Concert Review: Editors

Editors
Sept. 11, 2007
Park West, Chicago
@@@1/2

I'm always a bit unsure when I'm reviewing concerts, especially by artists with whom I don't go all that far back, how much I'm supposed to critique the merit of the band's material vs. the performance of the material. For instance, Editors probably delivered a show drawn from their 2 albums as well as I could have have wanted, yet while I find them a substantive band, something about most of their songs leaves me unexcited. They have a few really good songs; the rest are okay, but sound a lot like lesser versions of the really good ones. They reminded me a bit of Coldplay, who isn't among my utmost favorites, and Editors have a long way to go to be that good. Their performance was strong, probably @@@@, but their music at this point only rates a @@@, thus the @@@1/2 review. Getting just @@1/2 is Biffy Clyro, who preceded Editors (an American band called Ra Ra Riot opened the show). I actually knew and liked much of Biffy Clyro's current album, Puzzle, but live they were a bit rougher around the edges and looked too much like Spinal Tap. At times, they were impressively forceful, but overall nothing too special live.

Concert Review: Bloc Party

Bloc Party
Friday, Sept. 7, 2007
Hideout Block Party, Chicago
@@@@

Bloc Party is an interesting, sonically unique British band. They headlined the Friday session of the Hideout's Block Party in Chicago, with Scotland's The Cinematics opening the night. Bloc Party performed strong, well-received renditions of their songs, with of course, some being better than others. Like most bands of their ilk, particularly in a festival setting, they played about 75 minutes, and their best songs: Like Eating Glass, Helicopter, Banquet, I Still Remember among them, were really good. The Cinematics are likely destined to be an also-ran band, but they were tunefully enjoyable as well, and pretty affable about a late-start due to rain and some technical issues. I'd give their set @@@.