Birthday Cake and The Raveonettes
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Artist:
Why is it that Friday nights are just made for ringing ears and strobe lights? At least, for what it is worth, that's my opinion and this past Friday fit in perfectly with my expectations.
As the beginning of my (most excellent) birthday weekend, I spent the evening with The Raveonettes, as well as with my husband (it happened to also be our 10th wedding anniversary that night) and three fabulous friends, two of which flew into Seattle from Indianapolis and Minneapolis for the fun.
After a day of rain and wind, we enjoyed a leisurely dinner at one of the area's best restaurants and then arrived at the venue in plenty of time to score a spot against the stage, where only dust motes and smoke machine output would separate us from the show.
Supporting The Raveonettes were the Crocodiles. Darkness and my photographic nemesis, red lighting gels, made for frustrations behind my camera lens...but I persevered and got a couple of shots that didn't completely suck.
While their music was enjoyable, the live performance was rather bland, contrasting starkly with the sound pouring off the stage. They were completely without personality, not even giving off a F-you vibe. There was just nothing there. Loud but borning, I was ready for something better.
And I got it. The Raveonettes came out blasting. The massive wall of noise-pop sound was impressive, if a little loud (and I am a fan of BIG sound) and the crowd moved together as one beast, swaying to the hypnotic rhythms.
My camera just LOVED Sharin Foo, and why shouldn't it? A pretty girl with a guitar. I've trained the lens to appreciate such things.
However, the strobe lights, coupled with a long day, rich food, the heat of 100's of bodies and WAAAAY too much to drink earlier led me to realize I needed to get some air (right now!) and I made my way to the back of the crowd, then to the balcony. From far away the show was no less impressive and the volume, although still too loud for conversation, was just right.
Without bothering with that obligatory encore nonsense, they played a lengthy and fabulous set, ending well past the witching hour with Aly, Walk with Me. One of my favorite songs of theirs, I took it as a birthday gift, straight from their amplifiers to my delighted ears.
Aly, Walk with Me--The Raveonettes
Comments (21)
Beautiful job, Amber
And Happy birthday! (and Wedding anniversary).
Love the up-close pictures of Sharin Foo. Another one of my "almost wives" (heh, heh - in fact, inscripted under my first ever photo with her taken all the way back in 2003, I wrote "the first love, you can't escape")
I didn't even mention "Aly, Walk With Me" in my review! I'm glad you did.
OH! I totally forgot to mention:
People, click on Dave right there, above. He covered a NY show of The Raveonettes with lots of exquisite detail and embedded goodies. You won't be sorry you did.
(thanks for the b-day and anniversary wishes. Is there any better way to spend those milestones than with friends and live music? I think not)
(and if you click on one of the photos, it will take you to my flickr page--there's a couple other shots of your first love there. heh)
Thanks for the props re: my New York show review.
I agree - no better way to spend a significant milestone than with your rock buds at a great show.
Oooh - more pics of my first love (who I could not escape)? I'm all over it!
;-)
Excellent report! It looks like you had a great time. AWESOME pics btw.
Tell Dan that he needs to come to Minnesota so we can slay some ducks and stuff.
Thanks Mike! And Dan talked of shooting things all weekend, which is terrifying because he has never held a gun in his hands and I worry when he's got a butter knife. Don't encourage him
happy bd/anniversary amber. hate to say it, but i LOVE the photos that you got. it might have taken a bit more work and a lot of deletes, but these are great.
by the way, maybe for Xmas your dude can get you a pair of earplugs that are molded to fit your ears....i recommend them. besides being more comfortable, they're much better sounding than any of the foam plugs that people wear and you can actually still hear quite nicely as well as picking how many db's you actually drop the volume. they won't help the strobe lights, but they've definitely made a bunch of shows a lot more enjoyable for me (during and after).
They are a great band, I have been diggin through their stuff all weekend after Dave's brilliant writeup.
Robin, you may hate to say it, but I loved reading it. Thanks for liking the pictures. You're totally right; therewas lots of deleting going on to get those few shots...but I like them too, for the most part. I really like the one of Sharin in the strobe light looking over her shoulder. It looks like the show felt, if that makes any sense.
molded earplugs are an intriguing idea. I don't like the foam ones much since they change the sound of the music so very much and usually I don't have trouble with the volume, so I rarely use them, although I often carry them (just not THAT night--figures...) I'll put them on the wish list, right under a new point and shoot camera (for when photo passes don't materialize) and a super fast lens for my big girl camera (for when they do). :)
Ghost: I'm thinking you had a grand weekend. And Dave's write up WAS brilliant.
hehehe......your priorities are in order. the molded's are like the in-ear monitors that the bands themselves wear when it comes to fit. as far as what it sounds like, if you get pads that are around 15db i think that after they're in a little while and you forget that you're wearing them you'll be quite impressed with being able to actually hear the show properly.
Amber I work around these every day, and I have been getting my earplugs custom ordered from here for years. Granted, they are pricey, but its a required expense for what I do for a living.
You can find some cheaper options on the site, but like Robin, I do recomend getting fitted through your doctor for custom plugs and seeing if your insurance will pay for it, or at least get some db rated earplugs made.
Anything that is louder than a vacume cleaner at 5 feet from you is causing you hearing loss. And it NEVER comes back. Your just slowly chipping away at something that one day you wish you could get back.
I certainly don't want to lose my hearing...makes the music lover in me quake in fear.
(that video was AMAZING, BTW. I had no idea how wildly those things could move. Wow.)
whoah. a birthday, an anniversary, and The Raveonettes on one weekend. it's too much, i'd have pretend-fainted a little.
i love that they weren't being pretentious hipsters onstage. thanks for the great writeup, sistah. plus i especially loved the 2 ghostly-white photos.
oh, and...
Disappointing that the Crocs were disappointing.
The one thing that can cause constant plug use is constant earringing (that's what I've got). Be glad you don't have that yet!
Ilay! Thanks for the cake! (and I also enjoyed Ghostland Observatory on Saturday. A weekend of bliss, I assure you)
Eric--I am still on the happy side of "what? I can't hear you." and hope to stay there for a while.
happpppy birthday seattle friend!!
sounds like a fantastic way to celebrate! and lovely photos, even the red-lit ones.
I only wish I could have been there to
drool over Sharincelebrate the weekend with you and the gang. I guess this will just have to do. xoxoxoxoKari--it was totally fantastic. and thanks. :) Dale
Dale, if only you could have been here; THEN it would have been perfect (drool included). I will always take the xoxoxoxo's. You give the best xoxoxoxox's
Your pics are great! you have that eye down to a "TEE". sounds like you had a great dual-holiday with all the friends and festivities, thanks for sharing the splendorificus!
Regarding the custom-fit ear plugs....visit the hunting section in your local Walmart and ask for them...it's a two part flexible epoxy that you mold to your own ear cannals and it works great!
My dear! Happy belated birthday and anniversary! I wish I could have been there to give you a squeeze and buy you a million rounds.
''My camera just LOVED Sharin Foo'' no no, Sharin Foo loved your camera :)
I want more noise from this band and less lala bubble gum, but I'd love to see them live (it's overdue, really).
Cheers for the review and many kisses!
Excellent as usual and front page news too! Happy belated..
Scot: oh, and storage bag is included! I will certainly check these out. I've been frightened by Robin and Ghost. :S
Anna...some day there will be squeezing and rounding. Some day. I agree about the lala bubble gum. There's a reason I posted a song from Lust Lust Lust and not the newest album; I think they are going in the wrong direction. But still, one white hot show!
Cody! Thanks! The Front Page was just one more lovely birthday gift. :)