i really love small venues

really, i do.

the older i get, the less tolerance i have for big stadium shows. not that any of the bands i listen to will ever hold a big stadium on their own... well... maybe radiohead. and maybe one day keane. but otherwise, probably not so much. but anyway, still. stadiums suck. what's the point of going to a show if you can't stand comfortably in front of the stage watching a performance? and as an added bonus, if the venue is small enough, sometimes one of the bands will come out and watch the other band, blocking your view because they're 8'11 and chose the one spot in the whole place that's right in front of you. it's true.

so last night, we went to see clap your hands say yea, and the national. we would have stayed for m83, since they're really really good, but we didn't. we have no explanation or excuse, other than: we just didn't. so these kids were all part of a benefiit for the greatest radio station in all the land, kexp. our morning dj, john richards, periodically holds these 'john in the morning at night' shows that almost alway sell out, and almost always kick some serious bootie. last night was no exception.


we skipped john vanderslice, athelete, and math & physics club, since we needed food and really, we just couldn't be bothered. we showed up to the tiny little venue that is nuemos just in time for clap your hands say yea.

terrible name for a band, in my opinion, but my GOD they're amazing. they hail from new york, of course, and while the lazier amongst us might compare them to very early talking heads, primarily because lead singer alec ounsworth has the unique vocal stylings of david byrne (albeit a david byrne who's smoked rock after rock of delicious crack), these guys can hardly be compared to just one band. they're less experiemental (except for the vocals) and more just solid, straight-ahead hooky rock music. the very best of indie. what other indie bands wish they were. and they sound about 90% better live than on disk. i just don't think ounsworth's quirks can transfer successfully to record. it took me a while to get into them, mostly because of that voice (as my friend kerry says, it certainly doesn't have that timeless quality about it), but last night's incredible performance turned me into a believer. and MAN are they loud.

i would have had a clearer view of clap your hands say yea, except matt berninger of the national came over and stood in front of me for the entire performance, and let me tell you, that man is tall.

speaking of the national, they took the stage next. now, the national is a band whose sound and singer matt berninger's voice do, indeed, translate well onto disk. you may have heard the song 'able' on various radio shows, but it's 'secret meeting' that's their real masterpiece. the chorus reminds me of old irish folk songs, while the rest of the song is kind of quiet and slow... hard to describe really. and i'm too tired this morning to really do it justice. but trust me, it's good.

on stage, the national just rock the fuck out. berninger looks like a man possessed. or high. or drunk. or... well... he has this insanely intense stage presence which is at turns odd and engrossing. his vocals never waiver, whether he's falllen down or hunched over in some weird fugue state or standing clenched and reaching with one claw-hand toward the heaven, rope-like veins bulging out of his painfully skinny frame. we were standing under the speaker, and me with no earplugs again. if clap your hands say yea were loud, the national, with their wall of sound outros, and berninger's powerful baritone, are louder. and ouch.

and watching the national with us? alec ounsworth from clap your hands say yea, standing next to my friend. it's amazing how an average, kind of dorky looking guy can get any woman he wants by just standing up on stage and singing into a microphone for an hour. dorky looking guys, take note. if alec ounsworth can have several girls chatting him up and hanging on him, form your own band. then you can, too! and contrary to the importance of clap your hands say yea's music and their kind of, 'this is all ridiculous,' onstage persona, i can tell you: ounsworth was loving the attention. ;o)