Fasciinatiing: The Faint at Terminal 5
August 19th, 2008 
Back in 2001, I was lucky enough to catch The Faint on consecutive nights at Bowery Ballroom and North Six. Each night, they took forever to set up, but it was well worth the wait. Both shows started the same way—keyboardist Jacob Thiele stood front center on a dark stage singing the slow-moving “Sealed Human.” Fog, strobes, and the thunderous metal guitar playing of Dapose all ignited with perfect timing to make for the perfect start to two of the finest live performances I’ve ever seen. This was The Faint at their peak. Danse Macabre had just been released, and with the addition of Dapose on guitar, their live sound had been given an extra boost.
Following the release of Wet From Birth, I saw them at Webster Hall. Though the band had implemented the element of video into their performances, the concert wasn’t quite as moving as back in 2001.
Then, until releasing new single “The Geeks Were Right” in June, they seemed to have disappeared. Spending nearly four years between Wet From Birth and 2008’s Fasciinatiion, The Faint took the risk of being forgotten, and a lot has changed in these last four years, while people have grown to have less and less of an attention span. Plenty of bands have come and gone under the hysteria of hype, and the ’80s retro dance revival scene that The Faint helped create is no longer what it was. So, it was interesting to see the band booked at Terminal 5—the largest venue the band has ever headlined in New York City (which singer Todd Fink acknowledged during the performance). Though they didn’t sell it out in advance, and the club seemed to be almost empty until after the two opening performances, they did manage to fill the place.
Just like the old days, The Faint took forever to finally take the stage. Nearly an hour passed between the severely under-appreciated performance by Anti Pop Consortium and The Faint’s first note, but with Joel Peterson’s first rumbling bass-line on “Agenda Suicide,” all was forgiven. Everything clicked into place for The Faint last night as they triumphantly returned to their perch as one of the country’s best live bands. Wonderful projected video created a beautiful backdrop, while the band was showered with insane pulsating lights and strobes. The entire band played with a load of energy—especially Todd Fink, who danced around the stage looking like a mad scientist, wearing black goggles and a white trench coat.
Their set consisted of a handful of their best songs from each of their four albums. [We’ll just pretend Media never existed. They do.]. New songs like “The Geeks Were Right” and “Psycho” mixed in well but never got the crowd moving like classics “Worked Up So Sexual” and “Glass Danse.” It seems like they’ve been gone for quite some time, and last night’s performance was a very welcome return. Let’s just hope they don’t another four years between records and tours.
The Faint @ Terminal 5 | 8/18/08
August 19th, 2008
Aesop Rock @ McCarren Pool | 8/17/08
August 19th, 2008
Chin Chin @ McCarren Pool | 8/17/08
August 19th, 2008
Panther @ McCarren Pool | 8/17/08
August 19th, 2008
Adventurous Listening: Battles, Black Dice, Gang Gang Dance at SummerStage
August 18th, 2008 
Battles, Black Dice, Gang Gang Dance
Central Park Summerstage, 8/16/08
Three of New York’s finest and most original bands shared the stage on Saturday for a free concert at Central Park SummerStage. Presented in the pleasant outdoor setting of Central Park on a beautiful day, hundreds of people who would normally never come to experience the experimental tribal sounds of Gang Gang Dance got to see them in a perfect setting. The swaying trees played perfect compliment to their mystical songs.
Brooklyn’s noise pioneers followed with an ear-shredding set that was not for everyone, but helped showcase the extent of their influence over the entire NYC music scene.
Headlining was maybe the most accessible and brightest of the three bands, Battles. The instrumental math rock quartet glistened with a dizzying array of spiraling guitars and keyboards, and the most precise drumming on the planet. Though he was the only member not utilizing loops, sequencers and modern technology, John Stanier seemed the most inhuman, keeping better time than a machine with his superb drumming. Loaded with the talent of four incredible musicians, who are fully aware of the capabilities of modern technological, Battles displayed that there is still new musical frontiers to explore in the 21st century.
