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Luna with Palomar
Thursday · Southgate House
When Dean Wareham embarked on a solo career in 1991 in the aftermath of the contentious dissolution of his cultishly revered band Galaxie 500, expectation ran unreasonably high. To his credit, Wareham delivered a typically quirky EP, Anaesthesia, and then showed up on Mercury Rev's stellar "Car Wash Hair" single before committing to a brand new band the following year. Luna (guitarist Wareham, ex-Chills bassist Justin Harwood, ex-Feelies drummer Stanley Demeski) created an underground stir with their 1992 debut album, Lunapark, a work that was unfairly measured against Wareham's Galaxie 500 catalog as well as his avowed Velvet Underground/Television influences. Two years later, Wareham added Sean Eden on guitar and Luna released Bewitched, widely considered to be their finest and most satisfying work, followed closely by 1995's Penthouse, a clear fan favorite. Demeski departed soon after Penthouse and was replaced by the more propulsive Lee Wall for Pup Tent in '97, which ultimately led to the band being dropped by Elektra and began their tenure as one of the industry's most beloved indie bands. The band signed with tiny Jericho for The Days of Our Nights in 1999, then moved on to Arena Rock for their first live album, Luna Live! in 2001. By this time, Harwood had left for family obligations and was replaced by ex-Ultrababyfat bassist Britta Phillips. The band then signed to Jet Set and recorded their sixth studio album, the subtle and evocative Romantica, in 2002 followed by the Wareham/Phillips collaboration L'Avventura in 2003. With the recent release of Rendezvous, Wareham has announced that their seventh album and subsequent tour will be Luna's last hurrah. But like soon-to-be ex-Guided by Voices sparkplug Robert Pollard, Dean Wareham will find another similarly creative form very soon.
In the meantime, enjoy Luna's last live stand while you can. (Brian Baker)
Dave Katz & Ed McGee of Ekoostik Hookah
Thursday · Mad Frog
Dave Katz and Ed McGee from Ekoostik Hookah are in town to perform an intimate solo and duo acoustic show. Not only will they draw from Hookah's extensive repertoire; but also included will be selections from Dave's new solo effort, Autumn Day, as well as cover songs from Seals & Croft, Peter Gabriel, the Dead, Hendrix, Cat Stevens, John Prine and others. Expect plenty of storytelling and crowd interaction at this intimate show. The acoustic format lets both Dave and Ed's songwriting shine, highlighting their wonderful vocal abilities and conveying the emotion of each song to the audience. The evening will start with the pair playing together, then each playing solo, followed by another round of Dave and Ed. Surprises will abound in a long evening of music that will last upwards of three and a half hours and leave you with happy feet and a smile. Don't miss the chance to catch what could be the best acoustic show of the fall. (Jason Woodruff)
The Arcade Fire with Cathedrals and Shuttlecock
Friday · Southgate House
Looking through a small pile of promo discs a few months ago, I came across a band called The Arcade Fire. Piqued by the name's evocation of one of my favorite childhood pastimes — hours of Galaga playing at UDF — I slipped the disc into my hard drive. It's been in permanent rotation ever since. A few facts have become apparent since that first exposure: The band currently calls Montreal home; the disc, its debut full-length Funeral, was released on Merge Records; and the husband-and-wife team of singer/guitarist Win Butler and keyboardist/sometime singer Regine Chassagne head up this raucous band (the touring version employs seven members; the recording features more than a dozen contributors) of Indie Rock practitioners. And the music? Well, my initial reaction was that Jeff Magnum came out of hibernation and kick-started his long-dormant Neutral Milk Hotel under a different name. Yet Funeral is no exercise in apery, mostly due to Butler's impassioned singing and imaginative narratives. Further listens bring to mind Talking Heads on a Replacements bender: The shambling yet somehow still cohesive nature of the band's 10 interlocking soundscapes revel in everything from foot-stomping grandiosity to downtempo poignancy with equal aplomb. The album's title is no coincidence — several of the band's relatives have died over the last year — lending an emotional urgency that sounds genuinely heartfelt amid an era of ironic detachment. Early reports on The Arcade Fire's live shows are stellar: A friend who caught their act last year called them "the best fucking band in the world." Yeah, he's apt to hyperbole, but based on the emotionally visceral, musically incisive Funeral, I'm not ready to dismiss his lofty appraisal just yet. (Jason Gargano)
The Go Find with the Morr Music Fest
Saturday · Southgate House
Start with the Postal Service's Give Up. Subtract Ben Gibbard's gift for writing stick-in-your-head hooks. Add Billy Corgan on vocals. Subtract Corgan's penchant for bombast. Welcome to Miami, the new album from The Go Find. Dieter Sermeus, the Belgian who records under the name The Go Find, has merged Indie Pop songwriting with mellow electronics to create a work that draws you in slowly. As a songwriter, Sermeus prefers gently driving rhythms and subtle acoustic-guitar builds, though there's enough variety here (like the Pop-Funk of "Bleeding Heart") to keep things interesting. Sermeus is still finding his voice — you'll pick up more than a snatch or two of The Notwist and The Cure, and there's an obvious sonic connection to Styrofoam (Miami producer Arne van Petegem is the mind behind Styrofoam). But on balance, Miami delivers a solid, consistent listen that's particularly well-suited for a long drive at sunset. Given the huge success of Give Up, you can expect much more in the laptop-n-guitar genre in the coming months, and Miami will help to set the bar for those who follow. (Matthew Fenton)
