Ah, yes, darlings of the blogoshpere, Pitchfork, and music reviewers alike, Cymbals Eat Guitars are getting all kinds of mad press. Which made it all the more strange to see an extremely small crowd turn out for this Logan Square show. The band was well received at Pitchfork just a couple of months ago, which I unfortunately missed. So, I was pretty amped to catch this show, in support of their very strong debut effort, Why There Are Mountains. I was not disappointed. They started as a high school, Weezer cover band duo, and eventually found a sound of their own. They credit Pinkerton as their primary influence/motivation, and it takes some straining to hear the similarity. There is a similar level of creativity to that album, Weezer's finest, but the tempo shifts and loud-quiet-loud arrangement are more evocative of 90's era Smashing Pumpkins. But, CEG meshes that 90s grunge wall of sound with contemporary indie rock playful craftsmanship, which makes for a powerful and relatively unique spin. In many ways the hype is justified, and one cannot help but anticipate what comes next. Unlike many bands of the moment, this is among the few to have likely staying power.
A couple of drunk, seemingly underage, fratboys were pressed up against the stage, playfully mocking the band with yells of "you suck. I read that you were good" and such nonsense. It was clearly in jest, and the bassist had a good time ribbing the fans back, which added a touch of whimsy to the show. The rest of the band, however, gave off an aura of trying hard to appear disaffected, both by the rowdy crowd duo, as well as by the gig in general. It would be a disappointment if the hype was already going to their heads. But, in the meantime, the music is strong enough to stand for itself. From an album that is 100% above average and 75% truly very good, it was impressive to hear an equal engagement live.
Oh, and frontman Joseph D’Agostino just may be the sweatiest front man not named Damian Abraham.
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