Midlake and St. Vincent @ Walters on Washington

Last night I went to the Midlake concert at Walters on Washington. My brother introduced me to them a couple of weeks ago and we found out they would be in town.

The show was opened by St. Vincent. The band is made up of only one person, and unassuming woman with huge glasses and a voice that leaves you wondering how it came from her. She rocked out on the guitar playing a bluesy rock, with an occasional kick of the drum (yes, she would literally kick it). While she lacked the usual stage antics, the performance was great. I bought her three track LP which is good, however, I don't feel it competes with her live show.

After another opener (not really worth mentioning), Midlake took the stage. During setup they placed a paper-mache panther head in front of the keyboard and set a projector to display video behind them during the performance. Before they even started playing I knew I would like their performance, and I was not disappointed. The lead singer seemed almost pensive during the show, the seriousness of an artist delivering his wares. I appreciated the fact that they would switch instruments, they seem to really know music and use this knowledge to create a very mature style. The video clips in the background created an asthetic element to the concert which was almost meditative.

I would definitely suggest a listen to The Trial of Van Occupanther.

Back Again

Well, being that my sister has started her blog up again, and it has been almost a year since my last post, I figure I might as well try to start it up again, though no guarantees.

Just a brief catch-up on me. I have lived in the Montrose area of Houston for the last year and a half, but have recently bought a house in Tomball. The reason for the move back to Tomball is that I have been going to church at Sondays. One of my best friends, Matt Davis, plays the music and finally got me to check it out after about a year of bugging me. I have been going ever since. It is a group of about 50-60 people and we meet at a coffee shop Sunday nights. One of the things that attracts me to this church the most is that it is diverse and oriented towards social justice. A lot to most of the people who come either are or have been addicted to drugs or alcohol. There is a group from the Open Door Mission who come every week. Everyone welcomes one another, they talk about what is actually going on in their lives, it is a real community. I love it.

Anyway, I will be posting somewhat regularly (hopefully) and will continue to fill you in.

jp