SXSW Review: Chairlift, Red Eyes Fly, March 21 2009

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Austin TX – Brooklyn’s Chairlift gained instant celebrity through ipod’s nanochromatic campaign, indeed that’s how I heard them first. The super flighty and infectious “Bruises” has had 3.7 million hits on myspace alone and I have to say, it’s very different from what’s on the rest of the album, which are placidly mood-setting. Because of this difference, for the longest time I had them mixed up with another 3 person boy-boy-girl band called Headlights from Illinois and actually thought I was going to see the latter instead… My bad.

This set was extremely short. But my guess is when the vocal came on stage with her blue workshirt and lace stocking half of everyone else became longer to compensate. There weren’t that big of a crowd, though. They played only 4 songs (Planet Health, Bruises and 2 others…) I think all from the first album. The singing was dead-on, but always a bit flat and not as flighty as the recordings. A few people were dancing, the general crowd reaction was respectable but a bit withdrawn, which could be why they didn’t play much… or maybe they have to wrap and head to the next show at Dallas.

I can’t really write a fair review on a short show like this… guess there’s always next time. I just found out they’re playing with PBJ in April at Phenix Theater (Toronto). Would that I didn’t wait 1.5 hr for PBJ to warrant an almost permanent No-No…

Posted on by Gary in Concerts, Everything, South By Southwest