When it comes to writing reviews, there’s always a bias. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, all a review is is me trying to convince you to feel the same way I do. So I’ll come right out and say it; Manchester Orchestra is my favorite band right now, and their live show is one of the strongest I’ve ever seen. As soon as these dates were released I knew I was going. I didn’t care what day, what venue, what price, none of it mattered. If Manchester Orchestra’s in Pittsburgh, I’ll be there. (If you didn’t get the message already, I was excited for this.)Manchester Orchestra always seems to tour with amazing bands. Whether it be opening for Brand New or Say Anything, or bringing Kevin Devine along with them, or introducing me to a band on the rise like All Get Out, they have a way of always finding the best tour mates. This run of dates is no exception. The first band to play was Winston Audio, a band on Manchester’s own Favorite Gentlemen Records. I had heard their newest album, The Red Rhythm, a few months ago. I found it enjoyable, but I wasn’t particularly enveloped in it at any given moment. It’s a solid first full-length, but it’s not mind-blowing or anything. Their live set, however, is another story. They play their music with so much passion and energy, and it isn’t particularly energetic music either, so this is quite an accomplishment. The entire venue was absolutely filled with sound. If you enjoy good, straightforward rock and roll, go see Winston Audio if they’re near you.
Following up Winston was Audrye Sessions. Set up was generally very minimal - throughout the night, all four bands actually shared the same drum kit - but Audrye still had plenty of gear, including a xylophone, a washboard, and a floor tom, placed almost directly in front of me. My curiosity was sparked, and just as quickly met with a strange but satisfying sound. Audrye Sessions’ live show is nothing short of astounding. Every live review I do, I almost always recommend you go see the bands I mention, but this is the first band I’ve seen that I would absolutely recommend going to see, even if you don’t enjoy their album, or even their style of music. I was absolutely blown away. In fact, I expect to see anyone who reads this blog at their show in Pittsburgh in July. Take my word for it, it's that good. I know I’ll be there. Their set was nothing short of amazing, start to finish.
fun. was next to take the stage, and I was very excited, even though I’d only heard one song (the only they’ve released, which is FANTASTIC and on their Myspace page) and I was never a big fan of The Format. I felt a little hesitant when I realized just how many people were there to see them, even though they’d never played Pittsburgh and, again, have only released ONE song. The crowd felt, well, to be honest, undeserved. And frankly, I was very underwhelmed by much of the live set. Also, fun.’s frontman, Nate Ruess, seemed either really bored with the crowd, or a little drunk during the first four or five songs. I can’t say I enjoyed the set very much at all until after they played the two songs by The Format. After that, Nate and co. seemed much more comfortable on stage. Before “At Least I’m Not As Sad,” while Nate was trying to teach the crowd the lyrics to the chorus, the band’s pianist was attempting to sing the part a capella, and Nate mockingly made a Lion King reference, which lead to Elton John jokes, which lead to a bit of “Rocket Man.” It was clear at this point that fun. really was, well, fun. “At Least I’m Not As Sad” featured several members of Audrye Sessions and Manchester Orchestra, including Andy Hull singing the bridge. The set concluded with "Take Your Time," and I felt at least a little better about fun. In their element, they’re fine, but they did not fit on this bill at all. Still, it was a somewhat refreshing change of pace.
set list:
Benson Hedges
All the Pretty Girls on a Saturday Night
I Wanna Be the One
Snails (the Format)
The First Single (the Format)
Walking the Dog
digression into Elton John's "Rocket Man"
At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used to Be)
Take Your Time
I don’t remember how long it took Manchester Orchestra to set up, but it seemed like a good chunk of time. Still, if you know me, or my last.fm page, you know that I feel it was worth the wait. Manchester is one of my favorite bands ever. I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child is one of my favorite albums. Even with incredibly high expectations, Mean Everything to Nothing did not disappoint in the slightest. What I’m trying to say is, unless you want to hear me outright praising this band, skip to the set list. Within the first two songs, I knew this show was going to be significantly better than the last time they came through Pittsburgh (my review here). Maybe it was just because I knew the songs, or maybe it was because they’ve played them more. But regardless, it was sure to be even better. “I’ve Got Friends,” a song which I didn’t even mildly enjoy until I heard it in the context of the album, was an absolute standout from the set. A few songs later, “Now That You’re Home” felt a little rushed, and “Sleeper 1972” lost a lot of it’s touch being thrown into the middle of the show, as opposed to as an encore. “Golden Ticket,” the only song played from Virgin that they didn’t play last time, was phenomenal, another standout for sure. “The Bathroom is a Creepy Place” was a comedic cover thrown in for good measure. The rest of the set was very emotionally charged. “Everything to Nothing,” one of my lesser favored songs from the new album, was significantly better live, and since then I appreciate it much more on the album. “Where Have You Been?” was closed with, as expected, and was much more energetic than last December for whatever reason. Members of fun. and Audrye Sessions participated in the 10+ minute ordeal, and many of us were left with sore throats. Honestly, the encore was completely unnecessary, a rare accomplishment for a headlining band, but still a nice addition to an outstanding set. The band was much more emotional and energetic than on the last headlining tour, the new songs were much tighter, but the old songs were clearly favored by the crowd. My only complaint is I would’ve liked to hear more.
set list:
Pride
Shake It Out
I've Got Friends
Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard (Paul Simon cover) (Andy solo)
In My Teeth
Now That You're Home
Sleeper 1972 (Andy solo)
Wolves at Night
Golden Ticket
The Bathroom Is a Creepy Place (twothirtyeight cover) (Andy solo)
I Can Barely Breathe
My Friend Marcus
Everything to Nothing
Where Have You Been?
encore:
Holland, 1945 (Neutral Milk Hotel cover) (Andy solo, with vocals from Chris and Robert)
After the show, we hung out around the back of the venue with pretty much all four bands. I talked to Chris Freeman from Manchester Orchestra for about a half an hour about movies, touring, gingivitis, Underoath, and all kinds of other fun stuff. Ryan from Audrye Sessions is also a very cool dude with a very, very cool cape. Andy Hull was a bit drunk, and it made me kind of sad, but he still talked for a minute, which was still much appreciated. All in all, I had a great time.
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