When a Side Project is more than a Side Project: Sunset Rubdown @ the Troubadour, Tuesday April 24, 2007

For a sold out show it really wasn’t packed at the Troubadour this night. The crowd seemed kinda young too, I think perhaps it was 18+, although, I don’t know if they do all ages shows there or not. I do know that I got to sit upstairs again and watch Sunset Rubdown without getting smooshed between some kids.

Technically, this is the 3^rd time in the last eight months I’ve seen Spencer Krug perform. The first two times were in the same night though, when he doubled up and played keys for BOTH Frog Eyes and Wolf Parade. I thought there might be a small chance that he would play with Frog Eyes again when they come to Spaceland on May 5^th, but I checked the tour dates, and Sunset Rubdown are in Boston that night, so.. no then.

Katie Eastburn opened the set that night. I really know nothing about her except that her vocals and stripped down set of just keys and a kick drum proved fitting to open the show. Her voice is that low-fi indie girl pop voice that I hear again and again now; there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just that it didn’t sound ‘different’. I found that I distracted myself through her entire set wondering who she actually sounded like though.

Katie Eastburn and Spencer Krug shared a keyboard, not at the same time mind you, but each used the same one in their respective sets. Funny thing about this keyboard was the very odd table lamp that was securely glued onto the end of it. It looked like something out of a garage find, or what you would have had in your dorm in college: old and ratty. I kept waiting for it to go crashing off to the side, as the patched shade would allude to, but alas, it stayed put, regardless of how vehemently Krug knocked the keyboard around.

Krug began the set by announcing, “Hi, we’re Wolf Parade”. Both bands share some things in common (besides Krug), like the song “I’ll Believe in Anything”, which perhaps I can say is my favorite of the WP songs; it was not played tonight though. They did cover many songs off of “Shut Up I Am Dreaming” including- Stadiums and Shrine II, Us Ones In Between…maybe The Men Are Called Horsemen There, They Took A Vote and Said No (actually I’m pretty sure they played that). Sorry guys, I was distracted for the first ten or so minutes by these two kids next to us (upstairs, and yes, I know people can talk up there, but please, if you see people enjoying the show, don’t walk right up next to them and start loudly talking over the music about how much you do not like what you are watching. Had I not been restrained by a good view, I would have interrupted their conversation. Oof.. rude…) so the first couple of songs did not get my full attention.

I like how everyone pretty much does double duty in this band (except for perhaps the guitarist). Krug sings and plays the keys and the sometimes the guitar, Camilla Ingr does backup vocals and plays the keys and the XYLOPHONE (which I for some reason or another find amusing), and Jordan Robson Cramer plays drums and does keys. Whew! (oh, and it was Camilla's birthday today too- 26, just in case you wanted to know).

Xiu Xiu was the actual headlining band for this show. Honestly though, I only came for Sunset Rubdown, so we packed it up after their set, which was great. I’m recommending that everyone go and see Frog Eyes when they come and play, Carey Mercer is amazing to watch live, almost scary sometimes, and sure to be an awesome show.