By: Jon Behm
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| Mando Diao - Photo by Jon Behn (click for set) |
Last Tuesday brought an intense storm to Minneapolis. No, I’m not talking about the torrential rain that soaked anyone unlucky enough to be outside; I’m speaking of Swedish rockers Mando Diao tearing up the stage at the West Bank’s 400 Bar. Judging by the number of wet people in the audience, I gather that one of the storms was much more well received than the other.
The bar was set by South Carolingian garage band The Films, who were the first opener. Sitting in the back of the bar, sipping quietly on my tall boy of Old Style, my first thought was, “this beer isn’t very good.” My second thought was, “neither is this band.” Fortunately, though, both the band and the beer grew on me quickly. While the first song in The Films's set was a bit of a yawner, they really got their act together; I soon found myself closer to the stage and nodding my head to their up-tempo guitar riffs and infectious energy. They appear to be a young band with a lot of promise.
On my way back to the bar for another drink, I nearly bumped into a tiny little man in heavy eye shadow, wearing an all white suit. “Who the hell is this guy?” I wondered. My question was soon answered when said little man took the stage a short while later (after apparently changing out of his suit) as the lead singer of Pop Levi, a glam rock outfit out of Liverpool. Pop Levi, which is actually the lead singer’s middle and last name (Jonathan Pop Levi), was brilliant. They played an eclectic mix of pop steeped both in the glam rock tradition of bands like T. Rex and Roxy Music, and electronic sound and extensive utilization of samples. There was also a noticeable psychedelic element that showed at times in tracks like “Skip Ghetto” and “Flirting.” Levi has worked with avant garde artists like Super Numeri and Ladytron, and the influence shows in his unique style of rock n’ roll. Standout tracks included “Sugar Assault Me Now” and “Pick Me up Uppercut,” both of which had the crowd moving in their shoes. I couldn’t help but wonder if their amps had dials that went all the way up to eleven.
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| Pop Levi - Photo by Jon Behm |
The night’s lineup built in energy, band by band, until Mando Diao became the icing that made the cake radioactive. Launching into a powerful set with “Welcome Home Luc,” they brought the house down with powerful pop- and punk-infected ballads. In style and delivery they reminded me a bit of fellow Swedes The Hives, with a little more funk and quite a bit more depth. Their music was very guitar heavy, and Björn Dixgård and Gustaf Norén traded off lead singing responsibilities. They switched spots after nearly every song, sometimes mid-song, and occasionally dueled back and forth over the center mic. My ears may have been permanently damaged by standing front and center by the stage, but the show was well worth it. The energy was enough to sweep me up and keep me moving throughout the entire set. It would have been the perfect evening except for the idiot who was a student of the “I’m on crack” school of dancing who kept flailing around and hitting me.
Overall, the combination of the night’s three bands was one of the best complete sets I have in recent memory. While Mando Diao have been critically lauded for the last three years or so, they have yet to reach wide commercial success in the United States. Hopefully the success of their newest album Ode to Ochrasy as well as gigs like their recent Coachella and SXSW slots will help to catapult them into the kind of fame enjoyed by their countrymen and recent First Avenue visitees, Peter Bjorn & John. Perhaps the next time around they will be too big for the 400 Bar.
Mando Diao Setlist:
Welcome Home Luc
White Wall
Motown Blood
Killer Kazinsky
TV and Me
Good Morning Herr Horst
Ochrasy
Song for Aberdeen
Amsterdam
Good Knows
Sheepdog
Long Before R&R
Encore:
– Wasn’t sure what these songs were
Location Info:
400 Bar
Artist Info: Mando Diao, Pop Levi, The Films
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