 |
| Wolf Parade |
Canada Day
For the first time since I've been attending Northside Festival, I was able to head out without having to worry about ditching conference calls or leaving unfinished work until my sleep-deprived next morning. There were still the usual dad-type things to deal with like arranging the cooldaughters' carpools; but, for once, I arrived in Brooklyn with even enough time to have a meal before attending several hours' worth of sets. It was nice.
I picked up my credentials in McCarren Park and huddled with the other photographers as we waited for Land Of Talk to take the stage. Last month, Elizabeth Powell played her first gig in New York in 5 years; and the crowd was ready for another round with the Canadian band. Backed by members of The Besnard Lakes, Powell fought through some guitar tuning issues to deliver a great set to an adoring crowd. When Land Of Talk finished their set, the park began to fill for Land Of Talk's fellow Canadians in Wolf Parade.
 |
| Land Of Talk |
Wolf Parade have recently returned from a hiatus themselves; and, when the set started with the drumbeat of "You Are a Runner, and I Am My Father's Son," I think I felt my stomach do a little somersault. From there, they went right into "Fancy Claps," and I was grinning from ear to ear behind my camera. Wolf Parade touched on all of their releases including their latest, self-titled effort, Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner alternating like they do on the records. They closed the main set with "I'll Believe in Anything," and I would have been totally satisfied with that. Everybody walked back out onstage for a two-song encore that consisted of Boeckner rocker "This Heart's on Fire" and the more experimental "Kissing the Beehive." I started making my way over to nearby Brooklyn Bowl as the final strains of "Kissing the Beehive" sailed over the neighborhood.
 |
| Wolf Parade's Spencer Krug |
The staff at Brooklyn Bowl informed me that the venue had reached "badge capacity," so I took it as an opportunity to see a pair of bands I'd never seen before. I scrapped my plans to see Diarrhea Planet and headed over to Baby's All Right for Pure Bathing Culture and Eagulls.
Baby's was packed by the time Pure Bathing Culture took the stage. Sarah Versprille has a voice that's as haunting as Victoria Legrand of Beach House; and, similar to my experience with that band upon seeing them live for the first time, Pure Bathing Culture won me over during their set. They play a cross between dream pop and yacht rock; and, judging by the size and reaction of the crowd, have built up quite a fan base. Note: Though now based in Portland, OR, Versprille and guitarist / keyboardist Daniel Hindman met at William Patterson right here in New Jersey.
 |
| Pure Bathing Culture |
Things got tighter in the room as Pure Bathing Culture gave way to UK post-punks and labelmates Eagulls. The band's live set featured heavy doses of influence from post-punk icons like The Cure, but Eagulls also maintain a punk rock edge. At one point, they asked if the venue could stop switching up the colors of the lights and everything went and stayed red.
 |
| Eagulls |
The sets at Baby's All Right ran more than 30 minutes behind, which would not have been a big deal except for the fact that I was exhausted. I bolted as soon as Eagulls were done and drove home to bed.
Tonight's another night. After I make sure the girls are driven everywhere they need to go, of course.
Pictures from all four of last night's sets are in the Flickr galleries.
No comments :
Post a Comment