Reverb: Jimmy Eat World, Built to Spill

Reverb: Jimmy Eat World, Built to Spill
by John Wenzel on July 26, 2007

Jimmy Eat World’s acoustic set at the Gothic was painfully self-satisfied.

– Missed the concerts around the Mile High City last week? Catch up with this week’s Reverb, courtesy of Ricardo Baca and John Wenzel (but mostly Ricardo Baca).

- JIMMY EAT WORLD -

There�s something to be said about playing B-sides, but it�s also something that can blow up in a band�s face. Sadly, Jimmy Eat World sounded harried and unpracticed in its mostly acoustic set of B-sides and new songs on July 19 at the Gothic.

Favoring the lesser-known songs to complement the new tracks from a forthcoming record, the band had a lot of fun on stage in front of the sold-out crowd � only it wasn�t felt by the packed audience. An awkwardly acoustic �The Middle� failed at capturing the magic of the band�s catalog, including the masterpiece �Bleed American…�

It was obvious the band was trying to build anticipation for the next tour, which will be in a bigger venue in support of the record. But all the unfocused Gothic show accomplished was frustration. Sidenote: Opener Maria Taylor�s set was transcendent and elegant. She�s worth hearing: myspace.com/mariataylor.

-Ricardo Baca

Your moms called. They thank you for not puting your feet on the coffee table.

- THE PHOTO ATLAS -

Don�t get me wrong, those big homecoming shows can be sweet. The sweaty emotions and intense camaraderie are like fuel to an already fiery evening.

But what of the smaller, unannounced homecoming shows? In between tours, The Photo Atlas played a secret set at the Magic Cyclops benefit at the Hi-Dive on July 18, and while it wasn�t the freak-out scene of a typical Atlas show in Denver, it was an ideal opportunity for the band to lay down a new song or two.

And the news is good. Atlas is spreading the word of its spastic dance-punk with tours galore (with the Bravery, Warped Tour and Portugal, the Man) and a full-length CD on Stolen Transmission. And from what the band played that night at the half-empty Hi-Dive, there�s more antsy goodness where that came from.

-Ricardo Baca

Built to Spill leader Doug Martsch (dude with the beard) is starting to get that wily, Will Oldham look in his eyes.

- BUILT TO SPILL -

Seeing a concert from any of indie rock�s elders used to feel like a crapshoot, with bands such as Sebadoh, Pavement and Guided by Voices only occasionally placing importance on their performances. Fortunately, the July 20 Ogden Theatre set from Built to Spill focused on musicianship while retaining the act�s jangly, good-natured melodies.

Dough Martsch avoided playing his most recognizable songs until late in the night, when �Car,� �You Were Right� and �The Plan� burst forth, preferring to dust off on lesser-known tracks and even a frenetic Brian Eno cover. His voice and jagged guitar work were in such fine form that he could have played two hours of unreleased material and no one would have minded.

-John Wenzel

An anagram of this band’s name is “overrated.” Another is “lame.”

- TOKYO POLICE CLUB -

Certain bands fail to translate in translatingtheir energy to the live arena. And this is one of them.

Tokyo Police Club’s debut was so much fun that it was being heralded as the next great champ of dance-rock. Rightfully so. But its sold-out Larimer Lounge show on Saturday was as flat and dull as a stomped aluminum can.

The music never grabbed the crowd. The manic dance pit never quite �happened. And it didn�t help that the presentation was never anything that you felt you needed to watch.

-Ricardo Baca

Keep trying, fashion victims.

- MAXIMO PARK –

Full disclosure: I never connected with Maximo Park�s records to begin with. But after hearing about its supposed epic live show from multiple friends and magazines, we made it over to the Larimer Lounge on July 19 to give these Brits another chance.

Unfortunately, the same redundant trappings that dominate Maximo Park�s records, including the new �Our Earthly Pleasures,� are the main pillars of support in the live show. This electro-infused Brit pop lacks a true personality. The songs aren�t only retreads of stuff it�s already done, they�re redundant in a much larger and more offensive sense.

-Ricardo Baca

JD Samson is cooler than you will ever hope to be.

- DJs MEN -

JD Samson and Johanna Fateman are better known as Le Tigre, but when they DJ � as they did on July 20 at Lipgloss � they go by the name DJs Men.

Their blend of music on the decks was all things to all people. It was hot and classic and sexy and ridiculous and dirty. Their promiscuous style made sense, as everything they played � from old-school Madonna to lesser known electro tracks � could be interpreted as an influence of a sort to their band. And dissecting those influences from the dance floor was half the fun in their celebratory set.

-Ricardo Baca