Mogwai & Women @ First Avenue

(Mogwai)

Normally I eschew the use of earplugs during a concert, stubbornly thinking that something truly valuable is lost between the music being created and the pieces of foam in my ears. I will probably regret that when I am 60, but I certainly didn’t regret my decision to use earplugs for the first time in years during Mogwai’s blisteringly loud, stunningly brilliant show at First Avenue on Sunday night. Occasionally, I would take one of my earplugs out to see just how loud things were getting, and seriously, it was enough to make my eyes water (or was that just a weird form of my ears crying). Either way, everyone’s sonic threshold was tested (in a good way) by the Glaswegian five-piece, who created a massive, beautiful landscape of sound and were tight and focused all show, even with the inherent celebratory distraction of it being guitarist Stuart Braithwaite’s birthday.

Opening the show was the young Calgary four-piece Women, who certainly impressed the audience with their complex rhythms and lo-fi but still roaring sound. Perhaps the band went for a bit more sonic dissonance than usual during their set, considering who they were opening for and the crowd they were playing to. And it worked for them, as their set was concise and invigorating, and certainly set the stage well for Mogwai. Women opened up with a discordant new song that has yet to officially be named by the band, but for the most part their set was focused on tracks from their excellent self-titled debut record. “Shaking Hands” was a propulsive dynamo, with the band changing up speeds and styles effortlessly as the song barreled onwards. “Black Rice” was just killer live, and reminded me of early Pink Floyd, with the bands ability to hide such an infectious hook amidst an otherwise chaotic sound. It was bound to be the highlight of the set since it’s one of the best songs I’ve heard recently, and it surely was.

“Upstairs” also proved to be a highlight, as the song steadily built towards its cacophonous conclusion, with the band layering on the discord as drummer Michael Wallace kept accelerating the pace. It was interesting to see bassist Matthew Flegel leaning close to Wallace’s kit, as he tried to lock into the rhythm as the wailing dual guitars of vocalist Patrick Flegel and Christopher Reimer washed over the crowd. The band closed their all-too-brief set with a rapid fire delivery of “January 8th” that finished with a flourish and was over in a flash. It left me wanting more from this emerging band, and hopefully they will come back to Minneapolis soon as headliners.

(Mogwai)

The earplugs went in as soon as the screen in front of the stage started to rise, as Mogwai eased into the surprise (for me, at least) set opener “Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home,” the first track from their 1997 debut Young Team. The slow, simmering build of this song along with the steady bass line of Dominic Aitchison immediately set a wonderful tone for the show, before the band really kicked things in and the sound grew absolutely immense, complete with blinding strobe lights that only added to the overall feeling of disorientation. Mogwai’s music really takes you to a tranquil place during the softer bits, but when the guitars, bass and drums really get going, it’s like shaking up a snow globe filled with that very same tranquil place and everything just goes all sixes and sevens. At that point the music really becomes all consuming, for there isn’t space left for anything else. And it turned out to be the perfect sonic accompaniment for a late Sunday show at the Ave, as the band and crowd alike all seemed to be enjoying the night.

(Mogwai)

The set really drew equally from past Mogwai records, as well as their most recent album, 2008′s splendid The Hawk Is Howling. New songs like “Scotland’s Shame,” “I Love You, I’m Going To Blow Up Your School,” and “Thank You, Space Expert” really flourished in a live setting, with the latter track being enhanced by the delicate keyboard work of Barry Burns. But really any night with Mogwai is going to be all about the guitars, and the guitars were in full effect during “We’re No Here,” my favorite song of the evening. And when Burns would leave his keyboard and join John Cummings and Braithwaite they formed a potent three guitar assault on our eardrums, especially on the scorching main set closer “Batcat” that certainly must have tested the foundations of the venerable club, for I felt the floor rumbling beneath me during the song. The steady drumming of Martin Bulloch often gets overshadowed by the enormity of the guitar sound in Mogwai, but he is indeed the anchor that all members of the band are tethered to, and he kept the group tight and focused throughout the set.

2003′s Happy Songs For Happy People was well thankfully well-represented at this show (it’s personally one of my favorite Mogwai records), with “Hunted By A Freak,” “Killing All Flies,” and a feisty reworking of “I Know You Are But What Am I” all getting played during the set. It was interesting to me to see microphones set up on the stage, when essentially it was only used by Braithwaite to repeatedly thank the audience, and after Burns came out front to sing and play guitar on “Travel Is Dangerous,” his mic and stand were quickly whisked away, never to be seen on stage again. And with a complete lack of vocals, your mind is allowed to wander along with the pace and mood of the music, which is what makes Mogwai such a compelling band. And because they are Scottish, I’m often finding myself traveling at high speeds over Scottish countrysides while listening to their music (or what I imagine Scottish countrysides to be, since I haven’t made it over there yet). And the green and white striped scarf of Glasgow’s Celtic football team tied to Bulloch’s kit was a nice touch, especially to a fan of the sport here in the States.

(Mogwai)

The sound at First Avenue for the most part was immaculate all evening, even though the band had some level issues during the encore, especially in regards to Aitchison’s bass. But once they got that sorted, the three songs they played during their double encore were amazing. “Helicon 1″ had the same smoldering, slow-building bass as the start of the show (except this time Braithwaite was manning the low end), before snapping the audience out of our collective daze with the blistering, ear-splitting finish. “2 Rights Make 1 Wrong” was on the band’s set list but unfortunately was left unplayed (as was “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead”), but we got the mighty “Glasgow Mega-Snake” instead, which blew me away. And as the band left, I was sure the night was finished. The show was approaching the two hour mark, and I wouldn’t have complained a bit if that was all she wrote. But the band sauntered back onstage, complete with some balloons and ribbons and bows strewn about the stage to celebrate Braithwaite’s birthday. And the band closed out the night the same way they began, with a track off of their debut Young Team, this time it was the gargantuan sprawl of “Like Herod.” It was stunning, and completely floored me. That is how you end a show. So while Cummings and Braithwaite tinkered with the guitar effects as the rest of the band left the stage (and Stuart got attacked with silly string), the show and sonic assault drew to a close.

There were two excellent bands with absolutely massive sounds on display at First Avenue on Sunday night. Women are a bunch of young upstarts that, being quite new to the game, certainly must have been taking notes on the stellar display that Mogwai put on. It was a show that, while my ears, in the long run, might not appreciate, my heart certainly did, as it was a fortifying, exhilarating show that tested the boundaries of sound and created a sonic landscape I hope to visit again soon.

(Mogwai)

(Mogwai)

(Mogwai)

[Review by Erik Thompson, photos & videos by Chris DeLine.]

Setlist (the actual setlist differs from that which they had been using on stage):
Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home
Friend Of The Night
Scotland’s Shame
Hunted By A Freak
I Love You, But I’m Going To Blow Up Your School
Killing All Flies
I Know You Are But What Am I
Travel Is Dangerous
Thank You Space Expert
We’re No Here
Batcat
Helicon 1 (first encore)
Glasgow Mega-Snake (first encore)
Like Herod (second encore)

Mogwai: Purchase | Official | Twitter | MySpace | Wikipedia
Women: Purchase | Official | MySpace | Wikipedia

Also: Women @ Pitchfork Music Festival 2009