Friendly Fires & White Lies at the Double Door 4/3/09

Friendly Fires are just so gosh darn adorable. The lead singer looks like Michael Cera (George Michael from Arrested Development.) They're so fun and danceable. O.K. so maybe we won't be talking about them in five years, I mean, I hope we will...but the nature of music these days is that it's a pretty disposable trade. BUT THEY'RE SO CUUUUUUUTTTE I WANT TO PUT THEM IN MY POCKET AND CARRY THEM AROUND AND SQUEEZE THEM A BIT TOO HARD LIKE LENNY...
Oh, alright, seriously, they do a really fantastic live show. I liked a few tracks from their album, but seeing them live has made me want to go back and have a re-listen...I'm already addicted to Skeleton Boy, I secretly wanted them to play that about seven times as their set.

White Lies performed after Friendly Fires. I initially wanted to go to this show because of Friendly Fires, but in the few days preceding it I really got into the White Lies album. It sounds a bit like Echo and the Bunnymen, and is really good for full throttle singalongs.
Live? Well farewell to the fairground indeed! They're just so EARNEST. I know it's a bit bastardy of me, but I just can't get into that level of seriousness in a live show. I mean, even Thom Yorke does some crazy dancing. It scares me a bit to learn this about myself. I fear that if Joy Division were touring today I would be annoyed by their live show. I'm not saying I don't like heartfelt music, I'm going to see Morrissey tonight for instance, but at least he throws in a few punny lyrics, and it's Morrissey. Harry McVeigh has a great voice but the reaching out, tight fisted, pointy hand movements threw me off. I had to fight to stop the eye roll that was brewing.
I think it's more of a problem within myself that I can't handle it when people look pained whilst performing. I'm socially awkward, so when I'm confronted with total seriousness I feel like I'm intruding on a personal moment. My friend laughs at me becuase one time I was worried that I didn't have "credentials" to be at a pet expo we'd crashed into... it sort of felt like that, I didn't have credentials to see these strangers with such torturous looks. Especially when the bass player's about to burst the vein in his neck as he's mouthing along all the words.
I think I'll just enjoy the studio album...