Wolf Parade “Shines A Light” on Terminal 5
by Mike
Since the release of Apologies to the Queen Mary in 2005, Montreal’s Wolf Parade have been a hard act to catch. Considering their involvement in side projects (e.g., Handsome Furs, Johnny & The Moon, Swan Lake and Sunset Rubdown), the original lineup hasn’t had the time to tour. Given the opportunity to finally see the band live, I felt as much excitement as uncertainty. It felt a lot like meeting your idols – What if they deliver? What if they let you down? There were huge expectations to live up to (beside my own) as the group admitted to still feeling intimidated when playing for the NY crowd. Any nerves quickly transformed into a high energy that made their live show superior. I realized Wolf Parade’s performance explained each member’s distinct personality. Active guitarist and singer, Dan Boeckner, violently shook through each song, displaying his rock bravado – while keyboardist, Spencer Kurg, mirrored a preacher, stomping his feet and pacing himself back and forth on a chair. Arlen Thompson played the drums with adolescent-like enthusiasm, and Dante DeCaro plucked his bass across the stage shoeless – that akin to a flower child. Meanwhile, the audience celebrated these bursting personas with a continuous dance party.
During the grandiose “I’ll Believe In Anything,” the liveliness of the march-like drumming and screeching keyboards, boiled up to Spencer belting, “I’ll take you where nobody knows you and nobody gives a damn!” – bringing to life the lyrical meaning as the sea of us sung our hearts out. The band took us on a wild ride with the new material from Expo 86 – from the enhanced urgency of “Ghost Pressure” to the accelerated “Cave-O-Sapien.” But not even the new spin of raw rock sensibility Dan brought to “Pobody’s Nerfect” could compete to the band’s finale, “Kissing the Beehive.” A flawless sendoff for the fans and the band, the track reminded me of a battle royale – taking numerous experimental turns while the fantastic four wrestled it out until the final moments. The band played with a new found respect towards each another – even Spencer and Dan hugged it out in the end, proving that they can be a united odd couple rather than separate entities. After five years of being a fan, it was more than a huge honor to see Wolf Parade in their prime, taking their art seriously and turning anxiety into a joyous feeling of musical and personal freedom.
Special Thanksto Bekah Zietz // Sub Pop
Tags: Wolf Parade
- July 18, 2010
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