The Books Playing Lincoln Theatre

photo from thebooksmusic.com

The Books (or The Brooks as they are incorrectly identified on Lincoln’s print ad in The Indy) have only a three shows that are listed on their website. One in London, one in Asheville, and (somehow) one at Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh. This could either be a very cool venue for them or a very vacant show. It’s definitely one of the more avant garde bookings at Lincoln over the past few years.

I’m still not sure if anyone in the Raleigh area knows who The Books are, especially since they have taken a three year break to become family men. They haven’t released an album since 2006’s Music for a French Elevator and Other Short Format Oddities by the Books but word is that there will be a new one soon, albeit described as sleep therapy.

So on Friday, August 14th, check out the band that I thought put on one of the better shows I have seen in Raleigh. Granted, a then, up and coming, little known band called Grizzly Bear did open the show and look where they are now.

I wonder how the musical story telling of The Books will translate at the large Lincoln Theatre that will most likely, and sadly, be empty? Luckily they are selling seated and standing tickets. I recommend the seated ones up front.

No opener has been announced yet.

The Books
w/ TBA

8PM Doors
9PM Show

$13 Advance Standing
$20 Advance Seated

Summary of The Books/Grizzly Bear at Talley Student Center

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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