I hate bashing gigs, but sometimes it’s necessary. This is one of those times. First, the nice things I have to say. El Perro Del Mar, the opening band, was really good. The lead singer was enthusiastic, and had a flair for the theatrical. Their set, however, was WAY too long. Especially since I found their music repetitive. I instantly noticed the amazing skills of their drummer, as he seemed to carry the weight of the band on his shoulders (I found out later that he is actually the drummer for Taken by Trees).
Now onto the bashing. I’ve seen Taken by Trees before, and thought they were good. Not great, but very good. Her music is delicate, and beautiful. I love their Middle Eastern flair, and the fact that they still remains true to their roots in indie alternative rock. Lead singer, Victoria Bergsman just seemed off this particular night at Le Poisson Rouge. Specifically, she had trouble finding a rhythm. She was off all night, and the concert experience suffered harshly due to this.
Even my favorite songs by her (My Boys, Greyest Love Of All, To Lose Someone) weren’t very good. Instrumentals were great, just not her voice. She wasn’t charismatic in the least, which also didn’t help things. I think a rock could have had more character than her. Wow that was mean. Not taking it back though. I sort of felt bad when she sang her cover of the Animal Collective song My Girls (which she calls My Boys) because she announced prior to singing that a member of Animal Collective was in attendance. Whoops.
Anyways, not much I can say about this show. I doubt I’ll ever see her live again. That is, unless she released a great followup album and learns how to have a personality on stage. Good luck with that. I still like her album East Of Eden (click here), and suggest you check it out.
