Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Copeland, Lovedrug, Lydia, and Lights in Concert

Rachael and I recently got the chance to see Copeland, Lovedrug, Lydia, and Lights in concert at the Avalon. I was already a fan of Copeland and Lovedrug and went with an open mind to the other two bands. Here are my thoughts from the concert:

Opener: Lights
We got to the show a little late so we only got to see Lights perform two songs. Her music is what I would define her music as indie pop music. One thing that I noticed about her was that the girl could flat out sing. She really gets in to the music and it is evident that she enjoys performing
Opener: Lydia
Lydia was for me one of the best surprises of the evening. Two members of the band came out, played a song and started telling us that their trailer with all their gear was totaled when their trailer disconnected from their van. They have only been able to buy a keyboard and an acoustic guitar...so that is what they used. The lead singer has a really interesting voice and they use very interesting harmonies in their songs. I have since added their albums to my collection and they are good to quite good with a full band. I would recommend them.

Opener: Lovedrug (pictured above)
By far the best band of the evening. Lovedrug not only had the most efficient sound check of the evening, which I really appreciate, but they also executed their songs with precision and quality. They performed several songs and the crowd was obviously waiting for Copeland so the lead singer became frustrated that people weren't as in to them. They performed mainly songs from their new album, The Sucker Punch Show, and their second album, Everything Starts Where It Ends. I had been excited to see them perform but was very surprised at how talented these guys really are. They shouldn't have been an opener, in fact, Copeland should have opened for them.

Headliner: Copeland
After Lovedrug finished, there was an extended setup/soundcheck by Copeland. After they completed their sound check they left the stage for about another 10 minutes...frustrating. Copeland opened with a song off their new album, but I noticed that the harmony vocals/back up vocals were mysteriously missing. there were other mics on stage and each of the band members sound checked their mics but nothing during the performance. Overall I enjoyed their performance but the highlight was when Lights came out to sing with them. They weren't as together as Lovedrug was but still put on a good show.