This was the first time I had ever flown anywhere to see a show. In actuality, it was something of a leap of faith as I had never even seen MONO live before. I was told from a friend who had seen MONO several times, “MONO is the only band whom I actually want an encore from when they complete. If they are going to play with a 24-piece orchestra, this could be the best show of a lifetime.” Good thing I listened because this was in fact, the best show of my life.
MONO played at the New York Society for Ethical Culture Concert Hall. That’s basically a whole bunch of words to say that it was a glorious cathedral. It was the perfect setting because this concert experience was spiritual. The audience sat in silent awe during every song. The acoustics in this room were incredible. Even though symphony etiquette seemed most appropriate for this sit down event, as the sound came roaring through the room people began to move–almost involuntarily. Spines began to move from front to back, shoulders, necks, heads … thrash. Sounds roared again as bodies jerked, shoulders, necks, heads … bang. Each sound was more astounding than the one before. It ended with a standing ovation, gratitude, and tears.
This show was amazing for lots of reasons. First, it was outdoors at the Bumbershoot Fisher Green stage; that in itself isn’t so amazing, but the fact that there were over a thousand people there and it was pouring rain, made it pretty epic. Macklemore didn’t disappoint the sopping, wet masses–he performed his butt off.
Debuting new materiel, Macklemore connected with the audience on a personal level. Macklemore’s lyrics expose his humanity with humility and elegance. He announced in the introduction to “Otherside,” “This song is about addiction. I just celebrated a year long of sobriety.” The audience roared. As Macklemore rapped the intimate details of his life, each member of the audience had their eyes locked on him as if he were speaking directly to them. As the rain continued to fall, it seemed as if the heavens were crying tears of joy for Macklemore’s triumph. It was a beautiful experience. I was honored to see it.
Haaay! Party weekend! Blue freaking Scholars are the freaking bomb. Blue Scholars were actually scheduled to play a three day event in December, 2008 but it was canceled due to snow. This three day event was sold out–this audience had been waiting for months for this party.
Blue Scholars have been playing shows for a very long time, and they know how to keep the audience entertained for hours on end. With Geologic’s smart lyrics and Sabzi’s unique beats, their songs could have been about social politics or strait up partying and the crowd lapped it up. Blue Scholars also debuted their “HI-808” video on Neumos’ gigantic backdrop, and those boys were looking phoine! “808 808 808 808.” There were some fan collage videos that were thrown in, and the crowed went wild. This was the first time I ever felt the Neumos floor move from people jumping up and down. Holler, Blue Scholars. “808 808 808 808!”
This was my first experience seeing Gary Jules, and frankly, I only knew him as the amazing talent who covered “Mad World” for the Donnie Darko soundtrack. Instead of being entertained by melodrama, Gary Jules was one of the most charismatic acts I’ve ever seen–it was nothing short of amazing. Jules told stories, played his acoustic guitar, and laughed and joked with the audience as if they were family. As far as singer/songwriters go, he’s someone to look up to and aspire to be like. He had the audience wrapped around his finger, and he didn’t have to struggle to be heard.
The experience of seeing Jules perform “Mad World,” is difficult to describe. In the interview we did following the show, he spoke about how people connect during somber moments. I’m sure millions of people grew up singing “Mad World” as if it was written for them. I was one of those people, and being able to see this song performed live was a landmark experience. Expectations for such a song being performed live would naturally be unrealistic, but lucky for everyone in the room that night, Gary Jules performed that song as if it were a dream. The room got so quiet you could hear every shudder in his voice. It was amazing, and Gary Jules is one of the most amazing artists I’ve ever met.
Being able to see Peter Broderick live was a gift. Broderick is one of the most naturally talented artists I’ve ever seen. He comes from a rich family line of musicians, and the ease of which his musical genius translated into song is astounding. Broderick doesn’t play show-off fancy music, but rather, he plays music as it flows through him. His vernacular ranges from the simplicity of a finger-picked acoustic song, to multi-instrumental songs that are beyond a dozen layers thick. I would venture a guess that no set is ever exactly the same, but the audience can count on a unique experience, as personal as family, every time they go to a Peter Broderick show. The below clip is from one such event. Enjoy.
Picking out a measly 5 shows is a pretty difficult task and I could add at least another 20 to the list. Actually it’s next to impossible….so before I get started, here are a few honorable mentions. And let’s be clear, these are shows that moved ME in particular. These are shows I loved.
Champagne Champagne@ EMP during Bumbershoot was a fantastic spectacle to behold. The Show was tight, Pearl was pulling some Iggy shit by walking on the hands of the audience, and it was absolutely full beyond capacity.
Fucked Up@ Neumos. They played to about 50 people total, but you never would have known it. The intensity of Fucked Up permeated the room, and he eventually got the crowd to participate in his raucous antics. An amazing punk show!
The Gossip@ The Capitol Hill Block Party. Ditto and friends played an amazing show before Sonic Youth. Since they had been booed the last time they opened for them, they were out with something to prove. The show was out of control. Beth’s voice was amazing, and the new songs had the crowd jumping. Overall, it was a great time.
The Heavy @ The Crocodile. I begrudgingly went, and this band simply blew my mind. Genre after genre of musical styles, and they worked the crowd into a lather….it was spot on, and I was thrilled I got to see it.
Peaches@ The Showbox (Round 1). If you have never seen Peaches live, it’s well worth every dollar. It is entertainment from beginning to end, and some good shock value to boot. Peaches gets down and dirty while the crowd dances their butt’s off.
Yep this is all about me, and I don’t care. I was on stage while they played, and it was mind blowing. Seeing Trent work his magic over the crowd was surreal … seeing the crowd respond gave me goosebumps. It was awesome to see how this brilliantly lit show worked from the other side of things, and to be in close confines to this master of music was pretty F*’in cool. I took a bunch of pics and video. What do you know? Here is one.
You can’t possibly put into words the depth of his music. Its some of the most hauntingly beautiful music on the planet, and seeing him live leaves you speechless. Antony … has to be one of the most prolific singer songwriters alive. His music wraps me in the warmest blanket,and let’s me emotionally be me. Its heavy.
Veils latest release Sun Gangs, has to be one of the best CD’s of 2009. Live, this masterpiece is played out as beautifully as you hear on the CD- Scary huh? They had the crowd mesmerized, and I was front and center (actually to the right) caught up in the beauty of it all.
The journey this band takes their audience on is almost indescribable. Their sounds seem to lift you gently by the back of the shirt, and effortlessly leave you hovering above your body while taking in their music. Mono’s show is an experience, and nothing less.
This intellectual band created quite a buzz, and the show at Chop Suey left me reeling and chatting about it for days afterward. Musically I was completely blown away. The sync of the band coupled with their musical layering and transitions floored me. They are incredible live.
Russian Circles, a band that could be classified as having a post-metal sound that is somehow equal parts Sharks Keep Moving and Pelican, will be at Neumos again tonight. Russian Circles have opened for both Red Sparowes and Daughters on the same stage in the last two years, and take it from someone who was there: they blew the Sparowes clear off that stage on that cold day in March of last year. They’re a tough act to follow, so it makes sense that they’ll be headlining this show with the beloved Young Widows and Seattle’s own Helms Alee. For a band made up of three men, they have a dense, full sound that will knock any interested listener on their ass while bringing forth that repetetive, often hypnotic effect that the post-rockers so seem to enjoy.
Russian Circles’ new record, Geneva, is a return to form of sorts as Stations, their second disc, was in large part break from heaviness. Not to say that it wasn’t a heavy record, it just didn’t bang the way that Enter, their first album, did. This time however, they’ve brought it back with reinforcements.Geneva is one of the best records of the year, a top-tenner for sure.
Band Members
Takaakira “Taka” Goto: guitar
Tamaki: bass, piano, glockenspiel
Yoda: guitar
Yasunori Takada: drums, glockenspiel
When Taka, Tamaki, Yoda, and Yasunori took the stage, the audience roared. They knew what was coming. MONO started the set with “Ashes in the Snow.” Taka introduced the set with the ambient noise of subtle distortion, and then looked to Yasunori to begin with the delicate trickles of a glockenspiel. Tamaki assisted on second glockenspiel to add a ironic twist to the once innocent sound. Taka then looked to Yoda, and with a gentle hand, he caressed the air to count off a simultaneous guitar start. Their soft guitar notes fell to the ground like tear drops.
MONO’s style of music, much likes a symphony, has crescendos and decrescendos to the superlative degree. This chilling introduction to the set was sure to be followed by thunderous roars. The audience, fully captivated, observed in silence and waited to be blown away. They were not disappointed. At exactly the right moment, sound came crashing through the venue like waves as violent as a tsunami.
MONO’s set list consisted mostly of content from Hymn to the Immortal Wind as this tour is in support of that album. However, they are not touring with a full orchestra as the album was designed to be showcased. To make this tour ultimately dynamic, they added a couple of their most epic songs that flowed with the album and intensified their heavy metal side. A favorite was “Yearning.”
When “Yearning” began, the audience began to shift a bit, for they knew what was coming. All members of the band held their heads low, faces enveloped with black hair like plumed feathers, and the drums pounded on . . . and on. As the sound was taken down to the strum of a single guitar string, the room exploded with noise as cataclysmic as napalm. Taka lifted his right arm off of strums in a full-armed extension in display of the extent of his emotion–and yet more sound erupted. Bringing this sixteen-minute song to a conclusion was a ceremony in itself; it started as softly as it began. Taka finished on his knees as if his yearning bore no fruit and he had no choice but to give up. The dark road continued as they played “Battle to Heaven.”
Lead by Tamaki on keys, MONO concluded the set with “Everlasting Light.” This song was the perfect ending to the set as it celebrates the dichotomy of triumph and tragedy. For the first five minutes of the song, Yasunori laid his head on his folded hands as if he were in a prayer. After the introduction to the song, Taka and Yoda played their guitars by themselves for a bit as Tamaki returned to her bass. As the intensity built, the most beautiful thing happened; Taka, Tamaki, and Yoda turned to face Yasunori. They looked to Yasunori as if there were no one else in the room. It didn’t feel like they needed Yasunori to lead the timing, it felt like they were honoring him by allowing him to lead to conclusion of the set. As the cymbals crashed, they honored each other as family. As tears streamed down audience members faces, MONO took off their instruments, Taka blew a kiss to the audience, and all of them exited the stage–no encore, it was over.
Taka, Tamaki, Yoda, Yasunori, thank you so much for what you do. For some, it was an incredible show. For others, you changed their lives forever.
Please enjoy “The Battle to Heaven,” “Yearning,” and an interview captured before the set. If you are interested in seeing more MONO footage, please visit the “MONO live in NYC” post captured in May 2009 featuring a 24 piece orchestra. There is an additional interview at on that post as well.
Upcoming Shows
Oct 13 2009 8:00P El Rey Theatre Los Angeles , CA
Oct 14 2009 8:00P Club Congress Tucson, AZ
Oct 15 2009 8:00P Launch Pad Albuquerque, NM
Oct 16 2009 8:00P Hailey’s Denton, TX
Oct 17 2009 8:00P The Mohawk Austin, TX
Oct 19 2009 8:00P Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros Mexico City, Mexico
Oct 20 2009 8:00P FBOLKO Guadalajara, Mexico
Dec 3 2009 8:00P Transmission Room Auckland, New Zealand
Dec 4 2009 8:00P The Hi-Fi Melbourne, Australia
Dec 5 2009 8:00P Manning Bar Sydney, Australia
Dec 6 2009 8:00P The Hi-Fi Brisbane, Australia
Dec 21 2009 8:00P 10th Anniversary Orchestra Show / Shibuya O-EAST Tokyo, JP
When she woke, her head was pounding. She knew that it was her against the day, but she didn’t care. Something was different. When she flicked on the lights, the artificial shine broke the silence of the darkness, furthering her headache. However, on the other side of that interrupted darkness was hope, for something was different.
Blank faced yet eerily wide-eyed, she began her day. On her way to work, there was something enigmatic about her commute. She was enveloped in traffic just as she was the day before. There was still the ambient presence of people who had given up around her, but she laughed ironically, for something was different.
At the office, people stared at her curiously. “What is she smiling about?” they murmured to each other. She still had bleak, impending deadlines, the women down the hall still hated her, and her boss still looked at her with lustful eyes, but none of this mattered, for MONO was coming.
MONO creates music that makes the mundane life epic; it is music to live and die by. Masters of the rise and fall, MONO creates foundations with reverberated distortion, elongated with strings, and accentuated with piano, harpsichord, and glockenspiel. The gradual progression grips at the listener’s heart with yearning, hope, and despair. When the emotions are too great to bear, the cymbals crash, the drums explode, the bass roars, and the guitars let out blood curdling screams.
As dark and demonstrative as MONO’s music can be, it can be as equally ethereal. When they played “Everlasting Light,” their last song at their ten year anniversary celebration in NYC, the physical light in the room grew with the swell of the music. At the finale, drummer Yasunori Takada, signaled to the orchestra that it was time for the final crash. Each cymbal crash was a representation of the celebration, gratitude, and love. And then, it was over. No encore. MONO was complete.
MONO is not currently touring with a full orchestra, but each show is a once in a lifetime opportunity. No single show is like the one before, nor can it forecast the one after it. Just be there, or I promise you, you’ll regret it.
I am also honored to announce that SSG has an exclusive giveaway for this show. Click –>HERE<– to enter to win. Please include your name and the name of your guest as you would like to have it read on the guest list. Also, feel free to include a note about how much you love MONO, what you’re looking forward to, or any other kind words you have about the band. The winner will be selected on October 8, 2009 by 5PM.
Until then, please enjoy clips from MONO’s 10 year anniversary celebration in NYC.
Band Members
Takaakira “Taka” Goto: guitar
Tamaki: bass
Yoda: guitar
Yasunori Takada: drums
Special Guests:
Jeff Milarsky and the Wordless Music Orchestra
Trying to describe being at this show is like trying to describe color to a blind person; if you weren’t able to see and hear it for yourself there aren’t words or even media recreations that can appropriately convey the experience, but here goes nothing — here goes everything.
Being an audience member for the 10 year anniversary celebration of MONO’s first show was an emotional experience of the most profound kind. Their newest release entitled “Hymn to the Immortal Wind” includes a full orchestra. The evening of May 8, 2009 was the first time that MONO recreated the full orchestra for a live concert; it was a smashing success.
The evening before the concert I had the honor of interviewing Taka. We were able to talk about some of the meanings behind MONO’s music and what being able to deliver that music meant to him among other things. In the interview below Taka discusses a song entitled “Ashes in the Snow.” This song is about a woman who loses her husband — her soul mate in death. Still yearning for connection with her partner, she takes his ashes and scatters them at sea. The sun lifts the ocean water commingled with her husband’s ashes into clouds. When the clouds release it’s matter into snow, the woman knows she is enveloped in the presence of her husband. This is the type of rich emotional substance that goes into MONO’s work. Even if you aren’t aware of the stories behind each of the songs, MONO has some of the most emotionally evocative material that I have ever been able to experience.
Even with that foundation, I went to the concert unprepared for what I was going to get. The tender lulls of the music were organic and spiritual; in those moments I felt motionless and fetal. The swells were so intense that the only matching physical manifestation would have been if I had run to the edge of the third floor balcony and jumped off.
I have an affinity towards music of this ilk because I crave the ultimate rush. The music had the same effect on my guests but it occurred to them as unsettling. My sister likened this concert to extreme sports and other forms of pleasure that aren’t suitable for the faint of heart. I could not have agreed with her more. MONO is an accessible realm for me to get the same type of rush as free falling out of a plane. For some, that experience is fearsome. For others like me, it is the thrill of a lifetime.
I invite you to have the experience the way that I did. Please enjoy the interview with Taka followed by the full songs Ashes in the Snow, Follow the Map, and Everlasting Light.
Seattle Show Gal is in hot pursuit of undiscovered talent! How many great bands are out there that are slipping through the cracks? Seattle is saturated with so much music, it would be nearly impossible to sift through it all to find the good stuff. The Seattle Show Gal staff is not so proud to think that we can bring you all of it, but we are actively pursuing all different types of acts to give you a pulse on what is going on--right here in Seattle! (See more in "About")
Russian Circles, a band that could be classified as having a post-metal sound that is somehow equal parts 
