p>This Alibi started things off with their brand of post-rock – loud, louder, some soft, then some loud. this is my second time seeing the band live, and I do have to say they didn’t sound as tight as they did at motiv last December. The sound might have had something to do with it, as it didn’t seem to be set up right to handle the loud blasts of noise the trio was producing. Admittedly, they were the only band of a constantly rising volume level on the bill, but the sludginess and a few rhythmic miskeys detracted from an otherwise enjoyable set. I’ve got friends in Brazil and Korea asking for copies of their self-titled ep, so I’m glad I got a chance to come through and help these guys to a wider audience.
Portland’s System & Station were essentially unknown to me prior to checking out their site a few hours before the show, and even though I wasn’t really sure how things were going to turn out with them, by the end of their set, I was pleasantly surprised. I had to adjust my ears back to the sound of mid-90’s indie rock after the first song, and from there, the band’s energy was undeniable. I was reminded several times of the Replacements’ bouyant, blue-collar sound (minus any cheap beer sloppiness) several times throughout their 45 minutes and ended up splitting the cost of their two most recent albums (2005’s In the Twilight on Crustacean and 2006’s Here is Now on Latest Flame) with a friend who’d come along for the show.
The Life & Times came on at last, fresh off of a recent tour with the Appleseed Cast, and, in a word, destroyed. The crushing sound was tight, and every rhythmic change was on point. The band created a groove within their power that hearkened back to the glory days of underground alternative rock, muted for a few moments here and there down to a simmer and then brought back in a full-on wave. This wasn’t a trip of nostalgia though; even the cover of Grant Lee Buffalo’s “Mighty Joe Moon” (which appears on the recent split 10″ with Nueva Volcano) contributed to a refreshing set of modern, earnest, aggressive songs that left everyone who was still standing at the end exhausted.
It’s times like these that I’m thankful bands like this are part of a revitalized local Kansas City scene.
