2008 Woodie Awards
Feist's set mesmerizing
Jason Lucarelli '09
Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: Entertainment
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Rogue Wave took the Tower Theatre's stage at 8:00 p.m. on Sept. 12, ambling through three songs until they finally found their rhythm, which is ironic, considering it took the band three albums to record one as a cohesive unit. Zach Rogue recorded the first Rogue Wave album, "Out of the Shadow," as a solo project while "Descended From Vultures" started seeing some regular members. Rogue always wanted a more permanent lineup, and on "Asleep at Heaven's Gate," as "Harmonium's" discordant chords worked themselves into perfect rhythm, it's apparent that he finally has it.
Rogue Wave's set began with "Lullaby" and continued with more "Asleep at Heaven's Gate" songs such as "Like I Needed," "Chicago X 12," "Christians in Black," and the single "Lake Michigan." The band even played "Descended From Vultures" b-side "Eyes" along with the album's lead track, "Bird on a Wire." Through happy nods, returned smiles, and mild stage banter among band mates, it's apparent that Rogue Wave are expressing themselves in collectively creative ways.
After a brief intermission, as Rogue and company dismantled their gear, Feist and her band took the stage at 9:30 p.m. The beauty began by plucking her way through an electrically inclined version of "When I Was a Young Girl." Later, the crowd would learn that the rock n' roll lady was lead through Philadelphia, looking for a new guitar to replace the one that "broke its neck." Christened Irene, the newest addition to Feist's limited "guitarsenal," the guitar guided the band through heavier electric tunes (if anything by Feist can actually be deemed electrically heavy). Such songs include "The Reminder's" "Feel It All," "My Moon My Man," and the set ending "1 2 3 4." Through the set, Feist's band brandished horns, solid drumbeats, interesting keyboard sounds, and even a mandolin.
Feist's instrumentally eclectic set remained mainly sleep-inducing with tunes like "So Sorry," "The Park," "The Water," and "Let It Die's" "Secret Heart" and "Mushaboom." So, it was a relief when the Canadian knockout energetically reworked "Leisure Suite" and "Inside and Out." As the crowd rose to its feet for the encore, Feist beautifully waltzed through "Intuition." With closed eyes and head nods, the crowd was ready to move their feet to "Sea Lion Woman." Unfortunately, being a crooner at heart, Feist sleepily ended her show with "Let It Die," a woefully easygoing love ballad.
While there were rarely any rough edges to Feist's set last Wednesday, the only downside to her catalog of songs is that it included so many sleepers. The fact that she strategically placed the up tempo songs within the melancholy ones was a testament to her musical acuity. If you've been with her from the start, it was fulfilling to see how well songs from "The Reminder" meshed with songs from "Let It Die."
Even though the Feist's romantic voice acted as the most pleasant sounding instrument of the evening, the downside to her act was that she boasted only a few tunes to which you could actually dance awkwardly to in a sea of fellow indie lovers. The bottom line: when Leslie Feist rocks, she really rocks; but when she wistfully swoons, you'll wish you were holding a hot coffee instead of that over-priced Dixie cup of alcohol.
Rogue Wave's set began with "Lullaby" and continued with more "Asleep at Heaven's Gate" songs such as "Like I Needed," "Chicago X 12," "Christians in Black," and the single "Lake Michigan." The band even played "Descended From Vultures" b-side "Eyes" along with the album's lead track, "Bird on a Wire." Through happy nods, returned smiles, and mild stage banter among band mates, it's apparent that Rogue Wave are expressing themselves in collectively creative ways.
After a brief intermission, as Rogue and company dismantled their gear, Feist and her band took the stage at 9:30 p.m. The beauty began by plucking her way through an electrically inclined version of "When I Was a Young Girl." Later, the crowd would learn that the rock n' roll lady was lead through Philadelphia, looking for a new guitar to replace the one that "broke its neck." Christened Irene, the newest addition to Feist's limited "guitarsenal," the guitar guided the band through heavier electric tunes (if anything by Feist can actually be deemed electrically heavy). Such songs include "The Reminder's" "Feel It All," "My Moon My Man," and the set ending "1 2 3 4." Through the set, Feist's band brandished horns, solid drumbeats, interesting keyboard sounds, and even a mandolin.
Feist's instrumentally eclectic set remained mainly sleep-inducing with tunes like "So Sorry," "The Park," "The Water," and "Let It Die's" "Secret Heart" and "Mushaboom." So, it was a relief when the Canadian knockout energetically reworked "Leisure Suite" and "Inside and Out." As the crowd rose to its feet for the encore, Feist beautifully waltzed through "Intuition." With closed eyes and head nods, the crowd was ready to move their feet to "Sea Lion Woman." Unfortunately, being a crooner at heart, Feist sleepily ended her show with "Let It Die," a woefully easygoing love ballad.
While there were rarely any rough edges to Feist's set last Wednesday, the only downside to her catalog of songs is that it included so many sleepers. The fact that she strategically placed the up tempo songs within the melancholy ones was a testament to her musical acuity. If you've been with her from the start, it was fulfilling to see how well songs from "The Reminder" meshed with songs from "Let It Die."
Even though the Feist's romantic voice acted as the most pleasant sounding instrument of the evening, the downside to her act was that she boasted only a few tunes to which you could actually dance awkwardly to in a sea of fellow indie lovers. The bottom line: when Leslie Feist rocks, she really rocks; but when she wistfully swoons, you'll wish you were holding a hot coffee instead of that over-priced Dixie cup of alcohol.
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