With the possible exceptions of the National and Sigur Ros, never has my opinion of a band changed so dramatically as with Okkervil River. Yeah, I’m still to be convinced about the brilliance of their recorded material, but for sheer passion and musicianship and all round proficiency, they’re one of the best bands touring today. Texan folk-rock with a touch of the flamboyant, Will Sheff’s rough-edged voice is less hoarse than at their sublime Luminaire performance, and although the Scala is much less intimate than Kilburn’s finest, the same degree of brilliance is on show here. My friend derided the rest of his band as “pub-band musicians,” which I think is unfair- true, they don’t try to steal the limelight (although the maniacally grinning drummer Travis deserves a mention), but they’re all superb musicians, adding the perfect degree of instrumental flair to accentuate the richness of Sheff’s melodies. John Allen Smyth Sails merging into A Life Is Not A Movie merging into For Real was as sublime a twenty minutes of live music I’ve heard for months, and if the encore went on a bit too long, there’s no denying one got their money’s worth. Best show of 2008 so far.
Monday, February 18, 2008
OKKERVIL RIVER (London Scala, 05/02/08)
With the possible exceptions of the National and Sigur Ros, never has my opinion of a band changed so dramatically as with Okkervil River. Yeah, I’m still to be convinced about the brilliance of their recorded material, but for sheer passion and musicianship and all round proficiency, they’re one of the best bands touring today. Texan folk-rock with a touch of the flamboyant, Will Sheff’s rough-edged voice is less hoarse than at their sublime Luminaire performance, and although the Scala is much less intimate than Kilburn’s finest, the same degree of brilliance is on show here. My friend derided the rest of his band as “pub-band musicians,” which I think is unfair- true, they don’t try to steal the limelight (although the maniacally grinning drummer Travis deserves a mention), but they’re all superb musicians, adding the perfect degree of instrumental flair to accentuate the richness of Sheff’s melodies. John Allen Smyth Sails merging into A Life Is Not A Movie merging into For Real was as sublime a twenty minutes of live music I’ve heard for months, and if the encore went on a bit too long, there’s no denying one got their money’s worth. Best show of 2008 so far.
With the possible exceptions of the National and Sigur Ros, never has my opinion of a band changed so dramatically as with Okkervil River. Yeah, I’m still to be convinced about the brilliance of their recorded material, but for sheer passion and musicianship and all round proficiency, they’re one of the best bands touring today. Texan folk-rock with a touch of the flamboyant, Will Sheff’s rough-edged voice is less hoarse than at their sublime Luminaire performance, and although the Scala is much less intimate than Kilburn’s finest, the same degree of brilliance is on show here. My friend derided the rest of his band as “pub-band musicians,” which I think is unfair- true, they don’t try to steal the limelight (although the maniacally grinning drummer Travis deserves a mention), but they’re all superb musicians, adding the perfect degree of instrumental flair to accentuate the richness of Sheff’s melodies. John Allen Smyth Sails merging into A Life Is Not A Movie merging into For Real was as sublime a twenty minutes of live music I’ve heard for months, and if the encore went on a bit too long, there’s no denying one got their money’s worth. Best show of 2008 so far.
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