Seattle Subsonic

Atlas Sound and Broadcast on Halloween

November 5th, 2009

You never quite know what you’re gonna get with Bradford Cox. Those expecting a spooky replication of Atlas Sound and its dreamy new record might’ve been somewhat caught off guard last Saturday when the band—Cox backed by opening ambient-groove-rockers the Selmanaires—played a fairly straightforward (for him) organic set of guitar rock. “Bet you thought this would be more spooky”, Cox said in the middle of the show. “Me too”, he continued, “but I can only be myself. I was born spooky.” He then went on to lament how he’d become less spooky recently, shopping at the Gap and Whole Foods. He’s a funny guy, and his mock glorification of dub music—using his pedal to broadcast an echoed voice and a short little riff—was hilarious. Was I bummed the music wasn’t more Halloween-y? No, not at all. I was too busy enjoying my buzz and letting the altered sounds of Logos saturate my head. Hey, I was in costume, and so were a lot of other people. I’ll admit to a little dissatisfaction when his reply to my shouted request for “Washington School” came back, “that’s a good song! …but I can’t play it.” Didn’t bring the glockenspiel, I suppose.

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Getting into the spirit, Cox continually called up some lucky, costumed folks to the stage for spotlighting throughout the night. He gave a girl dressed as an apple with a worm coming out of it (clearly homemade) her choice from the merch table, the same with a tall, goth-looking blonde bride, who he said reminded him of himself. I half expected a dress or costume of some sort from the guy once known for his cross-dressing ways on stage, but oh well. In one of the more spontaneous moments I’ve witnessed at a show, a guy–Kristof was his name—dressed like a Peruvian (or something) and wielding a small hand-sized flute was invited up to jam with the band. Only, it wasn’t one of those cutesy 30-second jams, rather it was a 3-4 minute long quasi-song that actually sounded pretty good once the rest of the guys figured out their parts. Everybody stopped jamming before the “flutist”, but it was right entertaining.

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Cox started with “My Halo”, then played “Coffin Trick“, “Criminals” and a nameless somber tune. Trish Keenan, of billmates Broadcast, entered the stage next and assisted with the vocals on “Walkabout” (no Noah Lennox, obviously). The two, amidst much gushing from Cox, then collaborated on Broadcast’s slow and sparse “Tears in the Typing Pool”. He played “Shelia”, the bridge sounding just as strained and heartfelt as on record, and the lone song from Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel, “Quarantined”, which was sped up significantly. He closed with “Kid Klimax” (which was probably the most climactic) and “Attic Lights”.

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Depending on your mood, Broadcast either mesmorized or bored you. Touring in support of their recent collaboration with their dj Julian House, Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age, it wasn’t rockin’ or rollin’, but it was an interesting and holiday-appropriate display nonetheless. The duo, planted on opposite ends of the stage and book ending a large projection screen, wandered, moaned and skittered their way through mostly non-linear soundscapes of witchy proportions. Keenan haunted the stage at times, allowing her white robe to both impede and advance the abstract imagery up on the screen. Her voice is a force to reckon with. A few conventional tracks from Tender Buttons were played, and I shot a pretty solid video of an eerie, reggae-inflected tune that I really liked. Check it out.

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More pics—including some Moe Bar Halloween revelry—here.