and fifteen minute sound check. Once we finally got in the door (and were treated to $7 thimbles that were supposed to be drinks), we spent another hour and a half waiting around the tiny, oversold club to what I can only describe as an absolutely tedious DJ set by Mark Ronson. Tedious, un-ironic and completely boring. Fine fine... as long as Lily's good right? That's why I was there anyway.

Five songs. I repeat, FIVE songs! She already sings three minutes pop songs but when you only get a set of 5 of them... (that's including the "encore" folks) NO ONE is going to be satisfied. The band spent 3 times as long sound checking as they actually did playing. Sure, the horns were bopping, her voice was soaring and the crowd was way into it but FIVE SONGS? I was annoyed enough that I am *not* headed down to the Double Door tonight to see her again. (sigh) I love the record, loved her songs but come on now. I would still suggest anyone buy her record but perhaps until she has more material or slightly less snot in her nose, I'm not recommending her live sets. Go see Mew instead.

My apologies for the grainy sidekick photo of Mew but my camera's traveling without me right now. As for Lily, even tho we were 5th in line we were so far away by the time the set started there was no way I was going to get a shot of her... so that one's stolen from her MySpace.

Buy some: Lily Allen, Mew