Mogwai at First Avenue, Minneapolis (18 May 2014)
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setlist: setlist.fm
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Scottish post-rock band Mogwai brought their unique, sprawling sound to First Avenue on Sunday night, blowing away the near capacity crowd with their intense performance and blinding light show. It’s been five years since they were last in the Twin Cities and fans were greatly rewarded for their patience.
The set contained plenty of new tracks from the band’s current album Rave Tapes including “Remurdered,” “Master Card” and starry-eyed opener “Heard About You Last Night.” The brilliantly titled “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead” from 2008’s The Hawk is Howling started as a sparse keyboard-led meditation that crept into a gorgeous flurry of guitar. Mogwai’s music is dynamic, almost cinematic with swelling crescendos sandwiching the tense, quieter moments. Experiencing this band’s music live truly took my breath away. That or the frantic strobe light parts that accompanied most of the songs sent me into a brief catatonic state where I could neither move my limbs nor take in oxygen. All I could do was gape as the band unleashed a sonic tidal wave on me.
And when I wasn’t rendered completely helpless by the sheer majesty of Mogwai’s epic soundscape, I was jolted back to reality with a sharp reminder that this band isn’t here to lull. Fan-favorite “Mogwai Fear Satan,” a juggernaut of a song from the band’s debut, rollercoasters from soft to blisteringly loud. Midway through, it diminishes to a near hush and then explodes into a swirl of drums, bass and guitar. This is the kind of music that you hear as you are falling to the ground after jumping off the ledge of a skyscraper.
After virtually each song, guitarist Stuart Braithwaite graciously thanked the crowd for coming out. And when the band returned to the stage for an encore, they were all sporting Twins baseball caps. Is Mogwai a little smitten with Minneapolis? Well, the feeling is mutual.
Mogwai continues their tour:
The set contained plenty of new tracks from the band’s current album Rave Tapes including “Remurdered,” “Master Card” and starry-eyed opener “Heard About You Last Night.” The brilliantly titled “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead” from 2008’s The Hawk is Howling started as a sparse keyboard-led meditation that crept into a gorgeous flurry of guitar. Mogwai’s music is dynamic, almost cinematic with swelling crescendos sandwiching the tense, quieter moments. Experiencing this band’s music live truly took my breath away. That or the frantic strobe light parts that accompanied most of the songs sent me into a brief catatonic state where I could neither move my limbs nor take in oxygen. All I could do was gape as the band unleashed a sonic tidal wave on me.
And when I wasn’t rendered completely helpless by the sheer majesty of Mogwai’s epic soundscape, I was jolted back to reality with a sharp reminder that this band isn’t here to lull. Fan-favorite “Mogwai Fear Satan,” a juggernaut of a song from the band’s debut, rollercoasters from soft to blisteringly loud. Midway through, it diminishes to a near hush and then explodes into a swirl of drums, bass and guitar. This is the kind of music that you hear as you are falling to the ground after jumping off the ledge of a skyscraper.
After virtually each song, guitarist Stuart Braithwaite graciously thanked the crowd for coming out. And when the band returned to the stage for an encore, they were all sporting Twins baseball caps. Is Mogwai a little smitten with Minneapolis? Well, the feeling is mutual.
Mogwai continues their tour:
05/20/14 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
05/21/14 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
05/23/14 Sasquatch! Music Festival
05/24/14 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
05/25/14 Vancouver, BC Vogue Theatre
05/30/14 Kilbi Festival
05/31/14 Primavera Sound
06/06/14 Optimus Primavera Sound
06/21/14 Best Kept Secret Festival
07/04/14 Roskilde Festival
07/10/14 All Tomorrow’s Parties
07/19/14 Dour Festival
05/21/14 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
05/23/14 Sasquatch! Music Festival
05/24/14 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
05/25/14 Vancouver, BC Vogue Theatre
05/30/14 Kilbi Festival
05/31/14 Primavera Sound
06/06/14 Optimus Primavera Sound
06/21/14 Best Kept Secret Festival
07/04/14 Roskilde Festival
07/10/14 All Tomorrow’s Parties
07/19/14 Dour Festival
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Mogwai at First Avenue, Minneapolis (18 May 2014) Photo: Amy
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