Wolf Parade Show Review - Buffalo, NY

Wolf ParadeWolf Parade kicked off their Fall 2008 tour on Saturday, November 1^st, at Asbury Hall in Buffalo, NY. The Montreal-based indie rock quintet came to prominence after the release of their 2005 debut LP “Apologies to the Queen Mary”. Since forming in 2003, the band has produced two albums of thoroughly original material, consisting of angular guitar and synth riffs, simple, driving drumbeats, and vocals that vary from breathy to yelping, sometimes in the same line. This composition leads to highly idiosyncratic songs that make pinning down their influences difficult. However you choose to classify them, it is clear that this band is not trying to follow anyone.

Asbury Hall is a phenomenal venue. Housed in Babeville, a 19^th century house of worship, the sanctuary turned concert hall is one of the most beautiful spaces to ever witness a show. The space, which has standing room for 1,000 people, has high, gothic ceilings and a balcony that wraps around nearly the entire room. Though it would seem more appropriate for a performance by a choir than an energetic indie rock band, the church effectively complimented their sound and performance.

Wolf Parade started off their set with the thundering drum intro of “You are a Runner and I am my Father’s Son,” the opening track from “Apologies to the Queen Mary.” Working their way through a performance that drew equally from their first LP and their second release, 2008’s “At Mount Zoomer,” the band kept the crowd at rapt attention throughout the hour and a half long set. Though they engaged in little banter with the audience, the energy of their performance made it clear that they were in no way uncomfortable onstage.

Pianist and lead vocalist Spencer Krug played with intense concentration, occasionally perching on his stool as if to get a better focus on the keys. This emotional energy was flowing throughout the band, with guitarist and bassist Dante DeCaro meandering around part of the stage, scrawling out complex riffs while seeming to be lazily strumming his instrument. The band managed to put on an invigorating performance without seeming to be too outrageous.

The emotional peak of the show was during “An Animal In Your Care” from “At Mount Zoomer,” where even the most non-emotional indie kids in the audience could not keep from nodding their heads along to the pounding beat. However, this was far from the only highlight to the show. The band closed out the set with the ten-minute “Kissing the Beehive,” also from the groups second LP and played “I’ll Believe in Anything” and “Fancy Claps” in the now-obligatory encore. With these songs, the band easily surpassed their excellent recordings, achieving that delicate balance between sounding tightly rehearsed and extemporaneous.

It would be a crime not to mention the opening act, Listening Party. The 3-piece band from British Columbia is fronted by Lindy Gerrard, the drummer and lead singer. His drum set, which he occasionally plays with maracas, consists of a trash can, a paint can, a conventional floor tom, and some cymbals. Gerrard, who drums in the band Johnny and the Moon with DeCaro, achieved a rapport with the crowd that is uncommon in an opening act. The standout track from their set was “Jesus Christ I Don’t Know,” from their 2006 self-titled EP. This is certainly a band to watch out for, and was an excellent complement to the show.