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I Was There

KVSC's Concert Diary

Welcome to one of the newest features here at kvsc.org, "I Was There" is a way for our staff and listeners to share their experiences from shows and festivals they have recently attended. Listeners can share their feedback here by filling out this submission form and posting their stories.

Dave Rausch was there...
Regina Spektor @ State Theatre - September 11, 2009

Thanks to the lovely KVCS I was able to go to this event! The opening act (I didn't even realize there was going to be one) was "Little Joy." They were absolutely fabulous. The mix of modern indie and 50's style of harmony just sucked me right in. After they played I needed to smoke, yeah, it was that good. Then the beautiful Regina Spektor took stage and she just blew me away.  She sang every one of her songs so perfectly; it was amazing. I don't remember her exact lineup of songs, but there was one where she played the guitar. She was a bit rusty with that instrument, but was backed by a cello and violin to fill up the rest of the theater with love.  "Apres Moi," and her other darker song "Hooked into Machine" were my personal favorites of the night. Sung with complete passion, which is the way it should be done! I will never understand how she can rock out a wooden chair with a drumstick while playing piano and singing, but she totally did. It was an amazing show and I'd recommend seeing her next time she’s in town!

James T was there...
First Communion Afterparty, Sleepy Sun & Daughters of the Sun @ The 7th Street Entry - April 2, 2009

While most of the hipsters were dancing to Ladytron in the 1st Ave Mainroom, a mind-melting psychedelic journey was taking place in the smaller 7th St Entry. The show started with the relatively new local psych-rockers Daughters of the Sun. The four-piece group's set was driven by solid percussion, ambient backing vocals, and lush, beautiful guitar. The band's song "Whale's Blood" was a personal favorite of mine. They played absolutely wonderfully and did a great job of setting the mood for this tripped-out evening. San Francisco's Sleepy Sun hit the stage next with an amazing set of sweltering blues driven psychedelia. Lead vocalist, Ben, and the group's backing vocalist, Rachael, had matching war paint on their faces, and they spent most of the set dancing around the stage, propelling the instrumental madness surrounding them. Lying somewhere between Black Mountain and Dead Meadow with a sprinkle of Neil Young, the band truly blew me away, playing most of the tracks on their debut full length, Embrace. First Communion Afterparty erupted onto the stage, happy to be back home in Minnesota. Since they were the only band without sun in their name, it came as no surprise to hear them belting out vocals about the fiery ball in the sky. About halfway through their set, the band did a phenomenal version of "Green Turns to Gold." However, the highpoint was definitely the final number. The band played a mind numbingly awesome jam ranging somewhere around 20 minutes. All in all, it was very sunny night at the 7th Steet Entry, and one of the most solid shows I've seen in the past couple of years.

James T was there...
Mercury Rev @ Fine Line Music Cafe - December 12, 2008

I arrived at the show just in time to catch the end of the Duke Spirit's set, and they seemed pretty good. I was not prepared for the mind-blowingly awesome show that was to come. Mercury Rev were truly brilliant. Never before have I seen a show that was this great. An incredible light show and crazy visuals projected behind the band added to their performance. At one point a giant dove appeared on the screen, and from where I was standing only the wings were visible. Jonathan Donahue appeared to have a set of giant wings growing out of him. This may be the closest I have ever come to a religous experience, and I am relatively certain that if anyone was under the influence of any mind-altering substances they probably could have seen God at this concert. The band played an extrordinary two song encore ending with "The Dark is Rising." This show was enough to convert me. Rock as religion. Enough said.