Wolf Parade
Fillmore Auditorium - Jul 17, 2008
review by lexicon

Except for the puddle at my feet, this show couldn't have been any better. (Some tool decided it would be fine to set his/her 80% full drink on the floor. Yeah, no worries. It's not like people are likely to dance and maybe not see that in the dark. Cool. Two-thirds through Wolf Parades set, I realized I had been gifted my own personal lagoon.)

But on to the more cogent stuff...

Wolf Parade were at their best - musically tight, obviously into what they were doing, blasting out faithful versions of the entire new album as well as popular selections from Apologies. Last time I saw them, it was a second-round tour behind Apologies and they seemed to lack enthusiasm for the material (not that I blame them, really, but maybe don't schedule a second tour?).

This time around, the new material seemed to have reinvigorated the entire band, and not just for the new songs. Their versions of I'm a Runner..., I'll Believe in Anything, and Fancy Claps were just as spirited. True to my prediction, they closed their main set with Kissing the Beehive, the last track on At Mount Zoomer, which ends with all the announcements of 'Fire in the hole!'.

Interestingly, that is one of the few songs in which Spencer and Dan alternate vocal parts, and that interaction made it especially fun to watch (as opposed to them basically switching off taking the lead on songs). All this energy created a set that went from rousing to ultra-rousing, inspiring a sizable pit and even a crowd surfer.

Also, my friend and I met Hadji in the lobby before the show and he was tremendously nice.

And the Fillmore apple was the best red delicious I've had in years, perhaps ever.

posted Jul 18, 2008
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