Silverchair Rawks Arse!

My Silverchair Concert Review - November 20, 2007

I think I can honestly say I saw the best concert of my life the other night at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. It's not even because Silverchair has been my favorite band since I was a little kid. Believe me, I've seen bands that I love on records attempt to perform live, and fail rather miserably. While most music aficionados would probably deem me sacrilegious for saying this, I do believe this band is almost the Pink Floyd of the new generation.

Just to let you know how much these guys freakin' OWN, I had general admission floor seats, I couldn't see a damn thing about 95 % of the time, and they still managed to make me laugh, cry, and scream in a matter of an hour and a half. I paid $40 for my ticket, but I would gladly have paid $400.

What I think was so special and different about this show was the fact that their set was actually orchestrated and structured like a set should be structured (I imagine that the band learned a thing or two about orchestration from their work with acclaimed arranger Van Dyke Parks). So often you go to a concert and a band runs through their set list mindlessly, with some obligatory stock banter in between songs. It's another night, another city, another drunk, heckling audience. There's just no show.

Not these guys, though. They have theirs down to a science. It started off with an ominous, slow-rolling train sequence, and then the band erupted onstage with the title track of their most thoughtful and innovative effort to date, Young Modern.

Lead singer Daniel Johns knew just how much to speak to the audience, just how they'd react when he slid up and down the scales with his guitar and with his voice, or when he sang a line a tad differently than how you hear it on the record. They jammed on nearly every song, made weird, funny noises on their instruments, and as a band, were tighter than a mosquito's tweeter (Well, they have been together since they were about 10-years-old, but still, that's pretty tight).

At one point during the performance, Daniel even told a really horrible, long-winded joke that managed to involve a joint, a koala bear, a lizard and a crocodile. I couldn't tell you what the hell it was about, if it made any sense, or if it was even funny, but I had to laugh at the way he acted out all of the characters, and how Paul Mac played little ditties on his keyboard to imitate the sounds of them walking or climbing about. In his thick Aussie accent, Daniel even made a well-received Outkast reference, shouting "What's cooler than being cool? Ice cold!"

As a musician myself, I was most impressed by Daniel's perfect pitch (and I mean PERFECT), astounding guitar-playing skills (don't even get me started on the arsenal of pedals and sequencers this guy must have to make all those crazy sounds), and fondness for and execution of Indian scales. And what can I say about Ben Gillies (drums) and Chris Joannou (bass)? Not one missed note or accent, not once did they step on Daniel's toes or play TOO LOUD (all of you vocalists know what I'm talking about), not one complaint whatsoever. I was rendered speechless, and believe me, I ALWAYS have a lot to say!

I honestly have not seen this kind of showmanship from any of the contemporary artists that are out today. I actually felt special being in that audience. They spoke to me in a way that few artists have managed to. Even if you don't like anything this band has ever done or you've never heard a lick of their material, you will come out at least appreciating them for their musicianship, attention to detail, and superb live performance. Final verdict: Silverchair RAWKS!