Once in a while a band comes along and blows your mind away. Their music becomes an out of body experience. They're more than a band you enjoy; they're a band that creates this alternate reality. There have only been several bands in my life to do this: Radiohead, Sigur Rós and Xiu Xiu. In so many ways, I connected to Jamie Stewart, Xiu Xiu's mastermind, on a level completely reflecting my emotions on the time. A Promise (5RC), the band's second full-length, struck a chord with me that I have been unable to shake since. Xiu Xiu was just that wonderful.

Basically, though, Xiu Xiu is everything I admire in a band, and before this, I wasn't sure it was humanly possible to create one as such: moody, honest, experimental but with a great sense for melody and composition. Can you imagine?

Before the show, I saw Jamie walking around. To be honest, I had never been this close to someone I respected so much. I'm sure I could have let out a schoolgirl giggle, or done a Beatles-esque rampage, but I didn't think it would be appropriate.

I was surprised to hear how well opener Grimble Grumble could fill the Fireside. To me, their name reminds me a lot of the giant from Jack and the Bean Stalk, and from their sound, it's not very hard to imagine. Grimble Grumble reminded me a lot of Yo La Tengo, actually, with the whispery female vocals and loud, energetic, but at the same time sophisticated and reserved sound of heavy cymbal and crisp American-style guitar. All things considered, Grimble Grumble seemed like the perfect way to introduce Xiu Xiu: atmospheric and sad, but not boring or overly exclusive. In this sense, nothing of their set really struck me to the point that I find their sound unforgettable, but taking the evening as a whole, they fit in amazingly well. Grade: B

As Pegasvs began to take stage, Jamie Stewart popped along side of me to watch the show. Being the ridiculously big Xiu Xiu fan that I am, all I could do was giggle. The most interesting thing about Pegasvs was that they didn't use amps, citing the reason as "it uses the man's electricity." Somehow, I didn't see how mics were terribly better, but it didn't really matter, because Pegasvs' sound was simply amazing. In a Pitchfork interview, Jamie Stewart wrote that he admires the singer of Pegasvs' voice because of how expressive it is. And certainly, he is not the technically greatest singer, but the vocals of Pegasvs work far more effectively than Celine Dion's. And while that may not be saying much, Pegasvs is still the punk of folk expression. At that, the band is amazing both ideologically and in their voice. Grade: A-

Pegasvs

X27, on the other hand, presented an opposite aesthetic from the former bands. With roots in a more queercore-based style, X27 was loud and more raucous, sharing vocals between a guy and front-woman. In a less stylized version of Erase Errata, X27 delivered spazz-vocals with wandering guitar lines and solid bass lines. It was more or less punk at today's standard, but done well and without either the pretentiousness or the attitude. And hey, that's probably more of the appeal for most people, but I like it when the band on stage is at least human. Grade: B-

As soon as Xiu Xiu began playing though, I realized that this was one of those rare concert experiences where standing in the front row was the most amazing thing in the world. Jamie Stewart's vocals ranged from whispers to screams as they opened with "Crank Heart", one of the more stand-out tracks of Fabulous Muscles. If you saw one of these Xiu Xiu shows, the set was more or less the same everywhere. Most of the songs where taken off the new album, and the others were filled with some of the more powerfully haunting sounds off the two previous albums and other EPs.

Songs like "Rose of Sharon", which is featured on a split 7-inch Jamie did with This Song Is a Mess, But So Am I, were so haunting that I literally had chills, amazed that such powerful music was being played effortlessly on stage by only two people. And I think that's what amazed me most, was the way that Xiu Xiu created this complex musical sound with only two harmoniums, a guitar, random gadgets and a sampler (which really only supplied drum beats). At that, a lot of songs were simplified to their most bare state.

Jamie's companion on stage, Caralee McElroy, sang the closing song, a softer version of "Helsabot", a haunting song about addiction, obsession, whatever it may be, it's something terrifying. And on that note, I left Xiu Xiu's show feeling so outrageously happy, but more in the sense that I was amazed at the power of the music. Really, I was more disturbed than I ever have been in my life, even after listening to A Promise on repeat all winter.

But in music today, I think the ability to disturb is a more powerful weapon than anything else. Happiness only brings me so far, and pop bands can only cheer me up until I start to grow tired of the melodies. However, Xiu Xiu always invokes the same feelings of inadequacy, sadness and terror. I'm not sure how comforting that is, but I know that each time, I'm amazed. Their music is experimental, both in odd instrumentation highly influenced by modern classical and gamelan and emotionally. To me, Jamie represents the gay music community at its finest, looking at the world in the frightened sad eyes that are so often ignored. Jamie brings what is so often lacking in music: honesty. And to that, I am infinitely grateful.

Grade: A+, literally, one of the best shows I've ever seen.

My friend, Maria, and I looking crazy with Jamie Stewart after the show.


Posted at 2:15 pm on November 07, 2004

Grandaddy (4-3-04) @ the vic
Saves the day, hey mercedes - February 22, 2005
Pretty girls make graves @ bottom lounge (4-2-04)
Mahjongg, red light sting - February 20, 2005
Ted leo/pharmacists @ logan sq. (3-23-04)
Electrelane, perfect panther - February 19, 2005
Liars @ logan sq. auditorium (3-20-04)
Young people, goldfish - February 02, 2005
Mates of state @ bottom lounge (3-18-04)
Scotland yard gospel choir, new constitution - January 31, 2005


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all reviews by chris aque (2003-2004).