Hooray for Hooray For Earth at Brooklyn Bowl

Written by  Published in Live Reviews Sunday, 17 July 2011 18:28

Hooray For Earth "True Loves" (Cereal Spiller Remix) from Cereal Spiller on Vimeo.

Hooray_For_Earth_Noel_sing2

Noel Heroux of Hooray For Earth

Saturday night Hooray For Earth played a midnight set at Brooklyn Bowl. When I arrived, there was already a sizable and interesting crowd for The Sadies with Andre Williams. I was not aware of these guys, but apparently Andre Williams is somewhat of a legend from the old time rock n’ roll era, as well as revolutionizing sleaze rock in the 90s. Being that he’s about 75 years old, this guy has been around and knows a thing or two about a thing or two. He looked straight out of the 50s with a perfectly pressed white three-piece suit (complete with a fedora) and bright red silk shirt. This attracted a rockabilly type of crowd, and had everyone on the floor dancing to The Sadies' blues'tinged guitar licks with Williams' weathered vocals. I’m not sure how much crossover there was with the Hooray For Earth crowd, but there was a fresh line forming outside the venue just for them.

Hooray_For_Earth_everyone_sing2

Hooray For Earth w/ Zambri

Hooray For Earth took the stage right on time, combining vocal forces with the ladies of Zambri for the whole set. The last time I saw them was last year at Pianos, when I interviewed band leader Noel Heroux (which happened to be my first interview for BestNewBands.com ever). At that time, the band had released their Momo EP, were almost done with their full length, and I had mentioned that I could envision them playing a larger venue with their grand Neverending Story sound. On this night, Brooklyn Bowl was that larger venue, and although their sound didn’t make me think of an 80s children’s film quite as much this time, they did fill the space with their full, multi-layered songs extremely well.

Hooray_For_Earth_get_down

Most of the set consisted of songs off their now released LP True Loves, including the title track that has this video to go with it:

Although they did not play “Surrounded By Your Friends,” the track off Momo that I had most strongly associated with the band, it was nice to see how the band had evolved in their live show from what I remembered. Instead of sounding more synth-based, Noel rocked a darker, more raw sound on his guitar to compliment his sincere and straightforward lyrics. The synths were certainly still there, and the band is still building on everything they’ve done, but doing it with more of an edge. It was also great to see how much more of an audience the band now has, and is continuing to grow. I imagined them being epic before, and seeing them again has made me more confident in this prospect. Hooray!

Hooray_For_Earth_Noel_close

Hooray for Earth are playing Deja Fest in Raleigh later this month, and then go on tour with Cymbals Eat Guitars in the fall. The last date lands them right back in New York playing Bowery Ballroom with Beige October 27th.
Last modified on Monday, 18 July 2011 13:15
Kelly Knapp

I grew up listening to the music my parents listened to. My mom gave me some of her “Golden Oldies” cassette tapes, and I could sit in my room for hours harmonizing with The Ronettes, and staring at Del Shannon, who I thought was a total stud in his tiny black and white photo on the glossy fold-out insert. I listened to Willie Nelson because my Dad admired him so much, and I wanted to understand what was so great about him too. My first concert wasn’t a huge life changer; I saw Inner Circle at a local Jambalaya festival in Central Florida. Their biggest hit was “Bad Boys,” the theme song to COPS. If anything, that concert should have traumatized me. But, at the time I had no comprehension of any crassness. I just remember the guitarist making eye contact with me and smiling, and feeling excitement over having a brief connection with someone who was making me dance.

It’s the same thing with listening to music with words in another language. It’s not necessary to understand words or literal meanings. It’s the way the melodies and rhythms evoke feeling. It’s like that saying about art, how you may not be able to explain it, but you know it when you see it. I can’t always describe music (although obviously, I sure as hell try to), but I know what I like when I feel it, and I think those who can evoke that feeling deserve to be acknowledged for it. That’s what I want to describe. That’s what I want to share.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Latest from Kelly Knapp

More in this category: « At Hudson River Park Pier 54, tUnE-yArDs and Austra Give Magical Performances Zebulon Cafe Serves Up Some Shilpa Ray »