Wye Oak
Braids
May 16th, 2014
The Waiting Room
Omaha, Nebraska
May 16th, 2014
The Waiting Room
Omaha, Nebraska
Wye Oak
Braids
It’s been almost 6 years since Wye Oak have played Omaha. Back then, their crowd was minimal and The Waiting Room hadn’t been remodeled yet. Tonight’s show may not have sold out, but it’s an amazing accomplishment for a who’s not played Omaha for so long to have sell pre-sale tickets for half of the venue’s capactity. Fans started lining up at 7 o’clock for 8 o’clock doors. Those lucky enough to have gotten there so early had the chance to say hi to Wye Oak’s Jenn and Andy as the two were unloading gear and setting up for soundcheck. Tonight would also be the first time that many of us would have the chance to see Braids live and, for most, the first time hearing the band’s music.
Braids’ set list sounded great. I’m not too familiar with their music but if the soundcheck was any indication, we were all in for a treat. One fan said he’d boughten his tickets the day they’d gone on sale, before it was announced that Braids would be on the tour. “I wasn’t going to miss Wye Oak. Not again. Having Braids on this your, I was like there’s no way I’m going to miss this!” The street was a buzz with anticipation. Though not a lot of people that I spoke with had seen either band live before, I did speak with a few people who’d traveled as far as Des Moines and Davenport, Iowa for tonight’s show. For those of you that don’t know, Davenport is a 6 hour drive across the state of Iowa. That’s dedication.
My first stop was the merch table. For those of you who don’t know, if you buy merch directly from the bands during their tours, the money goes directly to the bands and helps them while on the road. I was fortunate enough to have gotten some 7″ vinyl from Wye Oak and Jenn’s solo project, Flock of Dimes, and I finally got a physical copy of Civilian. The release had been on back order for a few months but the band got their replenishment before the show.
It didn’t take long for the main floor to get busy. Usually the opening band has a slim crowd on the floor but that wasn’t the sake with Braids. Tonight’s crowd was very diverse in age and there was a much more relaxed vibe coming from the fans.
Soon enough the house lights would dim and Braids would make their Omaha debut. The art rock band from Calgary, Alberta, Canada entered the stage to rousing applause. As lead vocalist Raphaelie Standell-Preston took her place behind her keyboard, she paused briefly and said hello to the crowd. The packed floor cheered their own greeting. ” I wish people would clap every time I said hello but that’s not the case,” she told us. Standell-Preston introduced the band and remarked on how this was the band’s first time playing Omaha but it reminded them so much of Alberta. The band didn’t waste any time starting their set. Drummer Austin Tufts and multi-instrumentalist Taylor Smith played in perfect snych with Standell-Preston. Even though there were only a few of us in attendance who’d heard of Braids before, fans cheered and bounced in place.
Braids started their set without a guitar. Their unique brand of electronic music went over well with the crowd. It’s always wonderful to hear a band live for the first time and be just as impressed with their live set as I am with their recorded music. By the band’s third song, vocalist Standell-Preston snuggled up with a guitar and the band continued to dazzle the crowd. It should be noted also that Braids’ focused on their music and not on a flashy image. The stage lights were kept at a minimum and allowed the fans to really get into the band’s music without the distraction of the popping bulbs and bursts of bright colors. The crowd didn’t need a scantly glad lead singer or flashing strobe lights to realize just how intense Braids’ music really is.
Each track the band played blended seemlessly together and the band member’s high energy greatly heightened the musical experience. I’m familiar enough with Braids’ music to have known a few of the songs they played. I found out afterwards that the majority of their set was comprised of new music that the band had yet to release from their upcoming third full length album. Braids’ set was woven perfectly with multiple genres and styles. The new tracks the band played get the crowd hopping. I noticed more than a few people in the crowd singing along, even with the newer songs.
The crowd was impressed enough by Braids that when Standell-Preston announced their last song of their set, the crowd groaned in displeasure but applauded and cheered long after the band struck their final note and exited the stage.
It wasn’t too long before Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack walked on stage, doing a final sound check. The crowd even cheered a few times as Wasner tuned her guitar. After a short break for the crowd to gather our collective thoughts Stack and Wasner took their places on stage. Wasner asked that the stage lights be dimmed to set the mood and Stack used his left hand to play the opening piano chords of Before and his right hand to play the drums. Stack continued to impress the audience as he and Wasner rocked out during The Tower. Wasner switched to playing her keyboard during Shriek, and the crowd swayed in compliance. Nearly every body on the floor was singing along with Wasner. Holy Holy was given a heavy rock intro that really set the crowd off. Wasner switched back to her guitar for Plains. Wasner’s voice was so clear. There was no reverb during Wye Oak’s set, they sounded amazing.
The house lights, though dimmed, alternated between bathing the band in cool blue tones and menacing red lights. The shift of colors highlighted each performed song’s tone without over shadowing Wye Oak’s grace and talent on stage. Glory’s rock vibe was kicked into high gear for the live performance. While Wye Oak’s music sounds great in it’s recorded form, this band was meant to tour. Their music was meant to be heard live. Wasner and Stack picked the perfect mixture of older tracks to play along with cuts from their current release. We would late find out that only one track off of Shriek wasn’t played during tonight’s set. The stage was washed in warm purple light as the band cut into Sick Talk. Wasner, back on her bass guitar, swayed with the crowd as she picked away at the strings.
After a short break to re-arrange their gear, Wasner introduced the next song as a much older track. “We decided to add this next song to give Andy a chance to get out from behind his cubicle.” With Wasner still on bass and Stack picking up a guitar, the band cut into Spiral, a track that, to my knowledge, has only been played live. With Stack back in his cubicle, and the crowd still applauding, Wasner strummed the opening chords of Schools of Eyes. The sultry vibes washed over the crowd, soothing them back into Wasner’s submission. Despicable Animal followed, and bled perfectly in For Prayer. The track was given an extended intro as a cacophony of pipe organs washed over The Waiting Room. The crowd was anticipating the dirty south thundering beats about to come from Stack and sprung off of their feet as the first chorus kicked in. Wye Oak’s set continued to allow the crowd to maintain their high energy as That I Do and Hot As Day were played.
As much as the show focused on the brilliance of the band’s music, it was clear that Wasner was wrapping herself in the same emotions for the live show that she endured while crafting each of tonight’s performed songs. Wasner admitted that, at times, she still has a difficult time performing live and on stage. “There was a time in the very near past that we weren’t sure if we’d ever play these songs live again and playing them in front of a crowd as welcoming as yourselves makes this so much easier.” Though she was very cryptic and didn’t elaborate, I wonder how much Wasner and Stack have to continue to push themselves to occupy the same space to make music and tour. I’ve read a few reviews that say that the two were married during the recording of their first album. I can only come to the conclusion that they’re not married anymore. I know how difficult it is to be in the same room with your ex, I have no idea how painful it must be to spend every day on tour with your ex, sharing the stage and pretending that everything is ok. This gives Wye Oak’s music a much more personal meaning, know that Wasner’s lyrics come from first hand experience. The soothing intro for I Know the Law followed Wasner’s story, giving us time to catch our breath before the heavy outro of the song had the crowd bouncing again.
“This is our last song before we leave the stage and then come back on and play some more,” Wasner told the crowd as she nodded to Stack and began playing Logic of Color.
Encores can be a fickle thing. Not every band plays them, no matter how much the crowd cheers and begs for more. The fans were still cheering as Wasner and Stack walked back on stage. Normally I check setlist.fm before a concert to get a feel of what the band will be playing. This time I did not. There’s something special about going into a show blind, not knowing what they’ll be playing. Knowing what the set list prior to walking into the venue is a bit like reading the Harry Potter novels, getting to The Order of the Phoenix and having someone tell you that Snape kills Dumbledore in the next book. As Stack took his place back in his cubicle, Wasner addressed the crowd again. “Are you ready for two more?” Of course the crowd screamed in approval. “This first one is a cover song. It’s a lot of fun for us to play and we hope you enjoy it.” While the whole point of a cover song is to hear another band’s take on a song you may already know, I was not expecting the hear Wasner start singing my favorite Kate Bush song, Running Up That Hill. While I adore Placebo’s cover of the classic song, I absolutely fell in love with Wye Oak’s version. After the show, Wasner assured us that they would be recording and releasing their version.
A few times towards the end of their set, I’d heard several people ask when the show’s closing song would be played. It only makes sense that the band’s most popular song would be saved for last. With an extended intro, Civilian was the crowd’s last chance to really cut loose. Thanking the crowd again, the band exited the stage to rousing applauds and cheers. Tonight’s show couldn’t have been more perfect.
Wasner and Stack did take the time to talk with a group of us after the show. The duo signed autographs and took pictures with their fans and listened to our stories about how we’d each discovered the band and how much their music meant to us. Each of us expressed our gratitude to Wasner and Stack for continuing to make music that affects our lives. I did get the chance to talk to Stack about the writing process of Shriek and how no guitars were used during the recording of the album. I asked if that decision came into their minds when they practiced for this tour and if he’d considered not using guitars for the older tracks played. “We did think about it but decided to keep the integrity of songs from our previous albums and wanted them to be true to their recorded versions.”
If you get the chance to see Wye Oak live, don’t miss it. I would say that Wye Oak is one of the few bands who continues to tour for the sake of performing their music. They’re a band that honestly appreciates their fans and does an amazing job bringing their live show to the masses.
Set list;
Before
The Tower
Shriek
Holy Holy
Plains
Glory
Sick Talk
Spiral
Schools of Eyes
Despicable Animal
For Prayer
That I Do
Hot As Day
I Know the Law
Logic of Color
Encore;
Running Up That Hill
Civilian
