Show Review: White Lies and Asobi Seksu @ Antone’s

Antone’s is a beat off the beaten path for an indie music fan. With White Lies and Asobi Seksu coming to town, it seemed a strange venue to play host the popular Brit-pop/Indie bands. But host they did and the fans were happy to fill the space. It was a young crowd, all ages for sure. New fans for AsobiSeksu were earned. White Lies cemented fans’ loyalty. Jump it.

I have seen Asobi Seksu a couple of times now, but always at SxSW mired in sound checks and gear hauling. The more relaxed setting allowed for the most casual and relaxed entry for Yuki Chikudate and company. They got to work and the crowd seemed to appreciate their sound. The blend of Shoegaze and pop did well, earning early nods and applause. They brought their own strobes to accentuate the frenetic highs. By far, this is the best I have ever seen from the band and my friend, unfamiliar with Asobi Seksu, became a fan. They built to a crescendo and left everyone in the mood to hit the merch table. I sincerely hope they had a good take.

While Lies was up after business-like sound check, replete with guitar techs and road crew. No fancy lighting, no real stage props. I didn’t expect that. In fact, the best lighting effect of the night was provided by the focus assistant lights of fans against the stage. Kicking off with “Place to Hide”, the rhythm section set the tone. A clean poppy song structure but slightly dark, it was a showcase for the vocal tone of Harry McVeigh. The core three members were joined on stage by an extra key and guitar players to achieve the studio like sound. These sounded great; props to Antone’s

The next resonating point in the set was for “E.S.T.” This is the song that garnered the most exposure for me, showing up Sirius XMU’s heavy rotation for a spell. It was polished and perfect, yet more powerful than the studio track. In fact, my friend that is more of a true fan (he’s a sucker for big, swelling, anthemic brit bands) was surprised by the edge. “Streetlights” was a similar showcase.

But the best was truly last. “Bigger Than Us” was big. I’m not too proud, I love this song now. Heh. If you are ever in the mood for moody, well-influenced Brit-rock, find these guys on their next run through your town. They’ve played to eighty-thousand, but are still more than happy to play to five-hundred.

More pics are avialble over at the photog site here.