Concert Review: Chairlift, March 28, Horseshoe Tavern

SXSW can be a bit of a whirlwind.  This year, I figure I saw somewhere around 50 bands … I didn’t necessarily pay close attention to all of them, nor did I stick around for a full set by each, but still, that’s a lot of bands.  When you see that much within the span of a few days, not all of it will stand out.  Brooklyn’s Chairlift, however, made an impression on me right away (Ricky was less impressed, but I think he may be coming around a bit).  Whether it was their catchy synthpop tunes or singer Caroline Polachek’s dance moves, they had my attention.  So when I had the chance to see them again less than two weeks later, I figured why not?

And they did not disappoint.  Polachek’s dance moves were on full display and I think I even spied a few audience members copying her moves.  Oh, and she played castanets at one point.  Castanets!  How often do you see a band with castanets?  And did I mention the songs?  Oh so catchy.  Days later, songs like “Wrong Opinion,” “I Belong In Your Arms,” “Amanaemonesia,” and “Sidewalk Safari” are still stuck in my head (this could also be due to the repeated listenings to their album Something as well …) I also appreciated the little quote from Modern English’s “I’ll Melt With You” thrown into the middle of “Bruises.”  Basically, this band knows their way around a good melody.

And for those who have not yet seen the band live, you’ll just have to content yourself with watching the video for ” Amanaemonesia,” featuring the aforementioned dance moves of Ms. Polachek:

Posted on by Paul in Concerts