I'll fully admit that I was a little cranky last night from a lack of sleep, but I was pretty disappointed. Damien Jurado put on a good, if sleepy, set, despite a really hot mic, but Okkervil River just managed to annoy me at every turn.
Starting with the fact that we sat, packed in an under-ventilated Neumos for damn near 30 minutes after they were supposed to start their set, staring at an empty stage. Will Sheff finally deigned to meet his adoring fans, glass of whiskey in hand, with his normal bleary eyed look about him that suggests something akin to a methadone addict.
The band was great, the sound much improved from Durado's set, but I just couldn't get over Sheff's attitude. He barely acknowledged the crowd, let alone that they were in Seattle, except for sloughing off the fact that they were supposed to play KEXP earlier in the day but "just didn't" for some unexplained reason (entirely possible this wasn't their fault, I have no idea). He forgot the words to a few too many songs and basically gave off an attitude that we were lucky to have had the opportunity to pay to see him.
Don't get me wrong, I love Okkervil River, I just wish they, and Sheff in particular, came without the pretension. Congratulations, Will, you're finally a rockstar, thanks for living up to my low expectations, jerk.
Reviews
Jim Ray said on September 11, 2007:
I'll fully admit that I was a little cranky last night from a lack of sleep, but I was pretty disappointed. Damien Jurado put on a good, if sleepy, set, despite a really hot mic, but Okkervil River just managed to annoy me at every turn.
Starting with the fact that we sat, packed in an under-ventilated Neumos for damn near 30 minutes after they were supposed to start their set, staring at an empty stage. Will Sheff finally deigned to meet his adoring fans, glass of whiskey in hand, with his normal bleary eyed look about him that suggests something akin to a methadone addict.
The band was great, the sound much improved from Durado's set, but I just couldn't get over Sheff's attitude. He barely acknowledged the crowd, let alone that they were in Seattle, except for sloughing off the fact that they were supposed to play KEXP earlier in the day but "just didn't" for some unexplained reason (entirely possible this wasn't their fault, I have no idea). He forgot the words to a few too many songs and basically gave off an attitude that we were lucky to have had the opportunity to pay to see him.
Don't get me wrong, I love Okkervil River, I just wish they, and Sheff in particular, came without the pretension. Congratulations, Will, you're finally a rockstar, thanks for living up to my low expectations, jerk.