Audio By Carbonatix
Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s, Telekinesis, and Everything, Now!
Hailey’s Club, Denton
May 22, 2009
Better than: Sitting at home trying to come up with a more ridiculous band name than Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s.
There’s a popular old saying, “Less is more.”
On Friday night at Hailey’s, Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s forcibly flipped that saying on its head and proved that more is less.
With eight people onstage, two of whom are simultaneously playing the tambourine as a third hits a trash can, it might be time for the band to tap the brakes and rethink some of its song arrangements.
It’s not hard to see what Margot is going for: Arcade Fire has nine people in the band; The Polyphonic Spree weighs in at around 25. Heck, The Flaming Lips sometimes have more than 50 people onstage.
But, unfortunately for Margot, the band’s self-described “chamber pop” was lost in a flurry of too much going on. Seriously, at one point the percussionist was tearing shreds of duct tape into the microphone.
But all was not lost. Buried deep beneath the layers of trumpets,
violins, and odd-ball percussion sat some terrific, well-written songs.
The band’s most recent record double-release Animal and Not Animal showcases
these songs quite nicely, too. But the performance came off as extremely
bombastic.
The first song of the concert, “A Children’s Crusade On Acid,” was
melancholy and sweet, while lead singer Richard Edwards’ vocals came
across thin and raspy. “German Motorcar” stayed the course, but was
refreshingly simple and subtle. In fact, most of Margot’s good musical
moments took place when half of the band was standing around waiting
for their parts to begin. However, the overly melancholy set drudged on
as the songs began to run together. Other songs like “Holy Cow” sounded
a bit more organic and gypsy inspired, almost like a tip of the hat to
yet another large band Beirut.
About an hour into the performance–and not a moment too soon–things
started to pick up with the four-on-the-floor drum beat of “Quiet as a
Mouse,” from the band’s first record The Dust of Retreat. When the band
began to play this older material, there was a noticeable change in
the audience, which shouted and waved fists high in the air.
Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s ended the set with a surprisingly subtle and beautiful rendition
of “As Tall As Cliffs,” featuring the members of both opening bands
playing various percussion instruments. In the midst of its frailty, it
looked like a George Clinton concert–except everyone was a nerdy white
kid.
But the real surprise of the night was the freewheelin’ psychedelic band
Everything, Now!, which sounded like an even more jangly version of Dr.
Dog. “Oh Yeah” was a soulful jam that oozed verve and excitement as the band members jumped around on the stage like a bunch of bearded grasshoppers.
They even threw in a cover of Buck Owens’ “Act Naturally.”
Telekinesis’ energetic performance of its
brand of smart indie pop, meanwhile, was arguably the tightest set of the night.
Lead singer Michael Lerner did an impressive job singing from the
drumset.
Makes sense. Because, after
all, less is more.
Critic’s Notebook
Personal Bias:
Hailey’s is an electric venue. You’d be hard-pressed to
see a bad show here. I think that, when bands play here, they are at their
best, which makes me wonder what I’d think of Margot at Club Dada…
By The Way: When asking for a place to stay for the night, the lead
singer of Everything, Now! gave the disclaimer “We do drugs.”
Random Note: If you got to the show late and were wondering what a
bunch of guys were doing walking around barefoot, don’t fret, it was just Everything, Now!
