Audio By Carbonatix
The Rosebuds, Other Lives
Dada
June 23, 2011
Better than: a fried onion at an Aussie-themed steak house.
The Rosebuds have what every other band worth its salt wants: Charisma. Sheer, raw charisma that makes connecting with fans a simple act. A smile, a nod, a knowing remark — all delivered with warmth and sincerity — and the deed is done.
The moment the band took the stage, it was clear they meant business. They were there to entertain all that would be entertained, and they were going to love doing it.
The Rosebuds have crafted a style that marches through
some of the darkest and most wrenching emotional moments in life. But
they manage to populate their music with highs that transcend the often
dark subject matter.
They launched into “Go Ahead,” from their latest full-length, Loud Planes
Fly Low and the crowd was instantly theirs. Fans could be heard singing
along almost before Ivan Howard could belt out the first few notes. The
stiff motionless forest of spectators that adorns the floor of most
shows was quickly dissipated by dozens of fans that had come to dance to The Rosebuds’ joyous brand of pop.
The connection between audience member and performer continued to
thicken as Howard’s reminisced about The Rosebuds’ last visit through
Dallas at The Cavern, which resulted in a busted keyboard amp for Kelly
Crisp. Many in attendance on that fated night had returned on this one to seem them
again. But this time there were no technical or equipment outrages. Just
a smooth stream of solid Rosebuds gems, cuts like “Leaves Do Fall,”
“Boxcar,” and “Cemetery Lawns” — songs that span their entire catalog of
releases.
It was clear that crowd-pleasing was the whole point of this
set, making up for any lost time since their last visit and rekindling their connection
with the city of Dallas and their fans here.
So much has changed in The Rosebuds world, with the current album
existing as sort of song cycle, play-by-play of those up-and-downs that
have occurred within the lives of the group’s core members. But their
live performance on this night left audiences only knowing just how good it feels
to hear a band they love play the songs it has written, and seemingly just for their ears. Crisp and Howard have seen the world from within a relationship,
within a band, and they live to sing the tale. Every note is honest and
heartfelt, tailor-made for the listeners swaying at the front of the
stage.
In final proof of complete band and fan connectivity, the band descended
into the crowd for a final sing along, an acoustic performance of “Nice Fox”
from their album Life Like. After giving a quick lesson in the dynamics
of the piece, everyone there (including this writer) attempted to
harmonize with one another. The Rosebuds, with Howard alone on acoustic
guitar led us through the end of the tune.
The fans couldn’t get enough
and, for a brief moment, it seemed like there might be more — another
encore. But when Howard retook the stage, he was met with a mic that had
been turned off. The plug had been pulled on the stage mix and hopes of
continuing the evening here at Dada came to a close.
Leaving the venue, it was clear what had just taken place on this
Thursday night at Dada: The Rosebuds played great set of tunes, tightly with tremendous excitement. And they made it look
easy. Like a rock ‘n’ roll hug.
Critic’s Notebook
Personal Bias: I have been a long time fan of The Rosebuds since first
hearing them on a Starbucks Hear Music compilation CD, of all places.
By The Way: Oklahoma band Other Lives opened to a very eager crowd of
fans in their own right. With a sound that combines spaghetti westerns
with Brit-influenced folk and psychedelia, they showed off some hefty
chops — chops they’ve honed opening for some major talent like The
Decemberists and The National. A perfect complement to the evening.
Rosebuds set list:
Go Ahead
Limitless Arms
Second Bird of Paradise
Cemetery Lawns
Leaves Do Fall
Come Visit Me
Waiting For The Carnival
Woods
Cover Ears
Life Like
Boxcar
Nice Fox
