This particular Friday evening was one of those SF nights that occurs every few months, where there are 10 different great things going on and you can only choose one. I decided to keep it local by going to my neighborhood music venue to see some of SF’s finest bands.
It was my first time to see The Frail, a band that has been generating some great buzz lately. They’re a bit pop-y for my usual tastes, with their sounds lingering somewhere between Hot Chip and The Postal Service. It will probably be my last time to see them. The lead singer was so wasted that he couldn’t carry a tune, which is unfortunate for a band that is so vocals focused. It was painful. He drunkenly removed his shirt during the first song, revealing his tightie whities, and in the process did something to the mic that kept making it cut out. I wish it had stayed cut out. He stumbled around both onstage and off, with a far and away glint in his eyes, occasionally grabbing himself. It was a miracle that he remembered all of the words. The band barely looked up the entire time, and some of the crowd bailed from the front in order to avoid contact with this walking catastrophe. The only forgiving ones were the 16 year olds and a few drunks.
You need to be further along the success highway before you are allowed to behave like this. And not in this type of band, either. Only a screaming guitar can cover that shit up. I would advise the rest of the band to do an intervention before he derails their success.
Next up- Triple Cobra, who I’ve seen once before. They are quite the well oiled machine. They have a logo, and it is plastered all over the place. The theatrics included the two usual dancers, who seemed a bit cramped up on this stage, and sailor outfits to commemorate Pearl Harbor Day. Interesting. While I think that Triple Cobra puts on a tight show that the crowd has a lot of fun with, there is something missing. I think their song structures are a bit shallow, and I’m not the biggest fan of the singer’s voice. However, it’s rare that I see a band who has nailed their aesthetic so well, especially on a local level.
It was my third time to see immigrant, and I have yet to think of anything bad to say. They put on a great show. If memory serves me, they played 2 new tracks. It’s great to hear that they are already working on new material- Novakinesis just came out a couple of months ago. They continue to be on a different level than their peers. There is something to say about creating music as a new band that is clearly rock, and not some hybrid bastard genre that fails to be fulfilling in either direction.
Interesting observation:
MySpace friends:
immigrant: 5870
Triple Cobra: 5143
The Frail: 14657
What gives.
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Ok, let’s expand on the horrendousness that was The Frail…
I was actually looking forward to seeing them. Their studio sound has a catchy electronic appearance that varies from a sweet emo voice to dance tunes that resemble (though are much weaker than) The Faint. Still it would be a good start to the night … i thought.
Not so! The lead singer so was so out of his mind that he couldn’t even follow the songs. If you were to purposefully try and sing their songs off-key and off beat, i don’t think you could do as bad as he did. Even throw in some sweaty faced self-groping and stumbling, flailing dance moves. (why not, he did)
His band even seemed to be embarrassed. Not one of them made eye contact with the lead or the audience EVER throughout the entire performance. Did they pick up this skill in band practice? Not the first time this has happened, perhaps?
Once we were spared this torture (i.e. they ended their ‘set’) i noticed the keyboardist scolding the lead for his behavior. To which I briefly saw the lead mouth “yeah, but they (pointing to the audience) weren’t….” Don’t even pretend that you gave the worst performance of your life because the audience wasn’t giving you enough love and support. Don’t even go there!
On a more positive note, I have to say that I really like Triple Cobra’s leads voice. I think it’s solid and dynamic. They’re getting close to perfecting their sound. They have several songs that are instantly catchy.
Not much more I can say about Immigrant except that they rock. They are ready to be discovered. Somebody discover them goddammit!!!
Okay, let’s seriously not discuss The Frail any more. They are the worst band on the planet – – – period. Triple Cobra, however – I totally agree with Eryn. Great songs, great looks, great show. Me and all my friends were totally impressed. We were there to check out Immigrant, who were good, but not really as impressive as Triple Cobra. I guess you could take or leave the singer’s voice. Personally I think it’s good.