The Lawrence Arms / The Ghost

live in Seattle (2004)

Katie

The Lawrence Arms finally made it back to Seattle after what seemed to be too long of a time, and with them the brought a Chicago favorite of mine, The Ghost. I'm a big fan of The Ghost, and it had been a while since I had seen the Lawrence Arms, so I was excited to hear new material from both of the bands. The opening bands for the night were Seattle's Amazombies and School Yard Heroes.

I am not going to lie. I was not impressed with the Amazombies or School Yard Heroes. There sounds were strikingly similar, and there was not much in their music that I found to be impressive or intriguing. However, School Yard Heroes seems to be a favorite in the Seattle area. I had actually been hearing a lot of hype about them and was interested in seeing their set. Although their poppy post-punk sound has caught on to a lot of kids, it really did not do much for me. I wish I could give you more information on these two bands, but I was really just not interested in their music at all.

I have seen The Ghost several times in Chicago, and they have created a well deserved name for themselves in the Chicago scene. Front man Brian Moss has an amazing talent for writing creative songs with innovative musical arrangements and impressive lyrics. I was excited to hear some of their new material that will be available in March on their second full length; This Pen is a Weapon, on Some Records. Their performance for the night, although enjoyable, was not the best I have seen this band perform. If you were at the show, don't sell The Ghost out short. I don't feel this show was an honest representation to what they have to offer as a band. AMP magazine recently gave The Ghost a good review on their new album. Check out their website to hear a new mp3.

And finally, the Lawrence Arms. The Lawrence Arms are a three piece punk band from Chicago. This tour was in support of their new album, The Greatest Story Ever Told. The last time I saw the Lawrence Arms was the summer of 2001. I can't say their live show has grown since then. I was pretty unimpressed. Their sound seemed hoarse, and was having a hard time coming together on stage. Favorites of the night included First Eviction Notice, Your Gravest Words, and Porno and Sunff Films. (Can you tell I am more partial towards Apathy and Exhaustion)? My suggestion, if you like their new album, see them live, I think it would be hard to develop a liking for this band based solely off their live show.