107. Alt-J at A2 Green
Even though Russia is not the easiest place to visit (with the significant amounts of paperwork - and money - needed for a visa), a reasonable number of western rock and pop bands have visited the city this summer. Depeche Mode, Imagine Dragons, and Robbie Williams (although he canceled at the last minute) have been a few of the more notable acts to play in St. Petersburg while on tour.
The first event that captured my interest - and fit my schedule - was Alt-J at the end of August. They are an indie rock band from England who are touring in support of their just-released third album. They have been flying somewhat under the radar in the United States, but if you go deeper than what's available on FM rock radio then you've probably encountered a few of their songs since 2012. They have a unique, almost uncategorizable sound, due in large part to the lead singer's unusual vocal quality. I expect that his voice is polarizing, as it is for most singers who have nontraditional voices or singing styles.
The concert was held in what is apparently one of St. Petersburg's best venues for foreign bands, A2 Green. The club is on the Petrograd side, on Aptekarsky island a short walk from the Petrogradskaya Metro station. It felt just like a music venue in the United States, with few significant differences. The coat check was more centrally located (as it is everywhere in St. Petersburg - makes me wonder just how many layers I will need when winter arrives), and there were more counters to buy a drink than I'm used to seeing. But otherwise, the club could have been in the USA.
I've listened to Alt-J's first two albums plenty of times, but most of the crowd (for whom English is presumably a second language) knew the lyrics better than I did during the sing-along moments. In general, the crowd seemed more enthusiastic participants for the moments with synchronized singing, clapping, et cetera than I typically see in the United States.
An opening band played for around 45 minutes. I have no idea who they were - their name was not listed on the ticket, venue web site, Alt-J's web site, the Facebook event page, or anywhere else on the internet that I could find. The band didn't announce who they were, either. The music was fine but they need to work on their promotional activities. They didn't even have anything at the merch counter after the show. I think they were probably also from England, but couldn't really say.
Alt-J's set was great. They played most of the highlights from their first two albums, and a handful of new tunes. Some of my favorites included "Intro (An Awesome Wave", "Fitzpleasure", and "Tessellate". With just three musicians, they were able to duplicate the sound of the studio versions of their songs. A fun show, and it ended a little bit earlier than I'm used to seeing in Denver - 10:20, instead of 10:45 pm or later. Which I certainly appreciated on a weeknight.
The first event that captured my interest - and fit my schedule - was Alt-J at the end of August. They are an indie rock band from England who are touring in support of their just-released third album. They have been flying somewhat under the radar in the United States, but if you go deeper than what's available on FM rock radio then you've probably encountered a few of their songs since 2012. They have a unique, almost uncategorizable sound, due in large part to the lead singer's unusual vocal quality. I expect that his voice is polarizing, as it is for most singers who have nontraditional voices or singing styles.
The concert was held in what is apparently one of St. Petersburg's best venues for foreign bands, A2 Green. The club is on the Petrograd side, on Aptekarsky island a short walk from the Petrogradskaya Metro station. It felt just like a music venue in the United States, with few significant differences. The coat check was more centrally located (as it is everywhere in St. Petersburg - makes me wonder just how many layers I will need when winter arrives), and there were more counters to buy a drink than I'm used to seeing. But otherwise, the club could have been in the USA.
I've listened to Alt-J's first two albums plenty of times, but most of the crowd (for whom English is presumably a second language) knew the lyrics better than I did during the sing-along moments. In general, the crowd seemed more enthusiastic participants for the moments with synchronized singing, clapping, et cetera than I typically see in the United States.
An opening band played for around 45 minutes. I have no idea who they were - their name was not listed on the ticket, venue web site, Alt-J's web site, the Facebook event page, or anywhere else on the internet that I could find. The band didn't announce who they were, either. The music was fine but they need to work on their promotional activities. They didn't even have anything at the merch counter after the show. I think they were probably also from England, but couldn't really say.
Alt-J's set was great. They played most of the highlights from their first two albums, and a handful of new tunes. Some of my favorites included "Intro (An Awesome Wave", "Fitzpleasure", and "Tessellate". With just three musicians, they were able to duplicate the sound of the studio versions of their songs. A fun show, and it ended a little bit earlier than I'm used to seeing in Denver - 10:20, instead of 10:45 pm or later. Which I certainly appreciated on a weeknight.
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