A number of years ago I was in the audience at a Finn Brothers gig over at the 9:30. A superb, albeit proper show was frequently interrupted by a much younger Liam and his brother, high up on the dressing room balcony overlooking the stage, sailing paper airplanes down over the band in mid-performance. So, if it's to be that fine, nuanced, and melodic songwriting and performance is a Finn Family hallmark, much like the paper airplanes sent sailing down from the rafters, Liam tosses in his own air of unpredictability in a live setting--fidgeting with often abused notion of 'one guy and a guitar'.From Liam's press bio: During his raucous yet intimate performances Liam utilizes effects pedals to create, sample and loop bass, guitar, drums and vocals to layer with his live vocals and guitar. Pre-programmed flourishes, also keyed live by Finn, gurgle under his sharp, addictive melodies to produce experimental pop music that is simultaneously ghostly and direct in its atmospherics and emotionalism. Being responsible for all the sound flowing from the stage is inevitably risky, but it's a risk in which the youngster relishes. "I think the fact of doing this looping, one-man-band sort of thing really keeps you on your toes and keeps it fresh. The more you mess up, the more you're forced to turn it into a good mess and people seem to respond more. I find it really stimulating. I just love the danger of it, really." As one might assume, a Liam Finn show is by no means the seated, shh-inducing coffee house affair many solo singer-songwriter performances can be. It's actually the antithesis. Finn drops fuzzed out guitar riffs, bellows bass lines and thunders on his drum kit like a punk rock caveman. When asked the philosophy behind this approach Liam remarks, "Whenever I walk in and see just a guy and a guitar, I think 'Here we go again.' I want to give people something different."
So, I'm thinking it's a pretty safe bet that the show the night before in Philly will bear just a tiny resemblance to the show the following night right here in DC--for which Liam and TVD are offering a pair of tickets and a copy of Liam's debut CD (they're out of the vinyl, I asked...) "I'll Be Lightning" to one lucky winner.
The aforementioned winner will be the lucky commenter who can touch on something truly wondrous and utterly unpredictable that has occurred to him or her at a live show--and we won't look the other way if it happens to be sordid and/or scandalous. (That's a good night out, right?) And if you can work in some Liam love too along the way, we won't call it predictable at all.
Unfog those memories and let us have 'em. We'll choose a winner next Friday--9/5!
Liam Finn - Second Chance (Mp3)
Official Website
Official MySpace
6 comments:
I think it should be noted that the excellent band The Veils are opening for Liam Finn for this show and others on the tour. Cehck them out at http://www.theveils.com/
I have been fortunate to have experienced several unpredictable and exciting moments at live shows, but the one that's freshest in my mind relates to Liam Finn directly. A few months ago, I went to see him open for Laura Veirs at the Jammin' Java. I had seen him play a couple shows already, but this one was so full of energy and enthusiasm that the audience would not stop clapping until he re-emerged for an encore performance. Never have I seen an opening act give an encore before, and never was it more deserved. I look forward to finally seeing him headline this weekend, and I hear The Veils are pretty fantastic as well.
Please remember we need a contact email to ...well, contact the winner...!
oops, forgot the email.
xylene881@yahoo.com
thanks!
So my love for Liam Finn goes back to last January while in New Zealand driving along some random road on the "left" side of the road a kiwi friend whipped out Liam Finn's CD. "your going to love this wee little dude, you should see him life, he goes OFF!" my friend said to me...Fell in love from the start.
Fast Forward to May when he played DC9...spread the Liam love to all of my friends who also attended the gig. All of us left there absolutely amazed at the almost one man band in action. The way he starts off every song simply with just one or two instruments then builds up to the all out drum fest is AMAZING! Friends left liam fans...one even bought the vinal that liam signed.
Fast Forward further to the Jammin Java show. My friend and I, who are city dwellers, hike out to Vienna just to get lost looking for the place. Finally find it after a few wrong turns and two stops at gas station to ask for directions. Head in....it JUST SOLD OUT two people ahead of us. Now im kinda upset as A) We hiked out to vienna, and B) Its Liam Finn, who is on stage at this point. We talk to the girls at the door, they put us on the "list" incase any one leaves, and sit in the back. The beauty of all of this is that we bought some coffee, stood in the back with a decent view of the stage, and were able to pretty much see the whole concert with out paying a dime. So what was a shitty situation turned pretty awesome.
So excited for Saturdays show and the same New Zealand friend who turned me on to liam sent me a mix cd with Kiwi artists on in...including The Veils. Excited to see them to!
And said friend is also in a band called Fade. SO if you like NZ music check them out! www.myspace.com/fadetune
yay people are finally entering!
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