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indie-snob>+!#
calexico @ border's (10-2-03)
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 An in-store performance with Calexico. Photo by Chris Aque I remember the first time I heard Calexico, I was so put off that I don't think I listened to Black Light more than once, and even that wasn't entirely through. So it's kinda embarrassing now to claim myself a Calexico fan, which I do. That is because I truly love Feast of Wire… that and I've just developed a better taste in music. After I saw Calexico play with Spoon at a street festival back in June, I've absolutely fallen in love with them, far more so than I ever thought possible. Their laid-back playing style and elegant Mexican-influenced folk really gets the most of me live. Calexico's normal stop in the city was an 18 and over show the night previous (amazing how this works for me), but lone behold, my weekly stops at label sites paid off since the Touch & Go website had a pop-up window announcing this in-store. Sure, not every high school student could manage to see them at 12:30 on a Thursday afternoon, but that is the pleasure of going to a college prep where we get half days every Thursday! The make-up of the show, thus, was mostly people on their lunch breaks, but to my own surprise, Calexico played the onlookers a full set. Time after time, I find myself impressed with Calexico's gentle yet stirring live performance. The entire band plays with so much passion live, that it's hard not to love them. While the set this time was very different from the last show, it was nice to see the band play in such an intimate of setting. People seemed to really enjoy what they heard, whether they had just wandered in or purposely ran a mile (as I did, since the train was out of operation downtown). As usual, I find myself glued watching the pedal steel. Wow. I just love that instrument. The set was probably similar to the one played last time, but they still made it feel fresh. "Sunken Waltz" and "Quattro," two of my favorite songs off their latest release, sounded wonderful live, certainly as expected. "Across the Wire" was also a fun song to hear live this time, as it almost perfectly showcases the style and fun and simplicity of the band. Simple horns, Mexican-influenced melodies with folk-driven steel and classical guitar and mariachi-like horn arrangements fill the song. A lovely set, filled with audience requests in the full hour-long set. All for nothing. The band was perfectly magnetic live (and in fact, the lead singer is a really nice guy). I recommend seeing them any time you can (although I believe their US tour is over by now). Grade: A Related Reviews: |