Grandaddy Live In Dublin (09/07/2001) (Grandaddy - Live)

Member Name: indiecater

Product:	Grandaddy - Live
Date:	11/07/01 (62 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Genuine Rock Stars Delivering Without Pomp And Ceremony.

Disadvantages: Where Was 'Everything Beautiful Is Far Away'?

This gig promised to be something approaching a monumental event. The combined beauty of 2 magnificent albums, 'Under The Western Highway' and 'The Sophtware Slump' and the huge critical appraisals of their live performances meant that anything less than a polished showing would disappoint a sell out crowd at the Olympia Theatre.

The Olympia is located on Dame Street less than 10 minutes from Dublin city centre. It has a grand feel about it, the smell, the lavish box seats and the wonderful wood carvings that adorn the walls and ceiling all add to it's unique atmosphere. Although the views from the seats upstairs are obstructed, the sloping floor on the ground level means that if you are willing to stand up, you can get a wonderfully clear view of the band playing on stage.

Support on the night came from local band Joan of Arse. They obviously meant well and certainly looked the part but often fell short of what could be deemed worthwhile. The vocalist seemed entirely out of tune and for all his companions posturing little or no impression was made. In saying that their last effort did contain some Mogwai-esque type moments and if nothing else we remembered them over the next half hour as the ringing in our ears slowly diminished.

The Grandaddy roadshow is a simple but highly effective machine. Jason Lytle holds centre stage with his bank of home-made electronica. To his left the burly figure of Kevin Garcia sends out a clear bass signal, rarely changing his swaying stance save for an inspired dictaphone moment during 'Nonphenomenal Lineage' where Lytle's voice is replaced by it's digitised counterpart.

Jim Fairchild, Grandaddy's lead guitarist is a sight to behold. Coming onstage draped in 2 guitars around his mid-drift, he has the preserve of a man that has humming bird wings for hands. At times they spray around the six chords in a fast forward sequence delivering a deliberate scatter
shot sound that sets the band apart from their contemporaries. The one thing that annoys me sometimes about lead guitarists is that they often go about their work as if there have several 6-inch nails sticking into their behinds. Thankfully Fairchild comes across as if he is really enjoying himself.

On the wings sits Tim Dryden, dwarfed by a huge Yamaha keyboard. Someone has covered the Yam part of the name with masking tape so perhaps their is a little Norwegian influence at work. Dryden and Lytle create the kooky electro emissions but the shimmering piano riff is all of Dryden’s own making. It elevates several of Grandaddy's repertoire including the caterpillar inspired tinkle on 'Summer Here Kids'.

Grandaddy have created home videos to accompany all their live material. So a huge video screen bolsters their on stage presence. The images are set to run eerily in time and one can't help feeling that this is the closest we'll get to a rock opera in the 21st century. The majority of the scenes have a mid America feel about them (it is wonderful to see how proud they are of their roots). As you might expect the Daytona 500 car race, deserted road scenes and giant wind propellers feature prominently.

At the back, the huge bearded frame of Aaron Burtch concocts a unique beat. The canvas wall has a snatch of him at home sending shivers through his drums (and that fluffy pink rabbit!) as the delightful 'So You'll Aim Towards The Sky' provides a fitting climax. From time to time huge clouds of smoke curl from his lips as he chomps into another cigarette that is then squeezed to death at distant intervals. He is a martyr for the cause or a serious addict, either way he certainly fulfils his rock star billing.

At times the soundscape the band create is almost too much to take in. For every dangerous riff that spirals out of control there is a synth rhythm that bounces off any inanimate object withi
n 20 yards, so by the time it arrives to you it has taken on the guise of celestial being. The only calming force seems to be Jason Lytle's uplifting vocals that can sound fragile yet alluringly powerful at the same time.

Grandaddy's set is largely made up of old songs interspersed with impressive new tunes. Of the new tunes 'Our Dying Brains' and 'Giant Rabbits' turn out to be the most impressive. The latter being a close relative to Sonic Youth's 'Creme Brullee', its garish edge sounding completely out of place but in the nicest possible way.

Of the older tunes 'He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's The Pilot' sounded positively epic, 'Chartsengrafs' was even more dramatic that it appears on record. After a shaky start 'Hewlett's Daughter' showed a more mature side to it's giddy nature. 'Laughing Stock', 'A.M. 180' and 'The Crystal Lake' resonated a fully fledged classicism that few modern pieces of music can achieve. All in all a greatest hits entourage with tiny peepholes to a future that could even eclipse their current body of work.

Grandaddy are regular visitors to Dublin and by the reaction of last night's audience you can see why. As Jason Lytle and his band slouched off stage it was obvious they were genuinely beside themselves with appreciation. The inevitable encore was as downbeat and affecting as any musical experience could be as each band member tried to bleed their deepest emotions through their instruments. Predictably the crowd's response was uniformly adoring.

Lytle's reiterated his appreciation with a happy birthday rendition in Irish to a roadies named Abraham as well throwing in the ubiquitous slainte (cheers) as he guzzled his can of Budweiser. A Grandaddy live performance is a unique celebration of the power of modern music. Even if you are unaware of any of their material, not appreciating the im
mense talent that one of their gigs showcases could result in several calls for a paramedic to check your pulse.

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