Author: Jordan Jerabek
Monday was prime for some kind of release. After months of frigid temperatures, sights of dead trees and brown grass, it makes sense that the weather started to synchronize with a tangible swell of vibrancy in the air. After all, the Japandroids were coming to town, so it's apparent that even nature had to bend to the will of the exuberance and life-affirming vibes that were simmering around town.
The first American stop of the tour (featuring Craig Finn & the Uptown Controllers as support) brought a sold out crowd to Madison's Majestic Theater. Craig Finn, known for his work fronting The Hold Steady, brought a demonstrative and theatrical sort of storytelling brand of folky punk, almost to the point where this it bordered on performance art. His backing band was deliberate, deftly locking in on driving rhythms and bold brushstrokes of jangly chords and warbly lead work, without working up too much a lather. It was reminiscent of something like Kurt Vile or Bruce Springsteen (appropriate considering some of the sounds found on the new Japandroids record).
While this kinda style doesn't give me much to get riled up about, the crowd at large seemed to approve of it, noticeably warming up his as the set went on – a palpable change in could be felt as he got to “Preludes.” Simply put, it was enough for me to give this guy a shot on record, but I, much like everyone else in the building, seemed to be getting impatient for something else.
Having never seen the duo indoors, I was highly anticipating hearing the walls of guitars and whoa-oh's in the confines of a smaller venue, and needless to say, it was beyond satisfaction. Their set featured all of the belted-out singalong classics (though I had my fingers crossed for “Heart Sweats” to no avail), and a good dose of new material. Opening with the lead off track from Near To The Wild Heart Of Life (arguably the one that comes closest to capturing the vibes of their prior records), it was immediately apparent that the new tunes could hold their own among fan favorites like “The House That Heaven Built” and “Wet Hair”.
Admittedly, not all of the new material had the same impact. “Arc Of Bar” and “True Love And A Free Life Of Free Will” felt a little long and put the invigorated crowd down to a low simmer, (as did Celebration Rock's “Continuous Thunder”). While they kept the energy in flux and dynamic, I can't help but feel like these guys could benefit from keeping things at a higher energy (truth be told, there was something close to silence between songs at a number of points in the set). I guess it could be argued that everyone was a bit sapped from yelling their faces off, but I'm convinced these guys can get more out of the crowd. The rest of the set was everything I expected, fervent drums, massive fuzzed-out gusts of guitars, and a crowd that never missed their cue and overcame the PA at each chance. All in all, the ‘droids did what they always do and put on a helluva show that people will get nostalgic about. Again.
