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Indie rockers’ talent front, center at Majestic

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Also by Carolyn Vidmar:

Grammys offers great sets, upsets (February 11, 2008)
Grammy wins certain for Winehouse, West (February 8, 2008)
Indie rockers' talent front, center at Majestic (February 1, 2008)
Lewis fails to focus talent on 'ADD' (December 6, 2007)
Donned in shirts, ties, ska outfit Mustard Plug satisfies (December 3, 2007)

by Carolyn Vidmar

Friday, February 1, 2008

Three of indie rock’s most innovative and provocative bands warmed up the city of Madison on Tuesday night during a performance at the Majestic Theatre. Showcasing synthesized sounds that ranged from the danceable to the dark, Louis XIV, Hot Hot Heat and UK-based headliners Editors made it easy to see why flocks of 20-somethings packed into the music venue to witness the bands’ standout performances.

The insistent thrum of opening act Louis XIV resonated throughout the venue as the band promoted their new album, Slick Dogs and Ponies, which was also released Tuesday. Their live performace, however, outshone the band’s recordings. “Air Traffic Control” featured an eerie-sounding, distorted string section and melancholic bass while their 2005 single, “Finding Out True Love Is Blind,” combined light, airy synth with ballsy rock and showed the band’s raw energy.

Throughout the set, theatrical frontman Jason Hill frequently sauntered across the stage, conducting his bandmembers like they were an orchestra. Onstage, Hill exuded a powerful and charismatic persona whose sexually charged, slightly chauvinistic lyrics have caused the band some controversy in the past. But don’t hold it against them — with driving, catchy rock songs like “There’s A Traitor in This Room,” Louis XIV proved their staying power, regardless of Hill’s womanizing ways.

Up next on the bill were Canadian rockers Hot Hot Heat, who were perhaps the most upbeat band of the night. They immediately showed their pop-infused dance sound with “Dirty Mouth,” a track from their 2005 album Elevator.

But their most emphatic and well-received song of the night was the band’s 2003 hit “Bandages.” During its shouting, relentless chorus, vocalist Steve Bays flung himself carelessly around the stage just after admitting that he was “too drunk to be playing a show.” Their explosive set ended with the band’s other popular MTV hit, “Goodnight, Goodnight.” The verses were repetitive, and many of the songs sounded alike. However, that sound was still undeniably catchy, as seen in the fans who danced through the entire set.

Finally, headlining act Editors took the stage to support their 2007 album An End Has A Start. With their sweeping, synthesized sound, they often draw comparisons to bands like New York post-punk revival act Interpol or 2004 success The Killers, but their energetic and at times chaotic stage performance Tuesday night set them apart from their contemporaries’ more somber stage demeanor. Instead, Editors channeled an ‘80s vibe with the dark and heavy “All Sparks,” followed by singles “An End Has A Start” and “Bullets.”

Finishing out the evening’s trio of oddly charismatic frontmen was Editors’ vocalist Tom Smith. In between chords, the animated Smith twisted his limbs together, jauntily kissed his microphrone and climbed around the stage. Smith’s frenetic performance fell somewhere between inspired and possessed, and the audience fed off of his energy, pounding the floor whenever the music stopped momentarily.

Smith played piano on songs such as “Spiders” and alternated between rhythm guitar and piano for most of the set. In general, the band’s sound was characterized by heavy percussion, shrill guitar distortion, and contemplative lyrics. Often, the music gained strength and complexity as the songs progressed.

The band’s encore was accompanied by a seizure-inducing light show, during which Smith screamed into the microphone as the band pounded out a number that bordered on arena rock. Editors wrapped up their set with “Fingers in the Factories,” a considerably more low-key song in comparison to the rest of the set.

All three bands were energetic and original, but their key similarity was the presence of an eccentric, attention-demanding and potentially inebriated frontman. If a few songs were forgettable, these frontmen ensured that their bands’ overall performances were not. Their albums are good, but, if Tuesday night’s performance was any indication, every live performance from Louis XIV, Hot Hot Heat and Editors is even better.

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