Despite being totally wiped out from CMJ, I decided to get back on the horse quickly this week and went to see Voxtrot and Annuals on Monday. I was looking forward to the show for a couple of reasons: first, though I enjoyed seeing Annuals playing cramped sets in cramped spaces over CMJ, I was looking forward to hearing them in the Bowery, which has both space and a fantastic sound system. Secondly, I was curious to see if I would like Voxtrot any better than the last couple of times I caught them, considering that I've taken a liking to the Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives EP over the last couple of months.

By the time Annuals went on, the Bowery was starting to get pretty full (it sold out by the end of their set). They took advantage of the nice sound system to sound HUGE for their dramatic moments, which was pretty cool. I also noticed that they now have some hardcore fans, by which I mean a cluster of people that stand front and center by the stage, sing along to the songs, and dance. In fact, by the end of the show there were several little islands of folks getting their groove on. All in all a decent show, not my favorite, but I've already seen them many times, and I'm going to see them again at Union Hall next weeks. I hope that the next time they play Bowery, they turn down the vocals in the mix, I think that would sharpen everything up nicely. It's fun to see new folks getting into this band.

When I first saw Voxtrot play Rothko (RIP) around two years ago, they were opening for a small band from Massachusetts that I like called the Shenzou 5. What I remember most about that show was how Voxtrot packed the whole venue with girls. I don't think there were more than five guys there to see them, but there must have been 60 girls. It was nuts. And I remember that I didn't really like them all that much. Fast forward to now: this is the first time I've seen them headline anything, and they've definitely developed a good size following in that time, become more mature musicians, and put out an EP that I enjoy. Even with all that going for them, my opinion of them live hasn't changed. I think they're boring, and the only reason I'll go see them is if there are other bands on the bill that I want to check out, or if I want to watch pretty girls dance. Which isn't a bad reason to go to a show, I guess. If you happen to not know Voxtrot, don't let me discourage you from checking them out. I'm not going to post any tracks, but if you heart Belle & Sebastian and need a new band in your life, you'll probably love them.

Labels: Annuals, Concert Reviews