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| Spiritualized, The Raconteurs highlight exciting week in live music | |
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by Albert Rodriguez and Jessica Price -
SGN A&E Writers Spiritualized w/ Grand Ole Party September 14 - 8 PM Neumos Five years have passed since Spiritualized not only toured but released a completely new full-length, and it seems as if the legendary band is back on solid ground with their newest, Songs In A&E, and a tour lined up as well with a stop at Neumos in Seattle. With a full electric band and two gospel singers, shows sold out last summer and the band has been in high demand on the festival circuit. Jason Pierce is still out on a limb doing what he's always done - only this time, better than it's been in years. Yes, he still loves to go on a bit and indulges in tried and true Spiritualized trademarks like the fuzzed-out wall of sound and a haze of beautifully quaint references to love, drugs, God, etc, but Jason Pierce has good reason to ruminate on life and death and all things precious considering his battle on life support for nearly two years with double pneumonia. The songs on A&E have more punch than the last couple of Spiritualized efforts, as if some of the clutter has been stripped away and the songs and self-editing are a bit more carefully chosen. There's still plenty of space rock for diehard fans, but it's not just the same old song and dance. The album was near completion when Pierce took ill, but as you might imagine, careful consideration and thought was put into every song after the harrowing illness. A chance friendship with filmmaker Harmony Korine led to the challenge of making music for film, but also the inspiration to revisit the nearly complete album and tie everything together several years on. And, really, who doesn't like to give in to a good, loud, spaced-out song about the majesty and pain of being alive every once in a while? Most people base their entire teenage years on it, and then some. I know I did. Spiritualized has always been known for the intensity of their live performances. It's not exactly a spectator experience; it's more of a full-body type of high. Plenty of strobes and white lights abound. Spiritualized live are notoriously loud, which adds another dimension to the world you have to get absorbed in to fully appreciate Spiritualized. I've seen the band at their best, and also at their most overindulgent, but something tells me this time Jason Pierce and his band will be massive and amazing in the best possible way. -J. Price Artist essentials: To my last breath, I will swear by Spiritualized's first album, Lazer Guided Melodies. Also, the larger-than-life single "Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating In Space" is one of the most amazing wall-of-sound songs ever created. The Raconteurs September 19 - 8 PM WaMu Theater Unless you count the black eye he delivered to Von Bondies lead singer Jason Stollsteimer or his brief affair to "You had me at hello" Renee Zellweger, Jack White has pretty much kept a personal and professional low profile. Even his marriage to model Karen Elson was considered minor buzz, although I wish one of those annoying entertainment news anchors (paging Mary Hart) would have crashed the wedding to see what White actually wore on the big day. The Detroit native is so praised for his musical skills, as he ought to be, that no one gives him credit for his fashion statements throughout the years. C'mon, a guy who goes from red pants and white belt to a three-piece suit and top hat to a Spanish bullrider get-up should be getting props from all those glossy, expensive magazines. Yet, it goes unnoticed. I could go on and on about Jack White, but that would mean omitting any mention of his bandmates, together known as The Raconteurs. This Grammy-nominated foursome, started by White as a moonlighting gig from his day job duties with The White Stripes, exploded on the rock scene two years ago. There was no doubt The Raconteurs were headed to greatness when they dropped their first single, the heavy, guitar-led "Steady As She Goes." Interestingly, I was tipped on the formation of this quartet when I interviewed group member Brendan Benson years ago, who at the time was a brilliant singer-songwriter himself. His album The Alternative to Love is a pop masterpiece and the single "Tiny Spark" can put a smile on my face even on a bitterly cold evening. I also think Benson is a smart, cool, sexy guy and met him briefly after a solo concert at the short-lived i-Spy club. So, you have two acclaimed singer-songwriters in White and Benson, and the former is somewhat of a genius after producing Loretta Lynn's stellar Van Lear Rose album aside from his own classics like Elephant and Icky Thump, and if you do the math after adding bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler from the Greenhornes, you have the makings of an awesome recording and live act. The Raconteurs celebrated high critical marks for their 2006 debut Broken Boy Soldiers and it's looking like they'll enjoy a second wave of top-10 list inclusions come December for Consolers of the Lonely, not to mention a probable Grammy nod. Though White and Benson hail from the Motor City, while Lawrence and Keeler launched their careers in Cincinnati, The Raconteurs are based in Nashville - and don't knock Nashville; it's the first place I heard Modest Mouse's "Float On" played back in '04. The last visit to Seattle by The Raconteurs was this spring when they chose to introduce Seattle fans to new material at the intimate Neumos - as you'd imagine, the concert sold out in minutes and the line to get in that night wrapped around the block an hour before it even started. I didn't go, but fellow music writer Jessica Price did, and was blown away. The Raconteurs have now graduated to WaMu Theater, not quite the most acoustic-blessed venue in Seattle but it does appear the sound is different from concert to concert. That said, and combined with the fact that Friday's gig is billed as general admission, The Raconteurs get my vote for show of the week. They'll play music from both CDs, and I expect the crowd will go wild during "Steady As She Goes." Should I attend - and I'm biting my nails at the possibility of being shortlisted for a band guest spot - I'll likely be transfixed on White because I consider him music royalty. On the other hand, I'll be salivating at the sight of Benson because he just does it for me. Hipsters and modern rock types will come out in full force, especially those who unfortunately weren't able to snag a ticket to the Neumos appearance. If you go and prefer not to drive, bus it to the International District and take a short walk to the west side of Qwest Field, where you'll see a sign poking out for WaMu Theater. Drink lines are long, so pre-funk in Pioneer Square before the show or bring a pair of rested feet because you're likely to stand in line 15 minutes waiting for that Chardonnay. Let's love The Raconteurs together, forever. -A. Rodriguez Artist essentials: Watch the video for "Steady As She Goes" on YouTube, and just for the heck of it check out Brendan Benson's "Tiny Spark," too. |
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