Last Wednesday, Mike and I went to see Silversun Pickups, Cage the Elephant and An Horse at the Civic Center. Unbeknownst to us, this was a non-beer event which made it quite lackluster once we arrived after a chilling 45 minute walk to discover there just wasn’t much to drink. Also, it was held in the Exhibition Hall and not the regular hockey arena. Strange! It felt like a school cafeteria.
We caught the last half of An Horse, a duo from Australia who were alright. We then met up with another Mike and his girlfriend Vero and we chatted for awhile until Cage the Elephant came on. Now, the only thing that I know about this band is their hit single ‘Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked’ which is quite the fun tune to play on the guitar. So my expectations were wide open…and they blew me away! Their single does not accurately portray what this band is…I would like to say that there quite a lot of energy on the stage tonight. The singer’s spastic movements on and off stage (quite a few times he jumped off the stage and at the end he did a nice stomach first crowd surf) were the highlight of the next hour. The set list was energetic and good rock and roll. They reminded me a little of Billy Talent for their sheer onslaught of force. We were all quite impressed by their live show.
The highlight of the night (and for me, perhaps the highlight of the past year in concerts) was the Silversun Pickups. Out of LA, two albums and one EP into their career, they are regarded as the next Smashing Pumpkins. Their use of wicked effects pedals earns them that moniker. Heck, they even have Nikki Monninger on bass guitar just like the Pumpkins usually have a woman up there. I loved their Carnavas album and I REALLY love their latest disc Swoon. It’s quite amazing. I haven’t taken it out of the car for the past few months.
That being said, as soon as they took the stage, I knew we were in for a treat when they opened up with my favourite track from the new album -> Growing Old is Getting Old. A moody, somber atmospheric piece that starts out with a good bass line and explodes near the end with everything the band has to offer.
What I really loved about the band in a live setting were the little things that were different…of particular note was the drummer who was not sitting directly facing the lead singer position, but off center facing the bass player’s corner of the stage. Perhaps this was to show off his Dave Grohl like head banging while playing the drums. Heck, he even had this high-hat which was literally seven feet tall…so while the rest of his drum set is at a normal height, he would have to reach and hit the high-hat which was quite entertaining.
Nikki on the bass seemed to have a great time. She would do little hops and had a smile a mile wide the entire concert. Brian Aubert was the main man, handling both guitar and vocal duties. I was quite surprised to see that only one man was responsible for the sonic assault of screaming guitars for the next two hours. I expected them to have another guitarist for their live set. However, it probably helps that they have someone on keyboards dealing with the addition of some atmospheric sounds.
What can I say about this band other than the fact that it felt like a buzz saw was going through me at certain times. They brought the energy to an all-time high and I was impressed with the Ottawa crowd this time around (whereas they usually disappoint me. Perhaps the secret is in the youth.). Heck, a mosh pit even started during Panic Switch.
I can’t really put into words what I felt this night of seeing them…I was very inspired by their live show and I haven’t been this inspired in a LONG time. The last time I was this inspired was probably at the last Pumpkins concert I saw. The light show, the thunder of the drums, the soaring guitar work…everything rolled into an amazing package and I was blown away by them. If you want to see an amazing show, please, please, please do the band and yourself a favour…