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.