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indie-snob>+!#
travis @ the riviera (10-28-03)
with rooney |
 I think I've mentioned my surprising love for well-crafted Brit-pop. So, Travis fits well under that. What I love about Travis though is different than what I love about Radiohead; Travis is one of the most adorable bands to ever exist in this world. No lie. I first saw them open for Dido a couple years ago. I remember avoiding "Why Does it Always Rain on Me" on MTV all the time, something about it was so disengaging to someone who was at the time preoccupied with terrible music. But, by the time my musical tastes had shifted and "Sing" was going strong on music television, I fell in love with Travis. Live, they had a new energy. Last time they played the Riviera, I stood about fourth row and Andy kept smiling at me while Fran went crazy on stage. It was such a personal feeling, even for a band that's selling hundreds of thousands of records. This site has seen the transformation of Rooney. By now, I absolutely hate them. The girls at the show for Rooney all got there at around noon. They skipped school. Wow. Punk rawk 4 life. I'm not sure what they think of their idealized boyfriends now, though, because this was by far the worst I've ever seen Rooney play, and I thought last time was pretty bad. If Rooney was concerned with fixing their hair last time, then this time the stage was more of a salon. Rooney is a style band. California pop does not equate to rippin' melodies these days, but rather a hippie-esque style and beautiful hair. Well, that's what Rooney would have you believe. There was nothing redeeming about their live show. It was boring. It was sloppy, and Rooney was being Rooney. They seemed far more interested in wowing their fans with stupid trips (like guitar solos!!!) instead of giving them a good time. Rooney: you are disappointing. I no longer consider you a band I like. And to all those girls who still do like Rooney: please stop decorating your pants with Rooney lyrics because they're prettier than you are anyway. Grade: D Travis, on the other hand, still aims to please. While I must say that I do miss Fran's faux-hawk (the long hair isn't working so well for you Franny), my second-row position in the center served me quite well (some of the crazy Rooney fans stuck around just for the novelty). There was no question that they played a surprising amount of new stuff—or, at least, surprising for fans of the old stuff—but even the new material has the same quality. At first, I was surprised with the political-side of the 12 Memories, but I started reading some of the interviews with Fran and it began to make sense, this was just a view into Fran's life as any other album has been. So, I disregard the political message (just because Travis insists they are not a political band) and continue to listen to the music. So yeah. Where was I? I think I got lost somewhere between an old lovable Travis and the new Travis with the dark edge. I still think Travis puts on a great live show. Everyone on stage is magnetic and full of energy. Fran and Dougie jump around while Andy smokes and Neil… well, he looks like a rapist. But hey. I still have all my favorite songs, even though they avoided their best material (the bonus tracks of every album). The best part of any Travis show is when Fran is talking. His Scottish accent is way too fun. Okay, so I'm disillusioned with the perplexing wonder of Travis. Just take this: they put on a great show. See them. Grade: A Related Reviews: Photo by friend Melissa Guzzardo |