Voxtrot (w/ Magic Bullets and Yellow Fever)
Great American Music Hall
San Francisco, Calif.
11.04.06.
One of the great music venue facades:
First up was Yellow Fever, late of Austin, Tx. They play very solid indie-pop. Take a listen at their myspace. I think you might like. The also have a member that is very purty, though it's doubtful you'll be able to tell from my picture. But regardless, she's nice to look at but I respect her for her mind:
Next up was Magic Bullets. I know nothing of this band. The lead singer is kind of like Jim Carey. Not because he's funny -- though maybe he is, I don't have a feeling one way or the other about his humor capacity -- but because the whole time on stage he was doing this Stretch Armstrong contortionist thing that I couldn't decide if it was cute, and brought on by the moment, or completely contrived. I think cute won out, because this band was unfailingly energetic. They have an album coming out "sometime next year" and who knows if their sound will translate well on record, but they were very fun live. He moved around too much to get any clear pictures. Makes for bad pictures, but a very fun show:
And then there was Voxtrot. Another Austin product. And folks, this band rocks. They have 2 EPs out, which are both very listenable. But this band was meant for the stage. They are the real deal. Because they rock much harder then their EPs suggest. They will put out a full length album next year, and they will become a major force to be reckoned with. I have heard many people reference The Smiths when speaking of Voxtrot. And here's the thing. I pretty much hate the Smiths. Or at least the idea of the Smiths. They sound like every bad 80's movie I've ever seen. And this Morrissey character. What's his deal? He seems like the kind of person that you would invite over to your house for Thanksgiving -- because he's alone, always alone, writing poetry alone in his room, thinking thoughts that no other loner has ever thought, thoughts that are too massive for regular people to comprehend, and you feel maybe it would be a nice gesture to invite him to be around people on a holiday rather than being alone alone alone -- and the whole time he would bitch that you're serving turkey. Because meat is murder! Feasts are rape! Turkeys are people too! Good grief. But anyway. Back to Voxtrot. If people are linking Voxtrot to the Smiths, and Voxtrot is this good live, I just might have to reconsider my position on The Smiths.
Hey Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me:
Great thing about cameras. They're like automatic easter. I'm kinda, sorta going blind and had no idea that he was wearing a Beat Happening shirt until I reviewed the pics:
The bassist rocks out Paul McCartney style:
