After just a few songs by Portugal's The Gift, I thought; this show should be in a stadium, not a medium sized venue. I keep saying to people that they remind me of Queen with a woman singing. This bears some explanation. It isn't that they write extraordinarily long songs a la Bohemian Rhapsody (although they did have one they announced at 12 minutes). It isn't that they are bombastic. It is that their music is often "grand." They make a medium sized venue FEEL like a stadium.
The recorded version of the song, Made For You, from the record Explode, is fantastic but it pales next to the live version. The studio version took a few listens for me to like it. It has an odd style; listening to it live I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I had tears in my eyes. It is simple, it is beautiful and it is infectious, live or recorded.
The recorded version of the song, Made For You, from the record Explode, is fantastic but it pales next to the live version. The studio version took a few listens for me to like it. It has an odd style; listening to it live I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I had tears in my eyes. It is simple, it is beautiful and it is infectious, live or recorded.
Made For You from Explode
Explode
I have a huge problem with The Gift. They are in a long line of recent bands I have seen that were better than just good. The problem with The Gift is that they are way better than the previous bands. I am not insulting the others. I just hope I see someone I hate soon. The Gift may well be the best live band I have ever seen.
Why is that? They can certainly play, they write great pop/rock/dance songs but it is really about the sheer joy of the music. You cannot fake that. If playing music is just your job you can be good. You can put on a show people walk away from happy. But if it is more than just a job? That comes through somehow. We sense it.
Great, now I sound like a Hippie.
Honestly, I feel like I need testimonials. I do not like everything. I am usually pegged as disliking far more bands than I like. Take the wholly inadequate support bands on this show, for instance. The Double Door in Chicago is good at inappropriate or flat out bad local and national support. Otherwise it is a fun place to see a show.
Why is that? They can certainly play, they write great pop/rock/dance songs but it is really about the sheer joy of the music. You cannot fake that. If playing music is just your job you can be good. You can put on a show people walk away from happy. But if it is more than just a job? That comes through somehow. We sense it.
Great, now I sound like a Hippie.
Honestly, I feel like I need testimonials. I do not like everything. I am usually pegged as disliking far more bands than I like. Take the wholly inadequate support bands on this show, for instance. The Double Door in Chicago is good at inappropriate or flat out bad local and national support. Otherwise it is a fun place to see a show.
They seem to be a group of multi-instrumentalists—four members and three additional musicians, although this varies. Finding this record, Explode, which is apparently also out on vinyl (and I search for that), will lead you inevitably and inexorably to their back catalog. This band is a treasure.
And I couldn’t agree more with “read books not Facebook.”
After this brief jaunt there has to be a future, longer tour; a tour where the band doesn’t get stuck playing in a city the size of Chicago on a Tuesday night.
And I couldn’t agree more with “read books not Facebook.”
After this brief jaunt there has to be a future, longer tour; a tour where the band doesn’t get stuck playing in a city the size of Chicago on a Tuesday night.
This photo is for all you synth gear dorks
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