The Field (aka Axel Willner) recently made his first public appearance in the city of Toronto in support of his sophomore album Yesterday and Today, at Tattoo Rock Parlour on Queen West. Tattoo isn't the sort of venue you'd first associate with the surreal sampling patterns and entrancing melodic rhythms that can be heard on Willner's two full-lengths. It's an upscale rock club-- a two floored bar that entertains simultaneous shows, complete with booths, tables and overpriced drinks. The stage on which the show took place immediately directed the attention to the 'rockstar' image, raised high above the audience and accompanied by a sound system more suited for guitars and live vocals than sequencers and synthesizers.
But before hearing any sounds from the show, someone who has never heard The Field before might expect a rock band to take stage. Littered with drums, sequencers, computers, guitar pedals, and a bass guitar setup, it seemed as though that the audience was indeed getting prepared for some rock music. Willner has added multiple live instruments to his shows to keep it refreshing, likely to appeal to the indie rock crowd his popularity has seemingly bled into-- a crowd that tends to be equally focused on the visual component of entertainment compared to the actual music itself. It seems as though when Pitchfork magazine chooses to review an electronic artist the bleed over into the indie crowd allows a cross-continental electronic act to draw enough of a crowd in Toronto to make the trip to North America worth while.
While many audience members may have been prepared for a rock show, that is not what they received. Willner and two accompanying musicians took the stage first; New York based DFA group The Juan MacLean were to play second. Willner did not ease into anything, blasting into "The Little Heart Beats So Fast" only two tracks into his set, and shortly after drums and bass were added during a break in "I Have the Moon, You Have the Internet," remaining a part of the show for the remainder of their stage time. The entrancing sampling and repetitive progression of The Field's music made the listener almost forget that some of the instruments were being played live, occasional cymbal crashes and bass runs providing momentary reminders that there were indeed other musicians playing along.
Willner pleased the audience by providing an equal mix of material in his hour and a half-long set from both Yesterday and Today and From Here We Go Sublime. The intermission saw a good chunk of the crowd leaving-- some who did not return had only come to see Willner. After a brief setup time, The Juan MacLean began playing. Products of the LCD Soundsystem hype machine, The Juan MacLean definitely pulls some loyal fans in Toronto. Although many of their tracks appeal to the same indie-dance genre popularized in the 2000s, their trademark single "Happy House" is a track that is tough to find yourself standing still to even if they aren't your thing; at over 10 minutes it was the staple of their set.
Despite the length of many of the tracks played by both acts, the length of this performance would not have pleased regular DJ fans. At $20+ for the show, only two acts seemed insufficient for most attendees. Then again this was a show at Tattoo Rock Parlour, expecting more is probably unrealistic as blistering guitar solos and double-bass pedals are the norm most nights.
No comments:
Post a Comment