The Juicy Aftermath

First off I’d like to congratulate Peter Jackson on earning the DGA (Director’s Guild of America) award for Best Director. He earned it, though I don’t think there is any surprise in the fact that he won this year. He also has the distinction of being the only director nominated three consecutive times (once for each Rings film). Only six of the DGA’s picks have historically not won the Oscar. Last year was one of those years when Chicago’s Rob Marshall lost to director-turned-pedophile-fugitive-from-international-law Roman Polanski.

Speaking of Chicago, you’re probably all wondering how the fricken’ Notwist concert was.

Let me tell you.

I died last night. Simply died… my spirit rose into the clouds (not clouds of smoke) and danced a minuet with the ozone layer before floating back to earth on the back of a giant flying purple sea turtle.

The Notwist played a visage of sound for my eyes and ears. They rock so hard, while being so precise… it’s awesome. Now, I don’t worship the band, I mean, come on, I’m a Christian, I’m to cut out the idols of my life and live devoted to God.

Here is the set list from what I can remember:

1. Pilot – This song is just so good. So good all around, very simple when you think about it, but so particular in all of the little sound sprinklings they do in their songs… this one was a great one to kick it off with.

2. Electric Bear – Mike and I always had this idea when we heard this song that this dark blue electic bear was slowly advancing on your sleeping form in the dead of night. When nothing else stirs, this malevolent mechanical bear with dimly glowing yellow pin holes for eyes, hovers slowly in the direction of your bed, with some dark purpose in mind. They broke the song in two with a long guitar/effects segment which was classic Notwist and made me hunger for new stuff.

3. The new stuff arrived!!! Carbon Heart – that is at least what I theorize this song is called, they just said “here is a new one, hope you enjoy” and kicked it off. This one started off pure guitar but then a weird, deeply effected bass line came in with some of the signature pop/squeak/book/woop drums that they have so perfected beyond the realm of mortal power. As far as I could discern the lyrics went something like this:

On a head

water made of plastic

(something indecypherable)

take a cool drink and wait

Ah my

Carbon Heart beats slow

Ah my

Carbon Heart beats slow

did it stop?

4. This Room – Mike always loved this track. Great two notes that are instantly recognizable. I tranced out on the floor (there were a lot of people smoking it up in the Metro) and had to be revived by Mike and Tess before I missed the next song.

And if I had missed the next song I might have had some sadness come over me.

5. Solitaire – Yes, I love this one. Just the violin/cello, whichever instrument it is I don’t know because I am musically rather illiterate, starting it off was awesome.

But we like it

from that point of view

so we stay here and there until dawn every day

6. The String – Ahhh, this song was new to me at the first concert, b/c it is off of the album 12. Pretty much everyone who was there last time loved this song and I love it now too. They did a pitch perfect job and even did the all-stop… then without a count-up they started all together in unison again while this loop played in the back of some sampled stuff I recognized from Off The Rail.

7. And what do you know? They segued into Off the Rail – this song is very pretty and slow, which seemed at an odd place in the concert right after a hard song like The String. It was just awesome though. They took the “different cars and trains” part and looped it over and over and over and did all of this crazy mixing electronica.

8. Puzzle – Leaving the electronic elements behind they concentrated on more guitar-driven songs. Puzzle is a great song that was also played last year at the concert and it was still just as amazing as before.

9. Unsaid, Undone – Yes!! They played a song from Nook, their second album. This song was quick and wonderful, especially the frenetic drumming, which their drummer handled without breaking a sweat.

10. Day 7 – This was the song they ended on, ironically enough, and we knew that far too little time had passed for this show to be over with. They took a bow after a lengthy and awesome climax of “Day 7, and I’m love galore”

Encore! We shouted for barely 2 minutes I think and they were back on the stage, having had some water and readied themselves for a stunning 5 song Encore!!

11. Chemicals – Yes. Yes it is about a million times as good live as it is off the CD.

12. No Encores – this song is easily my favorite off of the album Shrink (the fourth album)_They took off rocking at the end of this song which surprised me a great deal.

13. One With The Freaks – have you ever been all messed up? Satisfying is the best way to describe this song and it satisfies (not the same way God satisfies my inner spiritual needs… but oh it is a good satisfaction)

14. Black Ant – Another new song!!! I couldn’t tell the lyrics to this song but what shocked me was the stark contrast it bore to the rest of Neon Golden and Shrink. This could be the new sound the band is growing into. This song was equal parts Folk, some jazz piano, the drum fx were mind boggling and the guitar took on almost a Joe Christmas feel towards the end before breaking into a cool rock out that swelled and meshed with all of the other intriguing melodies into the most glorious climax of a Notwist song since I first listened to The Incredible Change of our Alien.

15. How would you choose to end your life if you could? Would it be to die saving your family from the wreckage of a destroyed sinking battleship? Or would it be in a hospital bed listening to Consequence? I’d pick the hospital bed without having to spend a millisecond thinking about it. Yes, Consequence was the final song and it was well deserved. No drunk girls swaying and braying this time either.

Sigh, then the concert was over 😦

We got to hang out with the band for a bit afterwards, and Tess got some pictures of Mike and I arm in arm with the Achers. We’ll have to post some of them up on our blogs when they get developed 😉

Oh, Themselves (the opening band) was okay. I could hang with their weird hybrid electronic grunge rap. But I wasn’t necessarily enthralled either.

Until the next tour… wait! Fire Theft is coming up just around the bend… yesss!