So last night I saw Crystal Castles.  I liked their cd a lot.  Sadly, I didn’t like their stage show.  Theatrics, check (that little girl scares me).  Background music and beats, check.  Singing in tune…, ummm wait, I wasn’t aware that would be a part of this exam.   I knew that the lead singer was a little crazy but seriously, if you are a two man outfit, you should have a backup plan for your Tito’s chugging sidekick when she isn’t willing/able to sing/scream.  Maybe sample her vocals like you used to.  Leave her free to swill Tito’s and crowdsurf.  She can sing when she feels like it.

A few times during the evening the auto-tune crapped out.   This would never happen in the world of Kanye or T-Pain.  When your act relies on something so heavily, you should really test it out during a sound check. As the show progressed I began recreating the band with new lead singers.  Singers who could scream in tune and put on a show.  It’s a toss up.  Karen O from Yeah, yeah, yeahs,  Bjork, Jamina from Be your own pet, …  Maybe they could rotate guest singers.  I would also toss in Beth Ditto from the Gossip,  maybe Uffie or Dolores O’Riordan from the Cranberries, hell, I would even toss in Courtney Love (the original broken doll)

Yes, I have become a total music snob.  I want intimate venues, free of douchbags and smoke.  I want real musicians on stage (band nerds).  Last night I was surrounded by children at an all ages venue with fake smoke and flashing lights.  Don’t get me wrong, Ethan Kath produces great music.  I just wasn’t impressed with Alice.  There are many front women out there that can put out a great show both musically and theatrically.

M and I have had pretty good luck over all with bands.  Most of the bands that are in our ipods have also put on a good stage show (Granted most of the bands that we listen to aren’t of the stage diving variety.).   About one in eight or so shows is a bust.   I was listening to an interview of Bishop Allen on NPR the other day.  The guys discussed the difficulties of bringing the studio sound to the stage.  You can make a lot of magic happen in a studio.  Laying down various tracks,  using whatever instruments you want, using session musicians, ect.  You don’t have the luxury of all that instrumentation when you tour.  They do their best to adapt their arangements for touring.  The songs are a little bit different depending on who they can get to tour with them.  I have seen Bishop Allen a few times now and I can say that they don’t disappoint.