Turin Brakes @ The Troubadour (Los Angeles, CA) 06.14.03
The Troubadour always proves to be one of the better venues to catch bands play intimates shows, especially when you see a band stripped down to its essentials. Seeing Turin Brakes play at The Troubadour was no exception. When the end of the year comes and I’m thinking back to the shows I was able to attend, this show will most likely be near the top.
According to Ollie (lead singer), they would usually come out to the stage and just start playing, but this evening’s show was different. This was only their second show in the U.S. They have always had problems getting into the states for various reason that were out of their control. Both Ollie and Gale were visibly grateful for the amazing turnout to the show. And when you consider that The Optimist LP, which brought them so much critical acclaim came out two years ago and they just released Ether Song, it was easy to see why they were so touched.
They’ve always been one of those bands that touches me in a spot that very few are able to do. I don’t know if it’s the subject matter of their songs, Ollie’s incredible and unique voice or just the whole package, but Turin Brakes' music makes an impact. Seeing them live just confirmed it all for me. They are genius songsmiths.
The music and the venue were really enough, but when you go to a show in L.A., you don’t expect the crowd to be as into the music as they were for this show. It was one of those shows were you just couldn’t help but feel the positive energy from the audience. Turin Brakes took notice. When they thanked the crowd, it wasn’t lips service. They felt honored to be there and they played an amazing show which included songs from The Optimist LP and Ether Song. While I can’t remember the setlist, I know they played “Feeling Oblivion,” “Underdog (Save Me),” “Emergency 72,” “Future Boy,” “The Door,” “The State Of Things,” “Slack,” “Blue Hour,” “Average Man,” “Self Help,” “Stone Thrown” and “Pain Killer (Summer Rain).”
The whole evening was such a treat. Seeing Ollie and Gale sitting up on stage while Dave Palmer (a.k.a. Jesus) played the keys behind them could not have been more perfect. It would be interesting to see them with the full band, but I’ll always be a fan of the stripped-down performances.
[It should be noted that The Troubadour no longer allows cameras, unless they are disposable, into the club. Fuckers.]
