Friday, August 22, 2008

The Faint
Opera House
Toronto ON
2008-08-21

This one wasn't even on my radar, not close. Got a last minute invitation (actually at 2 am of the same day as I was returning from Dylan in Hamilton) 'cause someone backed out of the show. Traded even...a ticket for a recording.

So I go in here knowing nothing about The Faint. I'm sure their songs have filled the airwaves on our 'alternative' station in Toronto but time and circumstance determine who you clue into and who you don't. They had a couple things going against them...Omaha?, for one. The fact I thought the late '90's was a time for more garage rock (a la White Stripes) rather than a reversion to techno-dance. (Plus, any association with Conor Oberst puts you in the 'suspect', not 'prospect' file.) Oh, and my age, as I was as unlikely to cotton to this generations version of disco as I was to do it in the '70's.

Nice crowd they pull in though. It's like it's 50% club-night, 50% concert. It's at least 50% female, which you don't see much. This is likely due to the strong representation of girlswhowanttobewiththegirls. A little colour was added to the proceedings in the guise of a visit from Josie and the Pussycats...4 tightly packaged cuties with the whole motif...platinum blond, fiery red-head, sultry brunette and cute as a button African-American. We had girls in leather and girls in satin. We had wine sippers and beer chuggers. Mini-skirts and cleavage, a little bit of everything.

It would have made for great gawking if the site of that wouldn't have been so unsavory. I must remember sunglasses and earplugs for the next concert.

Genghis Tron opened the evening. And they are what the name promises; the audio equivalent of stampeding hordes and the movie Tron. It's screamo at it's screamiest. Lots of synths and distorted lyrics. I'd say they are band #13 of out of the 3 that will get any airplay. 'Course if they hang in there they might move up, I gotta imagine these guys blow their vocal chords well before they're 30.

Next up, more screaming...but more melody too. The lead singer of Jaguar Love was like a cross between Bon Scott and Little Richard. Too much affectation, not enough soul.

The Faint hit the stage, bracketed by two coffins and led by the goggle bespectacled...ah, you know what? I don't have the energy to deconstruct this band.
Enough to say they were well received by the crowd of over 800 enthusiastic fans. Most seem to have gotten what they came for, even if reviews of the new record are a little sketchy.

Here are the songs and some mp3 samples.

The Faint
The Opera House
Toronto ON
2008-08-21

Source:Church Audio Cardioids>CA STC-9000 Pre-Amp >Edirol R-09 at 24/48 >USB >Sonic Foundry 16bit wave> FlacFrontend
Recorded by Krewe Chief


Track 01 Agenda Suicide
Track 02 Dropkick the Punks
Track 03 Take Me To The Hosipital
Track 04 Machine In The Ghost
Track 05 Desperate Guys
Track 06 Forever Growing Centipedes
Track 07 Birth
Track 08 Your Retro Career Melted
Track 09 I Treat You Wrong
Track 10 Psycho
Track 11 Posed to Death
Track 12 Get Seduced
Track 13 I Disappear
Track 14 In Concert
Track 15 Mirror Error
Track 16 Worked Up, So Sexual
Track 17 encore/crowd
Track 18 Paranoia Attack
Track 19 The Geeks Were Right
Track 20 Glass Danse


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