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| Okkervil River |
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| Julianna Barwick |
Monday June 20th saw Vancouver's Vogue Theatre playing host to Okkervil River with Titus Andronicus and Julianna Barwick. Barwick hit the stage first and completely on her own creating lush soundscapes with almost exclusively her own voice and a looper. Her latest album
The Magic Place narrowly missed Stereogum's Top 20 Albums of 2011 (so far) and truly is a thing of beauty.
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| Patrick Stickles of Titus Andronicus (beard) |
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| Titus Andronicus |
Tasty Ears gave Titus Andronicus'
The Monitor #1 album of 2010 on our year end list. This is the third time I have seen them live and they just keep getting better. Lead singer Patrick Stickles graciously (if unwittingly) granted me a short audience where he answered a few questions. In the mini-interview (or minterview) I asked him what it was like touring with Okkervil River to which he responded "they are very nice." Stickles further added that Titus came to tour with Okkervil after having been approached by Will Sheff and company to do so. When asked if they were working on new material Stickles admitted it was hard to do. "Because you're in Canada?" I pressed. To which he cleverly responded that it would ruin their whole "Americana" thing they have going on but no, it was hard to write new material while being on tour all the time. He then added that they "had a few, new tricks up their sleeves." Stickles continued "Actually it's more like the same old tricks." Either way I'm super amped to hear it. Until then here's a link to the bands latest video for "No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future"
Headliners Okkervil River were up next. The band is touring their latest (and critically acclaimed) album
I Am Very Far but also played everything you'd ever want to hear from their back catalogue. The highlight came when the bass player (Patrick Pestorius) broke a string and had to change it ("that never happens" he said). Singer Will Sheff played a solo acoustic number that had the audience in awe.
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| Sheff (playing solo) |
Okkervil River is, not surprisingly, a seriously good band live. I was a fan going in but a huge fan coming out. They chose great acts to open and they closed strong. During the encore the band announced they had one more song before launching into "Black" which left me wondering "what about "Unless It Kicks"?" but the cheeky buggers played both back to back. Awesome! Be sure to catch them at the Malkin Bowl on August 23 when they open for The Decemberists.
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