MP3: Figurines - The wonder
The weather last night was far from perfect, but I still made the long drive up to Seattle to see Figurines. Kira and one of the Kindred Spirits had visa issues, so no other Danish acts made the bill though the remainder of the band was still in attendance. After a shambling, mediocre set from locals The Elephants, Figurines took the stage and did their thing. Let me tell you, that band is a well-oiled machine. They are a great example of what a tight band should sound like. After quietly opening with "Back in the day", they set into "The wonder" (today's mp3) and were off and running. Drummer Kristian Volden laid down a strong four-on-the-floor backbeat and joyfully sang along to himself with every song while frontman Christian Hjelm proved to be a manic, energetic frontman. The other two guys in the band (guitarist Claus Johansen and bassist Andreas Toft) were much more nondescript, but they did their job and did it well. I'm a little disappointed they had an extra musician on stage playing guitar, keyboard and percussion to help them perfectly replicate their album, but since he didn't distract from the overall experience, it's kind of a moot point. I feel that a rawer live sound would have benefitted them. Anyhow, it was a very good set and I think the audience appreciated it. A few of the midtempo songs dragged a bit due to the crowd's lack of familiarity with the material, but the fast songs caught their attention and the two slower numbers ("Silver ponds" and "Rivalry") were very engaging. The band plays Portland tonight, goes back to Seattle this weekend for a radio appearance and an in-store then travels to LA and SXSW. Look for them to be back this summer. My short interview with Christian should hopefully be online sometime this weekend.
Figurines - The wonder