The Polyphonic Spree at the Fine Line - 7/10/07…Best Concert of 2007?
Source: morecowbell.net
Everything’s bigger in Texas. Steaks, hats, and apparently, bands. Hailing from Dallas, and with 20+ people on stage at one time jamming away, the Polyphonic Spree is by far the largest band I’ve ever seen at the Fine Line. They are also the most enthralling, uplifting and joyous band I’ve ever seen period.
The Spree started their show with a large red roll of plastic tablecloth stretched all the way across the stage. The crowd saw pairs and pairs of black boots and some fog, but not much else. Suddenly a scissors poked through the plastic and began cutting away. After a bit, a giant heart appeared and co-leader/singer-songwriter Tim DeLaughter burst through. Fitting, this start to the show, as DeLaughter’s heart blatantly appears on his sleeve and in the music the Spree spouts forth in their 2-hour emotional purge.
I first saw the Spree this March at SXSW when they did a surprise performance at Club DeVille in Austin. It was the end of the festival and I was tired. That show was the wake-up I needed to reinvigorate my musical lust and ever since I have longed to experience that feeling again. Lucky me. On a Tuesday night in Minneapolis, I was able to do just that.
People talk big about the emotion of music and how much it means. I completely agree with the majority of those assessments and often discuss this exact topic myself. However, it’s another thing to allow yourself to be set free and just be joy. The Spree do this night after night, for little money (their overhead has got to be HUGE with a band this size), and just for us. “Us” being the audience. The cheerleaders. The ones who urge them on because we all want to be happy and their music only increases the level of exhilaration we’re feeling.
During the set, we watched a wardrobe change from the new Fragile Army uniforms back to the Spree’s trademark robes. They played a wonderful mix of old and new songs, with my favorite older song “It’s the Sun” being played third in the mix, and the lovely “Sonic Bloom,” from DeLaughter’s band Tripping Daisy, filling in the last chords of the night. Overall the song choices showcased the best of the Spree, with old cuts and new tracks off “The Fragile Army” combining to form one giant lovefest.
The crowd was ridiculous. Mouths moved to a constant beat. Feet stomped and arms waved. Corners of mouths were pulled upward for over 120 minutes as calls for “one more!” came frequently. DeLaughter had to stop and pull himself together more than once during the band’s encore as emotion overtook him. My guess is this was the closest many in the crowd had come to pure happiness in a while, and as cheesy as it sounds, there’s nothing human beings want more. The Spree have found a way to invade souls, making things seem better, not as tough, and hey, don’t forget we’re all in this together.
If you get the chance, go now to their site, look up the tour dates, and find a way to get to a show. Or, I can just post them here. Need an uplift? A life-affirmation? Go. Run. Create some happiness. See the Spree.
Remaining Tour Dates:
07-13 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
07-14 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre
07-15 Seattle, WA - The Showbox
07-17 San Francisco CA - Great American Music Hall
07-18 Los Angeles CA - El Rey Theatre
07-20 San Diego CA - Canes Bar & Grill
07-22 Denver CO - Gothic Theatre
07-23 Aspen CO - The Belly Up
08-04 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
08-11 Osaka, Japan - Summersonic Festival
08-12 Tokyo, Japan - Summersonic Festival
09-01 Stradbally, Ireland - Stradbally Estate (Electric Picnic Festival)
09-02 Argyll, Scotland - Inveraray Castle (Connect Festival)
