Born Ruffians October 08 at Local 506, Photo: David Millsaps
New Raleigh hereby launches a new Q&A series in which we pose questions about culture in Raleigh and beyond for you, the readers, to answer. This week we’re coming at you with, “What’s your most memorable live-music experience in Raleigh the Triangle?” Some of our writers answer below the fold. Tell us about your experiences in the comments.
Thanks to the A.V. Club, after whom this feature was modeled.
Ladye Jane
I am going to have to expand the Raleigh area a bit and make it the best show in the Triangle because, well, I can’t really name any shows in Raleigh proper that would be on my best of the best list (granted, I have only been here about 2 years, so don’t have a long concert-going history). My friend wanted to go see this band Shearwater at Local 506 because they are composed of ornithologists, and, with him being one as well, he was compelled to check it out. I had never heard of them, but went along for the ride because I’m his concert buddy, and that’s what concert buddies do. When you are expecting absolutely nothing from a band and they turn into one of the best live shows you have ever seen, it is a magical combination. The lead singer’s voice took a little bit of getting used to, but once I did, it almost became like a musical instrument itself, accenting the myriad of musical instruments beautifully. Definitely my favorite show I have seen in the Triangle.
Acree
I grew up in Raleigh before moving away for college. As a teenager who was totally unaware of indie music, my most memorable concert experience was watching Counting Crows on a Walnut Creek telecast while getting hit on by a drunk dental student.
I moved back to Raleigh this summer more musically aware, and some friends and I snatched up tickets when we heard Wolf Parade was coming to Lincoln Theatre. My friends were big fans, but I knew little about the band beyond “They sound a little like Modest Mouse,” so I borrowed Apologies to the Queen Mary and listened to it on repeat in the days leading up to the show.
The success of live music depends on the venue, the band, and the people you’re with. Lincoln Theatre got the volume just right, Wolf Parade sounded tight and hyper, and my friends were euphoric. The band took very short breaks between sets to sip on water and thank us quietly with Canadian accents, but mostly I think they knew we needed a moment to breathe. Then, at once, they would launch raucously into another song. They never stared coolly at the back wall or struck hipsterly poses; instead, they watched their instruments with a manic concentration and threw every muscle and every breath into each note. It’s a sign of a good show when you find yourself excited about even the songs you haven’t heard. We clutched our beers, smiled dementedly, and danced.
After the show we lingered outside Lincoln Theatre with wide eyes and shaky hands, gushing about the experience with strangers like they were our best friends.
David
I loved the Wolf Parade show too, a really great show, but like Ladye Jane I’m pushing the geographic boundaries a bit. While it may have been a post-concert daze that had me so religious, of Montreal‘s visit to the Carolina Theatre last month is among the best concerts I have ever seen. The extravagant old theater was the perfect stage for the outlandish experience that of Montreal provided. You can see pictures from that show here. Not only was the show visually exciting, but of Montreal’s wall of psychedelic pop was almost nonstop for the entirety of their 2+ hour show. The band played much of their new album as well as plenty of classics, but blended the songs together as if a DJ was serving them. I had seen of Montreal many times, but this was one of the most theatrical and well-paced shows I have ever seen by anyone.
Jedidiah
Our city has sadly lost a couple of great venues in the past few years. If I were to venture outside of Raleigh, I’d have to list Sigur Ros at Carolina Theatre in 2005 or Explosions in the Sky last year at Cat’s Cradle. Both of these shows illustrated music as an art form and presentation rather than a job. But, since we are talking Raleigh, I’ll have to think for a bit. There was Dan Deacon at Bickett a few years ago when it was just him, an iPod and 25 people, The Avett Brothers playing a packed Kings in 2005, Asylum Street Spankers at Pour House/Berkeley, and even The Backwards (a Czech Beatles covers band) in 2006 at Kings, where I met my wife.
That said, I think I’m going to have to pick Grizzly Bear and The Books at the Tally Student Center at N.C. State circa 2006. I’m still surprised that this show was booked at such a small venue—a venue that’s not even a music venue. There were a couple hundred, mostly young, fans there. The ticket price was $5, but I remember the doorman letting us in with no charge.
Grizzly Bear were fairly unknown at the time, no Yellow House yet. They were still finding their rhythm and, from my recollection, the band only consisted of two or three members. Seeing them again in another year proved that the atmospheric rock they were puzzling together was about to rocket to the top of the indie music stylesheet.
The Books were just off of their second LP and had started traveling with old movie reels found in Goodwill shops across the country. They created an environment that resembled an evening of musical story telling. Very few words were said throughout their performance (just sights and sounds), and the music and films went together seamlessly. The entire crowd sat cross-legged on the floor for most of the show, amused and perplexed by the audio/video overlap.
Ask me again in a couple of months and I’ll probably think of another show that has slipped my mind.
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