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Kurt Vile + Woods – La Sala Rossa – 12.07.11

July 14, 2011 in Show Reviews

Tuesday, July 12 2011, was the highly anticipated Kurt Vile and the Violators and Woods show at La Sala Rossa. By 9:30 p.m., all the tickets were already sold out and there was a sulking crowd outside the venue hoping to perhaps gain entrance later on during the night. Kurt Vile has definitely come a long way because, just last year, he was opening up for F*cked Up at Sala Rossa to a crowd less than half the size of yesterday’s.

Woods, a Brooklyn experimental rock quartet, began to play at around 10:00 p.m. and the crowd alternated between listening intently and talking amongst each other, depending on what song they were performing. They created an interesting vibe moving from acoustic folk songs sung by the lead singer Jeremy Earl as he strummed his acoustic guitar and then switched over to ten minute jams, which gave way to many strange textures created by G. Lucas Crane, the band’s tape-effects technician. Unfortunately, their last song ended abruptly and without indication of conclusion from any of the band members; therefore their set ended without much of an impact.

Immediately following the end of Woods’ set, people swarmed out to take some fresh air while Philadelphia’s Kurt Vile and the Violators began to set up. The audience got a hint of how loud their performance was going to be by the piercing guitar riffs that blasted through the speakers during their brief sound-check. They started off their set with a few songs from Vile’s newest album Smoke Ring for my Halo, as well as “Overnight Religion” from 2009′s Childish Prodigy. The songs were played much louder than some of the audience members probably hoped for because people were continuously fidgeting and backing away from the stage. On the other hand, there were also people who seemed to be enjoying the set regardless of the volume. It was almost a relief when the two guitarists went backstage and Kurt Vile played the popular “Baby’s Arms” accompanied solely by his acoustic guitar and the drummer’s light percussion. This was the highlight of the night because, finally, the crowd was able to hear the intricate finger-picking that is one of Vile’s trademarks. A rowdy audience member actually yelled out “Finally, some finger-picking!” Although they played several of their most popular songs, it was difficult to enjoy because the three guitars seemed to overpower each other creating a sort of muffled sound.

All in all, the show left a lot to be desired, although Woods turned out to be a good choice as an opening band because their performance and Vile’s live show complimented each other quite well. It would have been nice to hear more of Vile’s layered guitar work and his subdued, ambient songs, perhaps next time around he will alternate between his heavier and softer side. – Krystale

Were you at the Kurt Vile and Woods show? If so what did you think of the show?