Au at Le Poisson Rouge (01/24/09)
Stars Like Fleas at Le Poisson Rouge (01/24/09)
Photos: Jon Klemm
Here’s what NPR’s Bob Boilen had to say about Au‘s record Verbs:
I was sifting through stacks of cd’s the other day hoping to find a gem. After about 120 cd’s or so this appeared. It took me on a journey… there was joy and adventure. I’d never knew where it was going to go. One minute my head would be filled with a giant chorus, and then i felt like i was at a party in a circus tent with Terry Riley and Steve Reich…I love it. Bob Boilen, NPR
Here’s what Jonny Leather had to say about the Au/Stars Like Fleas show on Saturday night:
Stars Like Fleas are a challenging band to write about. There are no bands to easily reference in describing their sound. There are no gimmicks. No sing-along choruses. No stage theatrics. At Le Poisson Rouge, playing as an 8-piece, they focused on creating a unique symphony of sounds that spliced together elements of experimental jazz, rock, classical, and other unclassifiable constructs of music. They are not your average indie pop party band, but rather instead an intense musical journey that requires and desires a focused listening experience, upon which you’ll be greatly rewarded.
Following a band like Stars Like Fleas is difficult, but Au‘s phenomenal set was easily my highlight of the week. Already in love with their 2008 release “Verbs” and wowed by their performance at Spiegeltent last year, there was not a bad moment in the colorful set, even though singer Luke Wyland never seemed comfortable with the sound in his monitors. Wyland’s carnival like keyboard rainbow and beautifully distinct vocals were perfectly complicated by some of the memorable percussion work I’ve ever seen live. Dana Vlatka just seems to have total awareness of the full capability and range of his kit, and displayed it in a totally unpretentious way. The highlight of the set came with the lively “Are Animals” which had a few people up on their feet and dancing at the seated performance. [JonnyLeather.com]
God dammit, wish I could have been there myself. More of Jon (Klemm’s) picks after the jump.
Au by Jon Klemm
Stars Like Fleas by Jon Klemm
