Review: Crystal Stilts + Blank Dogs

Here is a lesson in how to take the wrong choice. Tune-Yards, No Joy or Crystal Stilts? Well, I took Crystal Stilts at Festsaal. Oh well.

There is a good part to this. Blank Dogs played as support and I got a positive surprise. They sort of reminded me of a happy Joy Division or a depressed Devo, whichever way you look at it. Wavey dark music with an upbeat disco beat. They got Festsaal dancing. What a fantastic start to the night. I was getting into the spirit of things.

And I got let down. I've seen Crystal Stilts before, at the former Bang Bang Club, and it was great. I listen to their first album non-stop. I had high expectations. But no, this was not to be. It was such a hot evening and the band obviously got a in mood over this, making sarcastic remarks like "Can you please turn the heat up and the lights down". Maybe it was meant to be funny but it's not like anyone could change the weather for Crystal Stilts and when the singer is onstage with a jacket on, you are not that impressed with their heat problems. But it wasn't just the attitude that left me unsatisfied with this gig. There seemed to be no passion or heart in this performance. They played songs, one after the other, some old some new, and they didn't sound nearly as good as on record. It was just dull. I waited for my favourite song and left.

Funny thing is, I am still listening to their album everyday. Who knows what went wrong that night, maybe really just the heat, but I wish I would have gone to see the amazing Tune-Yards or maybe saved some money and enjoyed No Joy at Monarch. I wish.