1 post tagged “architecture in helsinki”

All the listings we saw had Architecture in Helsinki opening for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at the Henry Fonda. Doors open at 8pm, show starts at 9pm. So we got to the venue at about 8:45pm, had enough time to get a drink, and sat on the floor in front of the stage with all the kids. The first band came on right on time, but we were confused. Weren't Architecture in Helsinki kind of a keyboard band with a girl? This was your traditional four guy lineup. And what was with the lead singer's harmonica. The first song was okay, nothing special, and then they introduced themselves as Takka Takka. I leaned over to my girlfriend and said, "Oh, I saw their shirt at the merchandise table. I just thought it was a nonsensical Clap Your Hands shirt." So we left and went upstairs to lounge on the sofa until they takka-takka'd off the stage.

Let me just say this: if you don't have a killer, kick-ass, blow the beanies off your fans stage presence, you shouldn't have Architecture in Helsinki open for you.

Despite the staid, uninteresting connotations of their name, this band is like an Australian version of the Scooby Doo gang, a traveling 24-hour party that roams the country in their Mystery Machine and blows the doors off unsuspecting venues. Holy crap was I impressed. There's a definite percussion/chanting aspect to the performance, and it's enhanced by the fact that these kids genuinely look like they're having the best time of anyone in human history when they're playing on stage. I can imagine shows in their hometown Melbourne turning into sweaty, naked pogo orgies. This is one of the best non-headliner shows I have seen in memory.

Another note: all ages shows suck.

Having established a relatively strong position on the floor, after Architecture in Helsinki wrapped up, I left to get another round of drinks. This scenario is always a bit of a concern, because my girlfriend is five feet tall on a good day, and returning is like trying to find a sewing needle in a pile knitting needles. Also, people are more forgiving when a girl is trying to squeeze her way through a crowd. But, we all make sacrifices.

So right, all ages shows suck. When I got to the bar, there were a half dozen eighth graders standing in front of me. I could see right over them to the bartender, but they were caught up in some scandalous gossip session, one or two of them departing at various times for reconnaissance missions. When I finally got to the front of the line, the bartender said, "One drink per visible wristband."

"What?"

"All ages show. I can't give out more than one drink to each person."

So I ordered my girlfriend's drink. Damn you fourteen year olds.

I squirmed my way back through the crowd and found my girlfriend by a couple of signposts I'd eyeballed around her before leaving: old guy, and big hair guy. She had just ingratiated herself with the crowd by yelling at a 6 foot 5 guy who had dared to stand in front of her.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah came on. Their name is just egging on the crowd. I don't think I've heard so much clapping along to a band ever. We had obnoxious people next to us who in addition to not clapping in time with the music also felt it necessary to "Wooooooooooo!" throughout the songs and bump into everyone around them. Perhaps I'm just getting curmudgeonly in my old age.

I'm going to say it: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah sound better on their album. The sound was muddy, very garage bandesque, and you couldn't pick out the little flourishes that make every song on their debut album a winner. Their stage presence was flat compared to Architecture in Helsinki, and perhaps that's owing to them not liking Los Angeles (so my girlfriend read in an interview). The crowd really carried their show. All in all, it was fun, and I even liked some of the non-album (couldn't tell if they were new) songs they played. But now I can say I've seen them and not see them again.