Who: Gotye with Chairlift and Zammuto
When: September 20, 2012
Where: Molson Canadian Amphitheater/ Toronto, ON
With: Barb & Hillary
Of Note: Yes, I'm going to talk more about Buffalo...deal with it
I have skinned both of my knees in the last few weeks - my right knee tripping over my own two feet walking home after tailgating & a baseball game, my left knee diving for a volleyball. As a result, I've had Chairlift's 'Bruises' stuck in my head. So, I figured I'd write about when I saw them.
So, Gotye was totally a thing, right? The thing I loved about Gotye was that everyone was so obsessed with 'Somebody That I Used To Know' - and how could you not be? It was a song about one of the most universal human emotions paired with absolute ubiquity and approximately nine bajillion internet covers (sometimes I still go back and watch WalkTheEarth's 5 People 1 Guitar because it was so awesome). But, the rest of the 'Making Mirrors' album sounded nothing like it. The rest of the album was all horns and vague Motown inspiration and driving drumlbeats. I thought that the juxtaposition of genres was interesting and that it was a complex album to listen to. Anyway, for $25, it was definitely worth a drive to Toronto.
The first band was called Zammuto. They reminded me vaguely of Umphrey's McGee and had some hilarious videos playing behind them. There was also a pretty sweet harpsichord solo.
Next up was Chairlift, of the aforementioned 'Bruises' fame. Given the kind of ethereal pop sound of their music (I also really like 'I Belong In Your Arms'), I was expecting a group that was a little more... polished? Their lead singer (Caroline, according to Wikipedia), looked straight up homeless. Like...homegirl looked rough. Barb was obsessed with giving her a make-over. Or at least brushing her hair. I don't remember a ton about their set; I think the music was a touch overshadowed by our abject horror at the lack of fashion & personal hygiene. The crowd was totally into 'Bruises' though.
Okay, so, Gotye. First, I had no idea that Wally was a percussionist. I was a bit mesmerized by watching him run all over the stage pounding on things and setting synths and singing; there were three separate set ups that he alternated between. Second, this was much less a "concert" and more a "multi-media performance art extravaganza". The videos that went along with the concert were intense and super interesting.
There was a video with a man taking off his bear suit to reveal a bear taking off his man-suit, then both man & bear jumping into the top of a guy's head - all in black & white line drawings (over 'Smoke and Mirrors'). There was another video with vintage-y looking girls over floral patterns talking on telephones. There were beautiful landscape shots over 'Eyes Wide Open', which is one of my favorite songs from the album.
The video that resonated the most, however, was the one behind the song 'Bronte'. It started out with a little girl running in the woods, and meeting four big buffalo, who became her friends. As she got older, she spent less time with them, choosing to do homework or play with classmates - but the buffalo are always around, keeping an eye on her. Then, it shows her packing up her car (presumably to go to college) and then running off into the woods to see her buffalo friends one last time. Unable to find them, she sheds some tears - but they were at the car watching her the whole time! Her buffalo friends were always with her, watching over her; she carried them with her! All this, sung over the repeated phrase, "We will be with you".
Now, I know that this is probably about childhood, growing up, "home" and a whole lot of things that are not about me. BUT. I saw this show shortly after I accepted my California job and this video made me all kinds of verklempt. Because, you see, no matter how far I go, or how long I'm away, my "buffalo" will always be with me. I carry a piece of that city (and the people I left there) wherever I go.
(I will eventually stop tying all my concert recaps back to Buffalo/ moving/ missing Buffalo/ etc. but you know what? Today was a rough day. It takes some serious balls to move across the country by yourself and it's not that I'm being a hermit or even that I mind doing things on my own. It's just starting to grate on me that I have to do everything on my own. I love the city of San Francisco so much, even in the short time I've been here - it's so beautiful and there's so much going on. But, I don't have any people here and sometimes that's lonely. I joked today that sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the incredible burden of being me. Not everyone could do this. I can. Sometimes it's just hard. And so, sometimes, I cry about YouTube videos of imaginary buffalo friends because they remind me that my real Buffalo friends are still with me, even though I can't call them on a Tuesday to get a beer.)
(Jeez Jen, are you done yet? Get over yourself.)
Fittingly, the encore was 'I Feel Better', which I love - and it was all high energy and dancing around to close out the night.
When: September 20, 2012
Where: Molson Canadian Amphitheater/ Toronto, ON
With: Barb & Hillary
Of Note: Yes, I'm going to talk more about Buffalo...deal with it
I have skinned both of my knees in the last few weeks - my right knee tripping over my own two feet walking home after tailgating & a baseball game, my left knee diving for a volleyball. As a result, I've had Chairlift's 'Bruises' stuck in my head. So, I figured I'd write about when I saw them.
So, Gotye was totally a thing, right? The thing I loved about Gotye was that everyone was so obsessed with 'Somebody That I Used To Know' - and how could you not be? It was a song about one of the most universal human emotions paired with absolute ubiquity and approximately nine bajillion internet covers (sometimes I still go back and watch WalkTheEarth's 5 People 1 Guitar because it was so awesome). But, the rest of the 'Making Mirrors' album sounded nothing like it. The rest of the album was all horns and vague Motown inspiration and driving drumlbeats. I thought that the juxtaposition of genres was interesting and that it was a complex album to listen to. Anyway, for $25, it was definitely worth a drive to Toronto.
The first band was called Zammuto. They reminded me vaguely of Umphrey's McGee and had some hilarious videos playing behind them. There was also a pretty sweet harpsichord solo.
Next up was Chairlift, of the aforementioned 'Bruises' fame. Given the kind of ethereal pop sound of their music (I also really like 'I Belong In Your Arms'), I was expecting a group that was a little more... polished? Their lead singer (Caroline, according to Wikipedia), looked straight up homeless. Like...homegirl looked rough. Barb was obsessed with giving her a make-over. Or at least brushing her hair. I don't remember a ton about their set; I think the music was a touch overshadowed by our abject horror at the lack of fashion & personal hygiene. The crowd was totally into 'Bruises' though.
Okay, so, Gotye. First, I had no idea that Wally was a percussionist. I was a bit mesmerized by watching him run all over the stage pounding on things and setting synths and singing; there were three separate set ups that he alternated between. Second, this was much less a "concert" and more a "multi-media performance art extravaganza". The videos that went along with the concert were intense and super interesting.
There was a video with a man taking off his bear suit to reveal a bear taking off his man-suit, then both man & bear jumping into the top of a guy's head - all in black & white line drawings (over 'Smoke and Mirrors'). There was another video with vintage-y looking girls over floral patterns talking on telephones. There were beautiful landscape shots over 'Eyes Wide Open', which is one of my favorite songs from the album.
The video that resonated the most, however, was the one behind the song 'Bronte'. It started out with a little girl running in the woods, and meeting four big buffalo, who became her friends. As she got older, she spent less time with them, choosing to do homework or play with classmates - but the buffalo are always around, keeping an eye on her. Then, it shows her packing up her car (presumably to go to college) and then running off into the woods to see her buffalo friends one last time. Unable to find them, she sheds some tears - but they were at the car watching her the whole time! Her buffalo friends were always with her, watching over her; she carried them with her! All this, sung over the repeated phrase, "We will be with you".
Now, I know that this is probably about childhood, growing up, "home" and a whole lot of things that are not about me. BUT. I saw this show shortly after I accepted my California job and this video made me all kinds of verklempt. Because, you see, no matter how far I go, or how long I'm away, my "buffalo" will always be with me. I carry a piece of that city (and the people I left there) wherever I go.
(I will eventually stop tying all my concert recaps back to Buffalo/ moving/ missing Buffalo/ etc. but you know what? Today was a rough day. It takes some serious balls to move across the country by yourself and it's not that I'm being a hermit or even that I mind doing things on my own. It's just starting to grate on me that I have to do everything on my own. I love the city of San Francisco so much, even in the short time I've been here - it's so beautiful and there's so much going on. But, I don't have any people here and sometimes that's lonely. I joked today that sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the incredible burden of being me. Not everyone could do this. I can. Sometimes it's just hard. And so, sometimes, I cry about YouTube videos of imaginary buffalo friends because they remind me that my real Buffalo friends are still with me, even though I can't call them on a Tuesday to get a beer.)
(Jeez Jen, are you done yet? Get over yourself.)
Fittingly, the encore was 'I Feel Better', which I love - and it was all high energy and dancing around to close out the night.
Do you have imaginary buffalo watching over you?
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