I’m down in Boston for the weekend to visit some friends and see a few shows. Last night it was Cloud Cult, creators of what is almost certainly my favorite album of the year so far: The Meaning of 8. I won’t talk about them in too much detail, since I find concert recounts to be a little tiresome and because I have a longer post in the works to talk about the record, once I wrap my head around it a little more.
I will say two things. First, I was a little skeptical of their ability to translate complicated and weird-sounding songs in a live context, but was more than satisfied. They put on a fantastic show – one of the best I’ve seen in many years. The only problem was that it was relatively short, since they were technically just opening for Calla (who I found pretty uninteresting and left a couple songs in). Second, in one of the more effective conceits from a arty rock band, they actually have two people (Scott West and Connie Minowa) painting on stage during the show, and they auction off the two final products at the end.
It’s great because there’s often not a lot going on visually in shows, and I have to say that there’s something fascinating about watching a solid painting develop right before your eyes. Adding a visual element really adds a fascinating dimension to the music.
Like I said, the headliner was Calla, who didn’t interest me much, but the opening band was Charlene (right out of lovely Newton, MA) who, quite frankly, were almost as enjoyable as Cloud Cult. They gave me a serious Jesus and Mary Chain vibe, in all the best ways. I had never heard of them, but was impressed enough to immediately buy their record.
I will say that their studio work is a little too sparse and dreamy for my taste. Maybe it’s just that the elements of indie-pop and shoegaze are a little too disconnected, while the wall of sound of the live performance gave them a chance to meld into something with quite a bit more force. I still like their record, but it doesn’t grip me quite the same way their show did.
It looks like they haven’t released anything in quite a while, but hopefully they’ve got something new in the works. I’ll update if I hear anything or if I get the chance to see them again.
Ripoff – Charlene
Summertimer – Charlene
Chemicals Collide – Cloud Cult
Tomorrow night is Son Volt, which should be good, though I do hear that Jay Farrar is a little sick, and Monday is Patriot’s Day, which you’ve probably never even heard of if you’re not from New England, but which is a pretty awesome holiday around these parts.