Show Review: Wolf Parade @ La Zona Rosa (11/15)

It seems like forever since I’d actually witnessed a live performance by Canadians Wolf Parade, so I was rather excited to check them out on their return to our fair city.  They headed our way in support of their recent album Expo 86, bringing with them Ogre, You Asshole.

Going into the show, I knew little of Ogre, You Asshole, other than the fact that they hailed from Japan, and offered up some sort of fusion between Fugazi and Talking Heads, at least according to press information and what nots.  As they took the stage, you have to give it up to the Austin audience, as they openly welcomed the band, excited to get a taste of Asian music culture.  While I may not have personally fallen head over heels for the group, thinking they sounded a bit like a cross between emo-Dungeons and Dragons and Final Fantasy, those kids could play their instruments.  The bass player threw out some solid work, and their layering of guitar parts was definitely interesting, just not m particular taste.  But, in the end, I think its fair to say we all appreciated their efforts.

Wolf Parade, well, they remain a conundrum in my book.  I never really got into At Mount Zoomer, and while I appreciate a great deal of the tracks on Expo 86, it still doesn’t live up to the promise and power of Apologies to the Queen Mary.  Oddly, their show sort of follows the same exact pattern; it’s got these brilliant moments of anxiety-driven rock, but there are definitely some spots that seemed amiss.

For one, Dan Boeckner clearly wins the award for most energetic showman amongst the bunch.  He was almost spastic, which although oddly frightening, was a joy to watch a man give it his all.  Dante DeCaro definitely didn’t seem as into it though, something that bothered me as the show wore on.  Spencer Krug, well, he always is such a dynamic performer, most of which is based solely on the power of his distinctive voice. Still, the band plays tightly, regardless of the energy behind each of the various songs.

Surely the audience reaction to hits from Apologies… like “This Hearts on Fire” and “I’ll Believe in Anything” are an indicator that fans still hold great respect for such a wonderful record, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t care for the more recent work.  For instance, the regular closing moment of “California Dreamer” from At Mount Zoomer was pretty furious, and worthy of closing moments, as the band let the song sprawl to its noisy end, before walking off stage, albeit for just a quick moment.  All in all, the band did their job, offering us glimpses of their progression, while still filling the dull spots with great hits from days past.  Who knows if they’ll ever capture that complete sound again, but for now, we can happily settle for a solid live show.

Photos are yet again provided by the talented Mr. Brian Gray.  He has more fancy pictures from the night on his website.