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Okay, I've bitched about the sound here at PA's Lounge kind of a lot, and I feel bad about it sometimes, because the people who run the place seem like good people who really care about music, and I want there to be another successful live music venue in Metro Boston. So I am pleased to be able to report that the sound at PA's is excellent tonight. I can hear both of Shark and Bear's guitarists, more or less perfectly balanced, with Andy's vocals not exactly loud, but quite clear in the mix. The only problem as the set begins is that the bass is not loud enough, but they ask the audience how the mix sounds after the first song, and turn up the bass when we urge them to. (I'm a big fan of asking the audience about the mix, as I usually have strong opinions on the matter and I'm not afraid to express them if given the opportunity.) Shark and Bear, for those coming in late, make beautiful, absurdly complicated songs with all kinds of crazy rhythms, delicate and lovely vocals, and two killer guitar lines. One is mostly rhythm guitar, but is approximately as involving as most leads, and the lead guitar is just ridiculous. And for all that, it really never sounds wanky to me; they're complex patterns, but they make sense.
Sweetthieves actually kind of pack the place! This is great to see, and probably contributes to how good everything sounds. For the first time ever, I can hear the bassist's vocals really clearly. She sounds pretty good, and there's something fragile about her singing that plays well against the guitarist's stronger, clearer voice. They also play their instruments off each other amazingly well, trading lead and rhythm duties much the way two guitarists would. And the bass lead in the new song is stunning; this time it's Jesse from Shark and Bear that I see running to the front of the stage to watch what Hilary's doing, grinning with delight.
Tristan begin their set by unfurling some French flags, in honor of Bastille Day, and launching into an unfamiliar song. It starts out in four and I don't recognize it, so it's got to be a cover, but half the audience (this audience, with some of the most ambitious musicians in Boston in it) reacts with surprise and delight, and as the time changes in the song start to pile up, I figure it must be some prog classic—probably Rush. It is; "Bastille Day," as it turns out! After that workout, they segue into one of their own even more outrageous compositions. This is an awesome set, including two of my favorites: the ultra-freaky workout "World of Rubber," and the genuinely catchy "Narcosynthesis." Any one of these songs is so close to impossible that it's stunning that they can play them at all, but tonight they blaze through them, barely ever pausing between songs. (I think there's maybe one break, and it's to thank and applaud the other bands.) Oh, and they brought snacks for tonight! They close with another Rush cover.
I'm pretty wiped out after that, and Tom actually falls asleep in the back of the room, but I'm glad we stick around for Reports. They're a different band than the last time I saw them, both literally (a different drummer, and a new, permanent second guitarist) and figuratively. There's still a tuneful pop sensibility—the vocals make me think of Elvis Costello some—but the overall sound is considerably sharper and gutsier, with some harsh guitar to cut the sweetness of the songs. I think it's a good direction for them.
