Ladytron jamming out. Finally! The camera nailed a clear shot of a concert.
I know I should’ve posted this on Saturday. Yesterday I was pre-occupied helping a co-worker set up a Netinstall image and then getting the server to deploy it; we did succeed at it easily! Then I fell asleep watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom thanks to the exhaustion I’m overcoming from this concert! Yet, don’t let my tardiness spoil it. Enjoy, comment or whatever.
Ladytron came to Austin last Friday night, right on the heels on their new June 3rd release Velocifero. Supporting them were the Norwegian band Datarock whose CD I scored last year; they also landed their record contract at SXSW 2007, something they mentioned during their set. So far I’d say Ladytron is 2-0 on picking great openers. Back in 2006 they had this crazy, obnoxious Brazilian band called CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy, Portuguese for “tired of being sexy,” not Cascading Style Sheets) with them. They grew on me through their enthusiasm and I bought the album; turned out to be pretty solid.
Datarock was quite proud of their matching track suits.
Datarock took the stage right on time, Stubb’s shows are very punctual nowadays for reasons I can only guess about. I loved their jogging outfits since I have a bias towards bands with matching “uniforms” (Aquabats, Phenomenauts, Manplanet and obviously Devo). They even tried to get the crowd to join them in some exercise-like dance moves on a couple tunes. The only downside I see to their look is the hood part. Throw in the sunglasses and hairstyles…they all resemble the initial sketch of the Unabomber while he was on the prowl. Musically, Datarock was a treat. One friend criticized them as sounding too “Pro Tools” a couple weeks ago. I’m still trying to digest such a comment. They are in the Electronic camp but computers can’t cover up a lack of skill, talent or ability was my immediate rebuttal. Most of the hits from their debut were played, namely my favorite, “Computer Camp Love,” which borrows a couple lines from the film Revenge of the Nerds.
Ladytron appeared after dark which enhanced their new light-show backdrop, hence why I was stoked over a picture turning out very clearly. They opened with the new record’s first track “Black Cat,” a perfect choice because the song begins eerily with the its synthesizers and then Mira keeps the mood going by singing in her native Bulgarian (I had ignorantly always thought she was Spanish). For the remainder of the show, it was a balance of contemporary material and past hits: “Playgirl,” “Blue Jeans,” “The Last One Standing,” and “Seventeen.” “Destroy Everything You Touch” was saved for the encore. To those who think Electronic Music (or Electronica) can’t be done live, lacks stage presence or is just a studio thing would be proven wrong at this performance. Initially, I thought about skipping because I’m catching up on my sleep and regaining energy from doing my volunteer work at the Dresden Dolls. When I read about Datarock being on the bill, I signed up. However, Ladytron demonstrated again why they are worth seeing live if you enjoy their albums. This was only the beginning for them since the CD is only a week old. I have a feeling they will be returning to Austin later in 2008 or early 2009 due to the near-capacity crowd at Stubb’s.