No one could ever hold the Urban Lounge's intimacy against it. As my first concert there, I was pleasantly surprised at how the venue with its stage at the perfect height, condensed wooden dance-floor, and dash of grunge factor add up to a first-rate enjoyable concert experience.
First things first, I was there to see Delorean. As I've confessed before I have an automatic affinity for bands from Barcelona. Delorean definitely fits the category. I've posted the video to their newest single "Stay Close" off of Subiza, which is available as a pre-order on the Matador Records website. For obvious reasons, my excitement to see them was palpable.
Logically, when I saw Ehki, the lead singer/bassist, walk over to the bar inconspicuously for a drink, I took the opportunity to introduce myself. Sure enough five minutes later they were to go on and we were to continue our conversation after the show. I was struck at his kindness and utter lack of pretension.
Delorean's set was short but sweet. It was anchored by three blissed out versions of "Grow", "Real Life" "Stay Close" as well as two other tracks off of Subiza. What they may have lacked in soundchecked levels they made up for in intensity and fun.
Sure enough after the show I spent thirty minutes or so chatting it up with the guys from Delorean. We chatted about everything from overdevelopment on the Spanish Coast, why Menorca is cooler than Mallorca, making music professionally, the strange influence of Pitchfork, the craziness of New York, and why La Barceloneta is such a cool neighborhood. Go out and support these guys. They are good people making good music. en fin.
After Delorean's set, the crowd thickened as the folks in peripheries migrated towards the stage to witness Miike Snow. Indeed the crowd was pretty well liquored-up by the time the lights dimmed and the smoke machines turned on.
Miike Snow's debut album isn't bad. That said it didn't blow me away either and my expectations were subsequently non-existent. However from the first moment where the band descends in matching white plastic phantom masks, you could tell these guys meant to bring it live. And they did.
Their live show oscillates manically between a trance-inducing heart-pumping DJ set and a rock show. The band has three members however their are six people on stage for the live performance. Two men are off to the side turning knobs as if they were some plotting electro DJs while lead-singer Andrew Wyatt moves between the mic, a keyboard, and his elvis-costello style hollow-body guitar. Additionally there is another guy on drums and two more guys playing assorted electronic gizmos.
What makes the show beyond the scientific maximization of every musical moment they have, is more specifically the light show, which moves in impressive sync with the music. During the fan favorite set closer, Animal, the strobe-light crescendo had the entire audience in a strange brew of awed disbelief and trance-inducing dance.
After the show I had the chance to ask Andrew about the performance to which he responded, "Hard work. This whole thing is really little more than an enormous amounts of practice and effort." Indeed it pays off big time.
All the photo credit belongs exclusively to Peter of Salt Lake City.
Go out and support these bands and live music!
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