{"id":5208,"date":"2013-08-12T19:14:48","date_gmt":"2013-08-13T02:14:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/?p=5208"},"modified":"2013-08-13T22:55:58","modified_gmt":"2013-08-14T05:55:58","slug":"that-band-jumped-out-the-window","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/2013\/08\/12\/that-band-jumped-out-the-window\/","title":{"rendered":"That Band Jumped Out The Window"},"content":{"rendered":"

[dc]W[\/dc]hat would happen if Cloud<\/a> Cult \u2013 the band responsible for two<\/em> of this young decade\u2019s to-date five best albums (one blogger\u2019s opinion, to be taken or left as the reader sees fit); and whose live shows have been steadily improving year upon year to the point that they now rival the almighty<\/a> Wilco\u2019s for their dramatic and delirious admixture of head-bang-inducing caterwaul and could-hear-a-pin-drop quietude (while packing an even greater emotional wallop than do that latters’) \u2013 what would happen if this band were invited to come to Seattle and perform three<\/em> (count \u2018em!) shows in three days, including<\/em> its first-ever all-acoustic sets; the latter two shows to be performed inside the recently-renovated Lodge (a location which would reveal itself to be one of the city\u2019s best-kept secrets and a concert-promoter\u2019s dream, even despite its seventy-two person capacity and remote location) at the only campground<\/a> inside the city limits?\u2020<\/p>\n

While one supposes <\/em>that what would happen is that homeboy would begin speaking in tongues; it would after all only be fair to put to the test this most reasonable of hypotheses. And so, Friday evening. The second in KEXP\u2019s and Seattle Center\u2019s annual series<\/a> of concerts at the Mural Amphitheatre.<\/p>\n

Chastity Belt, whose praises are recently being loudly sung by all and sundry, kicked it off. The band didn\u2019t, alas, live up to its euphoric notices. The newly re-jigged Deep Sea Diver, however, nearly stole the show with its loud-and-tasty rock-roll roar, powerfully charismatic drumming, and all-around good humour.<\/p>\n

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\"deepsea2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Perhaps if only simply to prove that not even this<\/em> weekend could be perfect, Cloud Cult\u2019s set was, compared to the band\u2019s theater- and club-venue shows, fairly underwhelming. Granted, those are enormous shoes to fill. But clocking in at only about two-thirds the length of a typical set, as it did; and lacking the dramatic potential of a darkened, stage-lit room with a supremely amped-up sound system; the Amphitheatre\u2019s set was decidedly hamstrung.<\/p>\n

Which is not to say that the band didn\u2019t come ready to play its dimpled ass off, nor that it wasn\u2019t any fun seeing it nestled underneath the Space Needle, nor that there weren\u2019t spine-tingling moments aplenty\u2026<\/p>\n

\"cloudcultfriday2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"cloudcultfriday1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2026Because, surely, it did, it was, and there were. A couple of cases in point, erstwhile setlist faves \u201cBlessings\u201d and \u201cEverybody Here Is A Cloud\u201d.<\/p>\n