Abe Vigoda

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/abevigodamar1.jpg" alt="Abe Vigoda : Live" />Abe Vigoda brought their co-headlining tour with Wild Nothing to Holocene in Portland, OR. ...
Abe Vigoda : Live

Abe Vigoda

Abe Vigoda brought their co-headlining tour with Wild Nothing to Holocene in Portland, OR on March 1, 2011 in support their newest record Crush (2010).  They played a very concise set of ten songs, of which eight were from that album.  Whereas critics tagged their last release Skeleton (2008) as being "tropical/punk", the songs on Crush have more of a dance groove.  This was noticeable from the pulsating keyboard of opener "Dream of My Love (Chasing After You)".  The change in drummers between the two albums and with Michael Vidal (vocals/guitar) sounding a bit like Robert Smith or David Bowie, the band has lost the punk tag and embraced a dark rhythm. 

Throughout the night David Reichardt frequently shifted from bass to his Roland, while Juan Velazquez switched from guitar to the Korg.  This really helped give the songs some of the same sound structure as the studio versions.  And new drummer Dane Chadwick made his presence felt by laying down sharp rhythms, both played and programmed, for the others to play off of.  The band slowly worked their way into "Throwing Shade" instead of launching right into the jittery beginning on the studio version.  And it still sounds as if it could be a lost Psychedelic Furs (QRO live review) track, especially when Vidal sings, "Your heart is in heaven."

Michael VidalVidal projected a Bowie inflection on "Repeating Angel" and the starkness of the song allowed the audience to really hear him well.  Sometimes his vocal felt a little buried in the mix and it appeared the audience had to lean in to fully hear his lyrics.  The rolling keyboard and drum structure, along with subdued singing on "We Have To Mask" gave the song a hypnotic, trance-like feel.  It would have been a fine way to end their set, but Abe Vigoda decided to leave everyone with "Sequins", the opening track on Crush.  With its tropical keys and a jittery rhythm, "Sequins" had everyone bouncing and was a perfect way to leave their audience, in a bit of a frenzy and wanting more.

Set list

Dream of My Love (Chasing After You)
Throwing Shade
November
Repeating Angel
To Tears
Bear Face
Skeleton
Beverly Slope
We Have To Mask
Sequins
Abe Vigoda

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Concert Reviews
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