This was a clear case of my enjoyment of a show being hampered by the behavior of the audience. Before I review the actual music, I need to get a rant out of this way. If you pay to go see a performance, what’s the point of talking all the way through it— especially during during the quieter parts?
It’s too bad that so many songs by THE WRENS have these cool quiet/loud dynamic changes, because during the quiet parts, the audience members (or at least those around me) literally couldn’t stop talking. While I’m not suggesting that audiences should be non-reactive and non-communicative (after all, many a performer or band relies on the interaction of the audience), a little respect (to quote ERASURE [If anyone should be quoted on that line, it should be either ARETHA FRANKLIN or OTIS REDDING—anyone but Erasure! (echh…) -ed]) goes a long away. If people shut up and listen more often, they’ll be doing both the band and the audience members who actually paid to hear the music (and not other people talk) a massive favor. While I’m happy for The Wrens that they’ve gotten more popular over the last few years, I have a feeling that if Pitchfork didn’t give them a great review a few years ago, those obnoxious types wouldn’t have showed up.
Whew! With that out of the way (sorry, but I feel a bit self-righteous today), I must say that this was my first time seeing The Wrens and at least performance-wise, the band didn’t disappoint. Going from quiet to loud in an instant, and concentrating on material from their excellent 2003 indie-breakthrough Meadowlands, The Wrens showed an intensity, a hunger, and a love for playing music that bypassed that of most other bands. For that alone, I appreciate them immensely, and would even if they didn’t also write complex, emotionally-wrought, and enveloping songs.
We sat out the first opening band’s set and watched about three songs of the second opening band’s generic, non-descriptive set. My one other complaint about the Wrens was with the sound, specifically that of the vocals. My girlfriend, who had seen them on three previous occasions, said that they always purposely mic the vocals way down, but I think that they would have been helped, and the performance even better, if they’d turned them up a little.
Regardless, it was hard to take fault with the band’s performance. I just hope that the next time I see them, the audience will be a little quieter.
