By: Emily Dantuma
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Clair de Lune at the Turf Club on December 30, 2005 - Photo by David de Young (click for larger version)
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The Slats started the evening with an extended, slow tempo metal intro; perhaps just to warn the crowd that now was the time to pay attention. They succeeded in drawing 25 or so people right up front – which, for an opener at the Turf Club, is no petty feat. The three-piece hails from Minneapolis and Iowa City and offered another version of power-pop garage rock. (See a previous review of The Slats here.) They played songs that sounded familiar and yet pleasantly diverse, which was mostly apparent in the vocal stylings of Brian Cox and Jon Hansen; they moved from Minor Threat, Brit-Pop vocals to pseudo-spoken word in the vein of Rage Against the Machine. Dabbling in nice harmonies and call-and-response, the vocals definitely stood out. The highlight of the set for me was when a guitar was traded for a badly needed bass to round out the sound. All and all, I look forward to The Slats returning from a short Midwest tour on May 20 for their CD release at the Turf.
Next up, The Cops presented themselves as a spot on, super tight band. Currently on an extended tour, they are from Seattle, Washington. I would say that The Cops have their drummer, David Weeks, largely to thank for their very impressive, solid sound. He held down the songs like clockwork, allowing for the rest of the band to concentrate on their fun, upbeat stage presence. The band moved seamlessly from an emphasis on the upbeat to one on the downbeat and showcased just how well-rehearsed they are. Somewhat sparse but well delivered vocals left plenty of room for all instrumental portions of the songs. Unfortunately, the back-up vocals were all but unheard in the mix. Well received by the crowd, The Cops are definitely worth checking out.
Twin Cities favorites Sicbay played third. I’ve come to expect a very tight set from Sicbay, and this show was no exception. They sounded extremely solid and well rehearsed, ending each song with an impressive, stop-on-a-dime bravado. Dave Erb proved that he knows his guitar well with a clear and precise tone, though I did find myself wishing (once again) that they had a bass with them, both to bottom out the sound and provide some dynamics. The crowd was, perhaps, waiting to see them on April 13 at The Turf because it was smoking time outside during their set, thinning the crowd of people up front to a handful.
Last up the long awaited Clair de Lune proved that they had been working hard on their latest national tour. Obviously quite comfortable, the five-piece begged for a larger stage to show off their finely tuned dance moves. By the end of the first song, everyone who remained had moved up front to dance or at least head nod. It was wonderful to hear some keyboard stylings from Adam Roddy after a long night of many guitars. I was pleasantly surprised to hear some (dare I say) Tori Amos peeking out in the second song’s keyboard lick, interplayed with a heavy bass line and an almost gallop beat, followed by a good old fashioned Black Sabbath half-time bridge. Not that Clair de Lune is any stranger to solid tempo changes, though; we heard one in almost every song.
I enjoyed hearing Justin Burckhard’s and Adam Roddy’s vocal interplay, moving from earnest, sweet stylings to a more anthem-like Billy Bragg talk-singing. Some songs showcased Ben Johnston’s drumming as the rhythmic force, while others gave the quarter note pounding guitars that role. The stage became even smaller during the last song when a fan was welcomed to the stage for some unneeded but definitely rocking backing vocals. If you missed Clair de Lune this time, be sure to catch them again soon for a rocking good time. You can also listen to some of their tunes on their MySpace Page.
Location Info:
The Turf Club
Artist Info: Clair de Lune, Sicbay, The Cops, The Slats
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