Skip to content
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Derek
    • Gary
    • Halley/Celeste
    • Paul
    • Ricky
    • Vik
  • Concerts
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Venue
    • Movies
    • Year End Reviews
  • Festivals
    • Canadian Music Week
    • Hot Docs
    • North By Northeast
    • Planet in Focus
    • Primavera
    • South By Southwest
  • Contact Us
Menu
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Derek
    • Gary
    • Halley/Celeste
    • Paul
    • Ricky
    • Vik
  • Concerts
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Venue
    • Movies
    • Year End Reviews
  • Festivals
    • Canadian Music Week
    • Hot Docs
    • North By Northeast
    • Planet in Focus
    • Primavera
    • South By Southwest
  • Contact Us

Concert Review: Bloc Party with Longwave, March 22, 2009 9:30 Club DC

Posted on
7 May 2009
by
Tom

Bloc Party, V-Fest, Toronto, 2008

Washington DC- This concert review is a tale of two parts, since I’ve decided to offer a review of the opening band as well.

Part 1: Longwave

My first impression upon arriving at the 9:30 Club: Rarely have I seen a venue so full for an opening band…this bodes well for the show.

And Longwave did not disappoint.

The band, recently returning from a 3-year hiatus, played an up-tempo set featuring songs from their new album “Secrets are Sinister”. With the aim of regaining fans, Longwave brought a lot of energy to the stage, playing songs that were infused by building guitars, pounding drums and spirited singing by frontman Steve Schiltz. Highlighting their performance were the songs “No Direction” and “Satellites”, both of which got the crowd moving.

While the music itself was impressive, the band did lack in the crowd interaction department. Between song banter came across as awkward and forced, part of which may have been due to the absence of founding guitarist Shannon Ferguson (congratulations on your first child!). However, after the show I noticed that the band was hanging out at the merchandise booth, talking to fans and enjoying themselves. I found that a refreshing reminder of what music should be about.

Overall, Longwave played a very solid set and I recommend checking them out if you get the chance.

Part 2: Bloc Party

One word: Amazing!!!

As soon as lead singer Kele Okereke stepped on stage, wearing a Clinton Portis Redskins’ jersey, you could tell it was going to be a special show. Bloc Party quickly worked the crowd into a frenzy, starting off with “One Month Off” from their latest album “Intimacy”. Sprinkling in songs from the first two albums “Silent Alarm” and “A Weekend in the City”, the set continually built upon itself, gaining energy that permeated everything and everyone.

Playing the crowd to perfection, Kele even grabbed a homemade sign requesting the b-side “Tulips” from a fan in the crowd. Despite not having played the song in a couple of years, Bloc Party (after apologizing to their sound people) broke into “Tulips” (video here) as if they had played it at every gig on their tour. Later, a seamless segue from “Song for Clay (Disappear Here)” into “Banquet” elicited a strong response from the throng, an effect that further increased the vigor of the set.

What will stick with me, though, is the song “Mercury”. Immediately, Kele jumped into the crowd and began an incredible journey, buoyed up by people’s hands, around the floor. After returning to the stage for a few seconds, he disappeared again, sneaking off around the side of the venue, to suddenly emerge in the middle of the crowd (where I conveniently was standing) and rock out amid the masses. Then, entrusting his life to the fans again, he resumed crowd-surfing and was passed back up to the stage (video here).

Like I said before: Simply amazing. I would consider any Bloc Party show a must-see.

PrevPreviousConcert Review: The Thermals, May 3, Horseshoe Tavern
NextHot Docs Review – Broke [Rosie Dransfeld, 2009]Next

SEARCH

FOLLOW US

Facebook Twitter Flickr Foursquare Rss Inbox

THE PAST

Archives

TAGS

Tags
British Music Embassy (10) Canadian Music Fest (11) canadian music week (20) cmf (10) cmw (42) concert (9) el mocambo (9) fringe (26) Great Lake Swimmers (10) guelph (9) horseshoe tavern (23) hot docs (103) jazz (12) Joel Plaskett (10) jukebox the ghost (15) lee's palace (27) marina and the diamonds (10) Massive Attack (10) mod club (12) NXNE (94) of monsters and men (11) Phoenix (15) play reviews (11) Pulp (11) Roskilde Festival (16) rural alberta advantage (10) sharon van etten (10) suede (12) summerworks (34) SXSW (479) SXSW 2022 (11) SXSW 2024 (11) SXSW Online (18) the antlers (11) the cure (9) the national (10) the xx (11) Tokyo Police Club (9) Toronto (25) toronto fringe (14) Toronto Jazz Festival (55) turf (13) tweeview (10) Video (9) zeus (10)
The Panic Manual

We are a collective of individuals bringing you the latest in concert reviews, indie, britpop, Canadian, twee and all sorts of other music, movies, tv and everything else you like. Follow the manual to live a pleasant and fulfilling life.

All rights reserved