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New York, NY
September 12, 2006 |
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La Rocca & Phoenix
Webster Hall
Filter Grade: 92%
by Stephanie Shim
It’s always rough being an opening act for a band like Phoenix, who have risen out from obscurity through modest appearances on TV ads, movie soundtracks, and teen dramas, but La Rocca came out strong to a nearly packed Webster Hall. The presence of certain pop culture idols in the VIP lounge attests to the quality of this show. Simply put, if Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd decided this show was worth showing up to, who are we to argue with two Ghostbusters? Although it’s questionable which band they were there to see, by the time I got up there between sets, they were filled up on drinks and ready to rock out. Fellow Saturday Night Live veteran Molly Shannon also made an appearance establishing a certain amount of confidence in the quality of SNL comedians and their music taste.
Exuding charisma as well as the obvious effects of good amount of alcohol, the Irish expatriates exploded on stage to this star-studded audience, decked out in fedora hats and vests with a front-wave attack of catchy indie pop rock that evoke memories of Electric Light Orchestra, Simple Minds, and fellow Irish rockers U2. Following the recent release of their debut album, The Truth, produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Belle and Sebastian, The Thrills), the band’s live performance have garnered them the respect of many members of the industry as well as a decent-sized fan base, and this night’s stint was no exception. The band kicked off the evening armed with Bjorn Baillie’s crooning voice that recalls Rod Stewart and Van Morrisson, the expertly placed coloring of Nick Haworth’s twinkling keyboard, and the backing of bassist Simon Baillie (yes, his brother would be the lead singer), as well as drummer Alan Redmond. Highlights from the band’s set included the new single “The Life,” the title track “The Truth”, and “Sketches.” Charmed by the boys of La Rocca and their alluring combination of pint-clinking sentimentalities and good old fashioned rock, the place was bouncing long before the main act even took the stage. The imported piano quartet continues to display significant promise and should make the boys relieved that they had made the trip over from the motherland.
The Parisian band Phoenix capped off the night with their flawless pop craftsmanship performing highlights from all three albums, which consists of tunes mixing an eclectic range of 80’s influences and 70’s disco grooves. It’s hard not to love leadman Thomas Mars as he nailed every note to the rest of the band’s tightly orchestrated instrumentation and following each song with a “Merci, Merci beaucoup.” The band busted out gems like “Run, Run, Run”, “Too Young”, “Long Distance Call”, and “Everything is Everything” and the crowd loved every minute.
All in all, the night was a successful tribute to the great sounds that continue to come from across the Atlantic waters.
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