Words: Robb S — Photos: Michelle Yass
Rock and Roll Hotel was stage to a showcase of what is good and bad with experimental music today—with Xiu Xiu,Dirty Beaches, and Father Murphy on the bill, the talent was there, the execution not so much.
Opening first for the two syllable duo was Father Murphy… judgement shall not be passed considering I arrived a few minutes shy of their set. If the music they produce is any indication, fans new and old were likely treated to some smoothed out orchestral rock… experimental only in its addition of psychedelia to the mix.
Next up, a personal favorite… Dirty Beaches. He incited a spiritual revival over at DC9 last time he was here; this time the form was much more defined… less spontaneous. A growth in his musicianship and confidence as a performer were certainly evident. For those unfamiliar, he’s a one-man act that uses very little lyrics, though his music is very based in its narratives. Here, Dirty Beaches takes an unorthodox look at rock and blues to produce a sound all its own… a clash of various sounds he executes gloriously. This would be the good face of experimental music: creative musical concepts, lyrics which are just as contemplated as its arrangements, and the ability to mix it all together genuinely, uncontrived.
On the other side of that experimental coin, all the way from San Jose, headliners, Xiu Xiu provided a variant glimpse into the genre. Drawing inspiration from frontman Jamie Stewart’s own loss and heartbreak, elements of rock, synth pop, and a bit of punk mix for a sound that echoes an identical despair. The group’s music takes advantage of the sonic benefits that dissonance provides, much like Dirty Beaches. Unlike their Elvis-esque opener, when bringing such a method to a live show, it sounds like unfocused noise—inaccessible, and unlistenable.
A pet peeve was teased out as neither Stewart, nor bandmate Angela Seo, made any effort to interact with the crowd. We as an audience pay to be entertained, but we also like to have a one-of-a-kind experience when our faves come to town. Instead, what we received was an hour or so long set of whiny, melodramatic indiscernible vocals and lost musical moments. Being only two people on stage, with the majority vocals coming from Stewart, attention is commanded by default. However, with a stage presence as exciting as watching paint dry, it becomes a bit depressing to watch.
Giving this band the benefit of the doubt, and considering their material in-studio sounds decent… I’d suggest giving them a rainy day listen. Xiu Xiu’s most recent album Always is available now on iTunes and Spotify.
I take it you don’t listen to Xiu Xiu much…
I wasn’t sure how good the show would be, not because of the avant pop style, but Stewart’s execution varies. Honestly, the performance turned up like a lean version of Xiu Xiu’s greatest hits. But, as a reviewer this is one of those situations where you have to know what your getting into ahead of time. I watched the drunk girls at the bar make fun of the show…but you know they didn’t know where they were and could barely make sense of “I Luv The Valley, Oh” But, I hope that you wouldn’t have made a case against Elliott Smith for being shy or P-Funk for being flashy, that’s just who they are. I don’t want to rip into you because it can be hard to write these. But for all the sold-out OAR shows this town sees, I appreciate Xiu Xiu for delivering an absolutely melodramatic show, one steeped in scattered beats, sexual crescendos and a fuck-ton of gong action. Live music can’t all be so clinically digestable.
robert you raise interesting points, but your argument has a gaping hole and it is that xiu xiu totally blows
clearly he’s never listened to xiu xiu. why would you send someone to review a show that has no familiarity with the band? fans of xiu xiu got exactly what they expected.
perhaps Robb S is a masochist?
Perhaps Andy J. IS Robb S.
Point: Winship.
I went for Dirty Beaches, I gave Xiu Xiu a listen before seeing them, so this isn’t a blind review peeps—others in the audience didn’t seem to be THAT invested in the show either from what I could tell. I suspect my disappoint was shared that night.
A reviewer doesn’t have to be familiar with every band to write a review.
Anyway – I saw Xiu Xiu like a decade ago at the old Warehouse Next Door and it was a pretty wonderful experience. I haven’t been following him much lately tho. Robb – I’d give his studio work another try sometime, I think it will grow on you. In a fungal sort of way.
In other news – I’m old.