Coachella 2012... and infinite sadness

 

Who I desperately want to see: M83 (times a million because all SF tour dates are sold out), The Shins (who I might at least get a chance of seeing on tour elsewhere), Radiohead, Miike Snow

Who I have seen but want to see again: The Horrors, Beirut, The Hives (they were opening for Maroon 5, and I was forced to pay $60 just to see an opening act, and it was only 30 minutes, and it hardly counts, and if you can't tell I'm still bitter about the whole situation), Nero, Kaskade

Who I want to see for fun: Neon Indian, Andrew Bird, Childish Gambino, Justice, Girl Talk, Arctic Monkeys, Bon Iver, and pretty much everyone else. 

I saw this today and for a split second thought I might try to postpone a trip to Europe to go. But it's completely impractical in regards to work and money and life. Thankfully my close friends aren't going, so I don't have to be completely jealous and sad about being left behind. Still... sigh... this is one of the best lineups I've seen in a long time.

The Horrors, 19 May 2009, The Fillmore

My last post was lackluster, I'll admit. I just couldn't bring myself to write down the fact that the show wasn't entirely enjoyable. I love The Horrors. Apparently their fans can be assholes, though. This crowd had a handful of the weirdest and most obnoxious people I've ever shared a dance floor with, and it just about ruined it for me.

To make up for this I want to remember the good times I had when I saw the band live for the first time, back in 2009. The Horrors were opening for The Kills and it was one of the best times of my life.

First, I must say that I rather enjoy attending a show where I like the opening band better than the headliner. The crowd may not be as worked up as I am, but there's something wonderful in having people give you breathing room while watching the performance.

The songs on "Primary Colors" are the perfect mix of atmosphere and rock, making it a true experience to witness live. "Scarlett Fields" is one of my favorite tracks because of this show. I will always remember seeing Faris Badwan stuffing the strobe light under his shirt, holding it to his body while the rest of the room was in darkness as he sang, "See yourself, an image in the eyes of someone else." The fleeting light paired with the music was beautifully haunting.

This is the image of The Horrors that I want to remember. The last show was a good performance, but the atmosphere of that night in The Fillmore couldn't be matched.

*Here are some grainy as hell photos from the show, which are actually just stills from some grainy as hell video. Obviously, I lacked a decent camera at the time.

Grabbing the strobe light

The Horrors, 10 Sept. 2011, Bimbo's 365

Poor lighting made it difficult to get a decent non-flash photo, and the quality of the uploads make them seem darker than when I look at the originals. Oh well! Hope you enjoy them anyway.