Manchester Orchestra / Colour Revolt
live in New York (2007)
Brian Shultz
Both of these bands in question have toured with Brand New within the last year, and their profiles likely got a hefty raise from it. Either way, pairing together seemed like a sensible, entertaining idea and it was.
Arriving just in time for Colour Revolt's performance, the band's set, which was nearly all new material, showed that they were a little less in debt to Modest Mouse than previously thought. Granted, frontman Jesse Coppenbarger is clearly operating under some strong influence from Isaac Brock, but sonically the band fill their songs with lush, wandering post-rock atmospheres that gives them a unique touch. Coppenbarger would definitely let loose with the occasional vocal freak-out, but with beautiful soundscapes flowing behind him it made for an interesting juxtaposition. This particular night he claimed to have strep throat, but it didn't seem to affect his performance too badly. Things definitely look promising for their forthcoming full-length, which they said they'd be recording after the tour's finish.
Set list (9:13-10:00):
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Manchester Orchestra's album, while a fine piece of semi-nodding-to-`90s-alt-pop-rock itself, does not nearly stack up to the band's live show. That show is strongly anchored by frontman Andy Hull, bearded and chubby to the point where he looks like he just finished roadie work for Hot Water Music yet sings with the voice of an angel (or John K. Samson's, depending on your perspective). In any event, his presence is always one of the most captivating ones a person in the audience could witness for such a young band. However, the band themselves played their songs crisp and with flair, the keyboard never overdoing it on the tunes and every member looking entranced and involved. The crowd, partially made up of leftover frat parties apparently, lapped up nearly every word leaving Hull's mouth. Hull himself stared at us absolutely demonically during "Where Have You Been?," which more than anything seems to find the singer questioning his own faith, and ends with him shouting furiously and emotionally into the mic -- it's always quite the sight.
The nearly hour-long set finished with Hull coming back out and playing a song from his "incredibly pretentious" side project (his words), Right Away, Great Captain!, titled "Badges and Badges." Judging from the description on the project's MySpace ("a concept record concerning a 1600's sailor at sea for 3 years. Each song is a journal entry to either his family at home, or his captain. The record consists of 15 songs, and clocks in at 50 minutes long."), he doesn't seem far off. The song was obviously much more minimal than Manchester's, but it was pleasing all the same.
Set list (potentially out of order) (10:22-11:17):
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Encore (11:12-11:17):