Purple Drank

So this is the third time that I have given The Temper Trap and their live shows a shot! The first two times were mainly due to the fact that they were part of an all inclusive package in the forms of ACL and SXSW; so why not go see what they're all about. Sadly both times I left mid show and was angry at myself for walking in the heat to hear such weakness. The third time was because I was tricked! This girl I was dating at the time purposely wore a low cut dress when she asked me to go to the show with her. So naturally I was dreaming about motorboats and breast milk instead of what she was actually asking me at the time. And the worst part is we stopped seeing each other a few weeks before the show, so I had to go solo because I'm too lazy to scalp a ticket. Aah the mammeries err memories; as my friend put it.

Believe it or not, I actually like Trap and I think their music sounds amazing recorded. From start to finish the album is tight and has a nice mix of beauty and power. But live it sounds and feels like you're at a Michael Bolton show in the 80's. Only they dont have the fresh hair Bolton has! Mandagi's falsetto singing works great when mixed in nicely in the studio with the other instruments but live its accentuated and you can hear how fruity some of his lyrics are. Im not an ex frat head but that doesnt mean I want to be at a show rocking out to some dude yelling "I need you now! I need your love right now!" while sounding like Adam Lambert who finally sneaked into the Yankees clubhouse after a game. But aside from the fact that he sounds a little fruity, their music just doesnt sound like it can be reproduced live. Which is strange because they dont use that many instruments. It's just not as loud and alive as it is on their cd and something always seems off. So you just get a flat performance and you're standing there bored out of your mind. Meanwhile laughing at other dudes who are drinking way to much to get through the show while also looking at their watches just waiting for the sound ordinance time to arrive so they can go home with their girls and get what they really went to the show for. Then there were the dudes that clearly had not been out of the house in months because they live in the suburbs with their 8 children. So they were way too into the show and were white man dancing fools. Dancing way off beat and in a circle for some reason while also trying to pump up others that were around them. Honestly it couldve been The Muppets playing on stage and they wouldve thrown their lighters up in the air.

It also doesnt help matters that Trap's new album is not that good and that they played alot of it. I lost track of how many songs off the new record were played but only about 2 of them sounded decent. Aah the curse of the instant success indie band continues. Great initial album but then the rushed and nowhere near as good follow up is made.  I talked to so many people that were leaving trying to convince themselves that it was a good show. "yeah well the last three songs was where it really took off" or "for the most part it was good". Not really rousing reviews for a sold out show. Ladies please dont torture your men by making them attend this. And guys, do yourself a favor and just take your girl to a romantic comedy instead. It may still be 90 minutes of pain but maybe you'll get a boob shot or two on screen. Overall this show was really WEAK and I suggest avoiding it! Oh well, I'm off to go listen to my Guy album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EBACpHEqFk

But before I do there was also an opening act, the Crocodiles. When I listened to my first croc's song ever I was actually pretty impressed. Musically it sounded like Jesus and Mary Chain, so I was instantly down with it. But then I played more of their songs which, musically anyway, sounded good but I started to notice the lyrics. Oh why why why couldnt they just be an instrumental band? These lyrics sounded like they were written by a 13 year old Chris Gaines (Garth Brooks alter ego). Just nonsense that tries way too hard to be edgy. Check them out for yourselves, maybe you'll find a connection with them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn7GYXii0FU

Oh and why is this titled Purple Drank? Towards the end of the show, my friends and I were standing on the steps near the bar because at this point we didnt care about the performance. There was literally noone around us and this big security guy came up to us and told us we have to move because "cant nobody get no dranks with us standing there". If they were serving purple drank up in there, I could see it but since they werent...