Caribou & Fuck Buttons

Fuck Buttons were the first to take the stage this night and they did so somewhat unexpectedly. As I walked in, I noticed that their small set-up had been arranged on two adjoining collapsible tables, but saw no signs of further preparation and proceeded to the bar to pick up my first round. As I placed my order I heard the familiar jingle-jangle of Street Horrrsing’s opener, “Sweet Love For Planet Earth”. I paid for my beer and headed up front to catch the action, except there really wasn’t any action. I knew going into it that they’d be putting on a “laptop show” and “laptop shows” are notoriously boring. There’s a laundry list of reasons why they’re notoriously boring and probably the biggest being the shared knowledge between the performer and the audience that not much is happening. Where I was in relation to the stage was directly in front of Andrew Hung and I felt uncomfortable standing there watching him not do much of anything and I felt like I made him feel uncomfortable standing there watching him not do much of anything. I’d take a sip of my beer; he’d gently push down and hold a note on his tiny Casio keyboard. I’d take another sip of my beer; he’d have a quick look at his laptop. This shared knowledge of nothing happening that I alluded to really breaks down any sort of fourth wall that I’m typically used to being present when I go to see live music. It was personally awkward and I needed another beer, so that was it for my up close and personal experience with Fuck Buttons. I watched the rest of their set from afar. As they progressed through their list, the tempo of their songs started to build which, in turn, built audience interest. The song that brought on this transition forth was Street Horrrsing’s stellar, “Bright Tomorrow.”

One important thing to note; their lackluster performance didn’t detract from their music which I won’t criticize since I actually appreciate it. However, the nature of their music doesn’t lend room for much improvisation which doesn’t do any favors for their already bland stage presence. I wasn’t preparing my mind to be blown to say the very least, but I had expected to be more entertained than I was. My closing thought for Fuck Buttons was that they provide a ray of hope for aspiring musicians operating under a stringent budget. They had what looked like maybe $100 to $150 worth of equipment with which they’ve been able to create a seriously booming sound.

Caribou is one of those bands I’ve wanted to catch live for a long, long time, but seem to miss every chance they come around for one stupid reason or another. While I had missed them the last few times they’d been through, my friends hadn’t and I’ve heard legendary stories about their drummer, Brad Weber. The way they’d speak about him, it was almost as if he wasn’t real – as if he was John Henry, the steel driving man, or someone of that stature. Unfortunately, Brad broke his wrist and was unable to perform. So, I never got to see the man, the myth, the legend. However, they were able to pick up a last minute substitute in Ahmad Gallab. While I’m sure Brad does his thing better than the rest, Ahmad is no shabby replacement and especially as a last minute one at that. Drummers are usually the last band members I notice for having exceptional talent, but this guy demanded your attention front and center. Caribou uses two drum kits for certain songs and when that’s the case, Dan Snaith takes over the secondary duties. Dan and Ahmed played incredibly well in unison and it seemed to me as if they had years of experience jamming with one another, not weeks.

My favorite element of the whole night had to be Caribou’s overall song selection. While most bands like to showcase their most recent work, Caribou picked a relatively even sample across their three, each phenomenal in the own right, LPs. This was a pleasant surprise since I was expecting them to lean a bit heavily towards Andorra. Although, the Andorra offerings were some of the most enjoyable and through them I was able to gain a new respect for Dan Snaith as a vocalist. On Caribou’s records, he is often overdubbed multiple times which lends to a much fuller sound. Live, he doesn’t have that same benefit and as a result comes off relatively bare, but at the same time great. It really helped to expose his style of singing and it made it abundantly clear he is able to create a wonderfully organic sound through his voice on its own.

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