I believe that all good bands are better on a stage than in their recordings. Sure, a band can spend weeks at a time on a single song in a studio, layering texture upon texture until it’s “perfect.” And sure, a live show is often only a thin slice of what the record offers, a messy and unfocused outpouring.
But a band’s live show is more immediate, honest and realized than anything they could create in the studio. Those guys on the stage playing their hearts out? That’s who they really are.
Yet after seeing Midlake at the Noise Pop Music Festival last weekend in San Francisco, I have bad news for fans of the band eagerly awaiting their show in Denver Saturday night at the Hi-Dive.
Midlake makes great records. We know this. “The Trials of Van Occupanther” is an intoxicating throwback to the heyday of ’70s AM radio. Classic rock sounds abound, guitars meander with a purpose and the lyrics actually tell a story. Singer Tim Smith has a voice of clarity and edge; there are times when he croons and coos as if he’s opening for Jefferson Airplane in the late-’60s.
But on a stage, the singer more closely resembles Chris Martin of Coldplay, or perhaps more accurately, Chris Martin’s many imitators. He has a nice voice. But that’s all it is, nice, like the well-meaning but boring kid across the street. And after passing himself off as the bad boy two alleys over, the one your mom wouldn’t let you play with, it’s a bit of a disappointment.
The biggest disappointment is that Midlake bored us with its stage show. Yes, many were captivated, and they fawned lovingly and loudly over the pop band from Denton, Texas. But we were not engaged – and we so wanted to be drawn in and wowed.
How can songs such as “Roscoe” and “Balloon Maker” not intoxicate you? We were crestfallen. Few things are more frustrating than a band that can’t live up to its own recordings.
One of the group’s biggest supporters is, bizarrely, actor Jason Lee, who directed a music video for them and took them on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson.” Lee delivers a hyperbolic endorsement on the band’s website, and while it’s over the top, there’s some truth to it.
” ‘The Trials of Van Occupanther’ is now one of the most important modern records I own,” Lee writes. “In an age of overly used irony and disconnected nonchalance, this record actually means something, and Midlake should be forever hailed for their unique and genuine approach to music.”
The record is good, Jason. But only so many bands can be forever hailed, especially when they can’t capitalize on their own potential.
Midlake plays Saturday night at the Hi-Dive with Minipop and Dust on the Breakers. Tickets, $8-$10, are available at the Hi-Dive.
Pop music critic Ricardo Baca can be reached at 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com.
4more
HELLA “There’s No 666 in Outer Space.” That’s the name of the latest record from this instrumental rock group, which plays tonight at the Hi-Dive, and it’s also a reminder of its offbeat sense of humor.
More: hi-dive.com.
SNOWDEN Melodic and dizzying indie rock. Catch it tonight at the Larimer Lounge.
More: larimerlounge.com.
ALBERT HAMMOND JR. The Strokes guitarist is touring his excellent new solo record, and stops in Denver on Saturday for a stint at the Marquis Theatre. More: sodajerkpresents.com.
JOHN DIGWEED Trance music is still alive and pumping, as this British DJ will prove Saturday at Vinyl. More: coclubs.com.
-Ricardo Baca
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
SHUFFLED: Random songs, random thoughts: “It’s easy to love this dirty rap, which is like a sillier, more boyish Peaches. But at the same time, his music is a tad cheap and easy in the way it pokes fun at our conventions, hip-hop or white-bread society alike.” -Ricardo Baca blogging on Mickey Avalon’s “Mr. Right.” denverpost.com/music
