Editors/Hot Hot Heat Concert - 1/30

I'm completely drained and nearly deaf today after the concert at the Fine Line last night. The venue is a smaller version of First Avenue with classier floors giving the place a golden tint instead of seeming like a dark pit. My biggest qualm with this concert was the crowd. Normally, people keep to their place and move aside when someone passes through. The people around me were spot stealing vultures that moved every time you stepped slightly to the side to talk to your friend. As the night went on, the people crammed in closer as if the walls were closing in. Generally, it's nice of you to keep to your area and avoid too much jolting about so as you don't elbow strangers in the side when trying to mime things for your girlfriend. Since you can't generalize about such things, I didn't care that I bounced off everyone around me whilst grooving to the music for the rest of the night.

The three acts that night had a progression in themselves from grungy to clean cut. Nearly every member of Louis XIV had a greasy mullet going except for the two violinists. It was fitting for their hard rock tunes led by their drunken master (he took a swig from a bottle of wine after and sometimes during every song). One of the things that surprised me was the backup singer. He had his moments and his own songs and boy was he singing high up. His nasally singing received grand applause every time he sang solo, but sometimes unfortunately sounded like an alto chipmunk. All in all, they were an entertaining motley crew but I won't go searching for their next gig.

However, the other two bands I'd love to see again. They would both be from the UK.

Hot Hot Heat has the power pop/rock down. The entire set was a huge bundle of energy, pushed out by the band and sent back by the crowd. The lead constantly shuffled back and forth on the stage to sing to both sides. I thought he might swallow his mic because of how wide his mouth would open. I loved the feel of it all, but I couldn't help cringing when the singer threw back his head and a rainstorm of sweat would fly into the air. I'll just be ignoring that little factor. When the band left the stage, the drummer told some people in the crowd to come buy him a drink. Nothing like socializing over a pint.

Then there was the band I came to see: Editors. They were the nicely trimmed short hair group of the evening. I must say, some of their songs I didn't really care for. What I basically knew was I loved "Munich" and some of their other songs were okay too. Their sound live enhanced the originals beyond levels I imagined. I could pick out each part clearly without struggling, which might have attributed to my massive hearing loss that night. Many songs I never really listened to are now embedded in my brain. The Editor's lead looked like if you mixed Shia LaBeouf and younger Edward Norton, at least I think so even if Gretchen doesn't agree with me. It seemed as though he was pouring his soul into his music, so much so that he bent low over his piano sometimes to the point of collapsing. A bit awkward, but understandable. The Editors may have more mellow vocals but they brought the intensity and pace of HHH. The lights are obviously the coolest for the headliner, so the whole ambiance was brilliant. After the concert, my feelings about the band changed from "like" to "love".

There was one band that had a few mess-ups I found amusing, but it's been so long since the concert, I can't even remember who, what and when. It took me long enough to finish this post I began a week ago.