Pick up your groove and come dancing with me?
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(You can see the whole photographic she-bang here and here and here)
I didn't cook Thanksgiving dinner this year. I usually do, the whole spread, spending most of Wednesday and every waking minute of Thursday before the "big show" in the kitchen, stirring and grating and basting and mashing. But not this year.
This year, on Friday I knew I had to be able to move. No turkey coma or ready-to-be-delivered food baby for me. I had a date with the Friendly Fires. I was going to have to dance!
I had seen FF at Lollapalooza this year, where, as per my usual MO at festivals, I was lured in by sound and had the hook set by performance. Techno dance beats enhanced by a living/breathing bassist, drummer and guitarist tugged me to the area in front of the stage but when lead singer Ed Macfarlane (Ed Mac) busted out his moves--damn...reel me in boys, I'm a goner.
So when I saw they were playing Seattle on Black Friday, I knew the holiday dinner was going to have to wait. I was gonna dance.
The first opener was not what I expected. Holly Miranda was beautiful and wonderful but not dance-a-licious! Vocals sounding to me like how Edie Brickell or Thao Nguyen would sound if heard through several layers of flannel, I reluctantly put aside my groove and settled in to enjoy, and enjoy I did. Well worth the time, just a strange bed fellow. She did, however, have great boots.
Nobody Sees You Like I Do--Holly Miranda
Next on the bill was XX (I guess that's pronounced "Times 10). Guitarist, bassist and a guy in the back with all kinds of electronic stuff...THIS is more what I expected. Picking up my groove back up, I prepared to pre-func but WAIT! This isn't dance music either!
XX was really really good. All my dream-pop nerves were tingling as I head bobbed and swayed, but I'd not really call that dancing, not really. Still, bass player Oliver Sim had gorgeous bone structure and played his instrument with these really long fingers...
After a completely fab set, XX left the stage. NOW do I get to dance?
And the answer was a resounding YES! Friendly Fires came out with punch, opening with Jump in the Pool and just taking off from there, straight up, out through the hole in the ozone and into space, taking us all with them. OH YEAH, BABY!
Jump in the Pool--Friendly Fires
Ed Mac, with his energy and full lips and ability to move his body like a sine wave was exactly what my groove and I were waiting for. Could I have been any happier that his prefered spot to pout and sway was right in front of me? I think not.
In the Hospital--Friendly Fires
Yessssss....well worth giving up that piece of pumpkin pie and the leftover food orgy. I danced untethered by gluttony. There's something I can be thankful for. That, and Ed Mac's moves. I'm very thankful for those.
Lovesick--Friendly Fires
Locating MOG account...
Comments (25)
Now I have "The Kinks" Come Dancing stuck in my head...
MORNING AMBER!
Yawwwwwwn....good morning to you too.
Amber, are there days when you just get down on your knees and thank God that you get the privilege of living in such a rock 'n' roll town, that you get to see such a show?
I'd be watching The XX wondering if they would start getting cranky, this far past their bedtime. Is Oliver 15, seriously?
Bring on the dance party! WHOO!!!
did you make that last red gridded set of photos? that is an awesome image. as they all are, how do you get such great concert photos? it is an art in itself
if heard through several layers of flannel - laughed out loud after I saw the picture of her
The XX are the current "buzz band" of the moment - it figures Amber here would be right on top of it all ;-)
Dale: every day. every single day. :)
Awww, Rob, you say the sweetest things. I did make the red grid--it is red because the lighting was horrid (red gels make for terrible photography) but I wanted to show him moving and 2D still photography makes that challenging. As to how I get the shots? I get close and I take tons of pix...as in hundreds. If I am lucky, the planets align and I get 10 good ones.
flannel is making a post-grundge come-back, don't you think? :)
Dave: they were a collateral benefit from my Friendly Fires fixation. But I'll pretend to be in the "know" if you promise to look the other way and not call me out. :D
I first heard of this band when I was in England, They have a very interesting sound. And I was sure that when they used their music in that commercial it would of given them a bigger sales boost than it did. Great post though nicely written I really got the feel of the show. Also I thought I was the only one who thought that Holly Miranda sounds a little like Edie Brickell good ear.
in all honesty, I wasn't expecting to like miss Holly, but that super cool opening indie-drumbeat quickly convinced me otherwise.
oh no, did you just say post-grunge? we might have a new burgeoning genre on our hands!
Brilliant review, Amber. Great pictures too, I like the one of up the singer's nose. Always a classic. I love that XX album, it's so totally different to everything else coming out of the London indie scene. The Friendly Fires have some great songs - Jump In the Pool is terrific, hope they played that one. However Ed Mac's dancing is... highly individualistic. :-)
Nice line up!
The Friendly Fires are always great live and you can't help smiling at Ed Mac's dancing, its like he forgot to pull out the love beads before he came on stage.
(..and everyone does say The ex ex in the UK)
wow...love the photos!
rockwis: an ear for an ear--The Edie is right there for those who listen, no? ;)
Rob likes our new post-grundge princess (keep this up and we WILL have a new genre!)
You see up his nose, I just looked at that mouth--poTAto, POtaTO.
Neill--good to know. At least XX is easier than that !!! band, right?
Kari, as always--thanks.
You know, Amber, I don't think much of live music photographers because I believe that anybody can take a good live picture with a half decent camera. But you, you're something. Your photographs always have something special going on. From that composition you have there that oozes movement to that special angle you photographed the FF bloke, I love it.
Oh. Now, that is the best compliment. I loved you before, but now...I think I have something in my eye.
Personally, I think that something "special" is because I see the world from askew, and my lens just naturally follows.
But seriously, it means the world, what you said. Thank you.
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hey, kardelen...the mother ship is calling
ooh yay, a shoe photo from Mz. Amber, finally. i second Anna, there truly is something magical about your live concert pics. and does that collage kick ass!
lurv me some FF, and now my radar is fully turned on to XX.
Oh, Ilay. So much love across too many oceans...
I completely think that it is the concerts are the magic and somehow, sometimes I am lucky enough to capture it.
XX...well worth focusing in on. :)
Thank you, Starbucks friend. Thank you for introducing me to Friendly Fires. I've seen the name so many times but I've never listened.
XX played here a few months ago and will be returning in a couple of months. I'm not sure. I like them and I don't like them.
You're welcome, Mog buddy. Trust me, to really appreciate FF, you need to see him MOVE
Annie hauled me to FF at Coachella. They are good. From zero to dance in .5 seconds.
I've never seen anyone described has having "good bone structure". :)
Annie raved about their Coachella set and then we saw them at Lolla--but they were much much better in a dark venue (this was the same one we saw The Raveonettes in) and from my vantage point, the dancing was almost hazardous. I'd see them again, any day.
I figured they would be better in a close venue. Some bands are good out doors, but most are better in a nice (well dingy), dark, small venue.
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