Germans and Goths

Saturday night I managed to see another sublime show. It is good getting back out and seeing music again. For this concert I had never even heard the band which usually results in a rather lopsided show. It is either kick ass or so awful you feel like leaving.

I think this is related to the effect music has in general and how the live setting causes it to be intensified. Your familiarity with music will allow artists to grow on you that upon first listen were some of your least favorite. Alternatively the live show of a band that immediately clicks with you makes that bond much stronger. It is always a pleasure when you attend a show of the latter variety.

On Saturday it was the Dresden Dolls, a band that I had heard a lot about on the blogosphere (who are being referenced on my blog, how meta and self-referential) and from Marques. I did not really know what to expect and a quick view of their allmusic entry did not help me out that much. Piano and drums, punk and pop, burlesque and well, burlesque.

The show blew me and my confused expectations away. It was a female lead singer playing piano and a male playing drums. The musicianship of both was spectacular and the passion with which they approached their music was relentless. They carried amazing energy throughout the show and the attention of the crowd never wavered.
The music itself was a staggering mix of many different styles and influences that managed to be much more than the sum of its parts. The show itself was entertaining in the way not that many shows are these days. The enthusiasm of the band made even the stoic Seattle crowd enjoy themselves. They also managed to convince some of the dancers from the opening circus to come up and dance for them.

Both musicians added a great deal in their own way. The voice and presence of the singer dominated the stage even when she was focusing her and the audience’s attention on the dancers. The drummer beat the drums like Ike beat Tina and was singing along with the crowd to every song.

The encore though was where they really placed themselves in another tier. They first let the opening band sing the majority of a cover they performed and then played a 10 minute instrumental piece that segued into one of their more popular numbers (I am assuming because of the reaction of the crowd). It reminded me of Liquid Swords (Also known as the best Wu album ever and a contender for best rap album ever). Both allow(ed) a different artist to close the mood which shows a confidence in the art they are creating that few have.

The rest of the night was typical Seattle fun, a stop at Garage and a run to Satellite to close the night out.