Great sets by Helio Sequence and Secret Machines. Iâ??ve been a big fan of both since last yearâ??s Black Cat gig. I left halfway through the Kings of Leon set. Probably the first time I had seen an entire lineup previously and knew for a fact that I would like the openers more than the headliner. KOL arenâ??t bad, but the show had nowhere to go but down after Secret Machines.
Great songwriting and musicianship from Helio Sequence. One of the most dynamic rock drummers Iâ??ve ever seen. He plays the drums like a lead guitarist â?? every stroke matters; heâ??s not just keeping the beat. I could have watched them play another hour, and with three full length albums already, they have the material. Love and Distance was one of my favorite albums of last year. In a three band lineup, the first group can sometimes be a throwaway but Iâ??ll bet the club could come up with a killer all-star show of the best of those openers from any given year. These guys and Nic Armstrong from a few weeks ago would make my short list. Letâ??s do this.
This was my 4th time to see the Secret Machines, and I may have to say that last night was the best theyâ??ve sounded. I like the new material live and I think they are playing it tighter than their last 9:30 gig. My only criticism of Wednesdayâ??s Recher show would have been that they seemed to let the sound get away from them a few times. That may have just been the setup though â?? last night was better. The light effects are also improved. The intensity is still there, but without the piercing white lights pointed directly into the crowd. I agree with the above comment that SM can lose momentum in some of the longer songs, which are already longer than most. Didnâ??t bother me much though. They always start and finish well. Their closer, First Wave Intact, was a beast.
The crowd around me got very annoying near the end of the set. Too much yapping and jostling for KOL position. Not unexpected since I was up close, but Iâ??m always amazed that someone can obliviously chat away while a band is tearing it up on stage like SM were near the end.
I want to say that the Secret Machines arenâ??t radio friendly enough to really have mass appeal, but between iPods, commercials, and TV soundtracks, being radio friendly isnâ??t necessarily required for popularity anymore. If they ever really do blow up, Iâ??ll certainly miss the small club gigs. I think there were about 100 people at the Recher show.
