Concert review: Fountains of Wayne & my volume problem
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Artist:
I recently saw Fountains of Wayne for the second and last time. The first time was at a Penn's Landing (Philly) extravaganza a couple of years ago. They were fully electrified, but the music was nearly incomprehensible and much too loud. I knew what they were playing, as I own all of their releases and love this band. My poor wife was not so lucky and was not impressed. The only time I really enjoyed the performance was when they put away the electric guitars for a couple of songs ("Hey Julie" in particular) and you could hear Chris Collingswood's vocals and lyrics. Their lead guitarist, so excellent on record, played solos that didn't seem to include any melodic lines that my ears could distinguish from the general din. So I thought: hey, maybe it's a mix problem, or maybe my old man status just got confirmed and would be arriving in the mail shortly.
But recently they've been playing concerts advertised as "acoustic". They played one at the Tin Angel in Philly which I missed, but later were advertised to play another at the Sellersville 1894 Theater (Sellersville, PA), a small, converted old movie theater with nice acoustics. So I bought 2 tickets and, after Mrs. Dermahrk broke her femur and was unavailable to be my concert-mate, quickly drafted Ivylander to join me.
Another disappointment. The difference between an electric and acoustic concert to them is to replace the two electric guitars with two acoustic guitars. Bass, played by the fantastic Adam Schlesinger? Still electric, and much too loud. And that aforementioned lead guitarist apparently attached his acoustic to a full bank of effects pedals and spent a lot of the concert coaxing feedback out the system while striking maybe-ironic guitar god poses. Could I hear the lead guitar lines? Again, no. Either too soft or overamped and just a pile of noise. They are also apparently tired (or ashamed?) of their big hit "Stacey's Mom", and decided to do it at the rhythmic pace of Petula Clark's "Downtown" (I thought that was the song until the lyrics began) to change it up.
Besides the songs themselves, two of the things I really like about FOW are Chris Collingswood's understated lead vocals and the song lyrics. Both were pretty well buried in the mix. Despite this being a small theater and an "acoustic" show, the volume seemed to be pumped unnecessarily to the maximum level - why? Why is it considered necessary to supposedly enhance the concert experience by losing the musical details in an effort to achieve volume? I wear two hearing aids and enjoyed nothing as much as when the opening act, Mike Viola (with Kelly Jones - the best thing that night) stepped away from the mikes and did a song - really acoustic - OFF of the P.A. system. The audience was totally quiet. Other than the musicians, you could've heard a pin drop. Even in Mike's opening act set, which comprised a maximum of two musicians onstage playing (mainly) acoustic instruments, the mikes were so "hot", and the volume so maximized, that again clarity was lost in the name of...what? I had no desire to experience the volume of the 1970s Who here.
So I will continue to buy the CDs of FOW, as they emerge, where I can hear everything that's going on, and avoid their future concerts. If they release a live CD, where the mix is good and everything CAN be heard, I'll buy that as well. But no more live music. Not from these guys. I give up.
Deadmandeadman frequently states "live music is better". I'm still waiting for that detailed exposition, Jeff, because more and more I tend to disagree.
Comments (9)
Sad to read this, but I hear where you're coming from. I like loud concerts, I'll admit, but never at the expense of clarity. I'm not a big FOW fan (although their guitarist you mention is still, I assume, Jody Porter, whom I've written about before a couple of times--he used to call Charleston his home, and I have some stories about him) but still from what I've heard about them, they don't strike me as that type of band that would try to be so ballsy (and not in a good way).
My friend saw the same billed "acoustic" set at Maxwell's and said pretty much the same thing. Guess an acoustic set draws a bit more interest?
WOW BUMMER MAN
dat sux
I think I kinda agreed with you when we were talking in the car on the way home. Seems as if volume in concert, like reverb on a recording, is a mark of insecurity - it covers up any number of real or imagined sins. But I didn't think FOW was the most egregious case I've ever witnessed of the pointless pursuit of volume - that would be Cheap Trick. Stiull, your point is well taken, and (I think I agreed with you here too) that Voila-Jones unamplified was a highlight of the evening.
A slightly tangential note: On those rare occasions when I, say, am dragged to a Broadway musical or somesuch, I can never figure out why they feel the need for amplification. Those theaters were allegedly acoustically designed for a pre-microphoned world. Mebbe we all just need to be clubbed over our heads before we can be moved by music....not.
More often than not, it seems that recent rock features loud rhythm guitar and/or keyboard producing flowing chords that fill up and duplicate whatever wave frequencies the singer or soloist might try to use. Since there is rarely any silence, whatever rhythm there is comes from barely audible drums. Often the drummer spends a lot of time crashing the cymbals, thus creating a constant white noise that muffles everything. The goal is intensity, the result is deadness.
ivylander, if you had to listen to opera, you might, like me, wish that they allowed the singers to use microphones, and also that they had the orchestras play more quietly. The singers don't have a chance against a big orchestra, and few can be heard, much less have their lyrics understood, without resorting to screechy vibrato.
To add a positive note, Ivylander and I both agreed that the FOW drummer did an excellent job, not only in his tasteful playing but in maintaining an appropriate volume level as well - more difficult on the drums than any other instrument.
Spike, I guess I've been lucky when it comes to opera. I don't get to go often, but when I do it has generally been Avery Fisher Hall, which seems to have figured out how to deal with that problem. It has been some time, though....
The thing about playing acoustic is that you're supposed to be NAKED. No effects to mask your musical inadequacies. And some bands just can't deal with that, ergo the effects pedals, etc.
As much as I enjoyed the record, it always bugged me to hear Nirvana play Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" on MTV Unplugged. On that famous intro riff, Kurt's acoustic guitar is purposefully distorted. "Unplugged"? Nay, fellas.
In general, unless we're talking about the kind of band that actually uses noise and feedback melodically and as a cornerstone of their sound (hey there, JAMC and MBV), it can be rather torturous when you hear a favorite tune cranked up too loud to enjoy live.
give this a listen
http://mog.com/inrumford/blog/1408657