Last Thursday, Wolf Parade brought their psychedelic indie rock to the historic Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. From the first gashing guitar riffs Dan Boeckner sent into the air it was clear that Wolf Parade was going all out to put on an amazing show and they definitely delivered. Fresh off their 2nd album, Mt. Zoomer on Sub Pop Records, Spencer Krug, Dan Boeckner, Dante DeCaro, Arlen Thompson and Hadji Bakara have quickly become one of my favorite groups and seeing them live only gave me a deeper appreciation of what they bring to the table.
Mt. Zoomer, one of my favorite records of the year, features free form blues based jams with vocals and guitar runs that echo back to Quicksilver Messenger Service and the psychedelic musings of the San Francisco Sound in the late sixties. Boeckner revealed what timelessness sounds like last week, paying homage to the many famous artists that have graced the Fillmore stage over the years. As Krug and Boeckner traded vocal leads as Wolf Parade rolled through "Grey Estates", "You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son," "Language City" and "Call It a Ritual." DeCaro and Thompson provided a solid foundation, as Hadji Bakara sent cosmic echoes throughout the auditorium. Bakara might have also had to boot and rally during the set, toughing it out for the appreciative crowd. All in all it was a fantastic show and I'd cherish the opportunity to see them again. Their live performance enlivened the already fantastic tracks that you can find on their two studio albums. Wolf Parade put on the kind of performance that changes the way you hear their music forever.
Go check out Wolf Parade on either Mt. Zoomer or their 2005 release, Apologies to the Queen Mary. Or catch them during the remainder of their summer tour as they hit Terminal 5 in New York for two shows at the end of July and a few other US & Canadian cities. (Wolf Parade Tour Dates) You can also check out Wolf Parade at their MySpace page to sample some tracks and see why these guys rank right up there with Molson, Kokanee and all of the other delicious Canadian beers as one of the best imports from the Great White North.
A couple more ways to march along with the Wolf Parade:
Call It a Ritual
Language City
You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son
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