by steve vasko
I was impressed by the Music Hall of Williamsburg last night. A chip off the Bowery Ballroom, its system is first rate and the two bar areas are well done. The NYC band Violens opened the show and did a strong short set. I wasn’t familiar with them before the show but I really liked their sound. To me, they come across as a slightly sinister and more aggressive version of The Shins. Definitely worth following up on.
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Mew came out soon after. I discovered them after their last recording And the Glass Handed Kites but did not get the chance to see them on that tour. Right from the start, I was completely blown away. This was really one of the best shows I have seen in a very long time, ranking up there with Sigur Rós and Radiohead. The word epic seems to be thrown around a lot when talking about Mew live and I now understand why. The crowd was clearly moved and was extremely enthusiastic about every single song. The setlist included hits like “Special” and “The Zookeeper’s Boy” and seemed to play almost every song I wanted to hear, although I wouldn’t have complained if it was a little longer. The visuals were subtle and effective with images ranging from trippy psychedelic beams of light to cats playing violins. Many of the images were synchronized to the live music and even provided children’s backing vocals in “Sometimes Life isn’t easy”. Put this band on your list for must see shows.
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One Comment
Agree. I was there and like you said, completely blown away.