It’s Too Bad That Your Music Doesn’t Matter

Archers of Loaf @ Webster Hall 6/26/2011

Strangled by the Stereo Wire / Wrong / Plumbline / Nostalgia / 1985 – Fabricoh / Dead Red Eyes / Let the Loser Melt / You and Me / Might / Revenge / Smoking Pot in the Hot City / Greatest of All Time / Lowest Part is Free / Freezing Point / What Did You Expect? / Web in Front / Slow Worm // Step Into the Light / Audiowhore / Harnessed in Slums / All Hail the Black Market /// Scenic Pastures / Form and File

Archers of Loaf “Let the Loser Melt”

The weird paradox of Archers of Loaf is that Eric Bachmann’s lyrics were mostly focused on music scene politics and being the subject of a major label bidding war, and yet somehow the songs come out sounding like relatable anthems. All these years later on the band’s reunion tour, the social context for these words has either changed a lot or vanished completely, but the “we’re all in this together” thing has an even greater resonance. It’s funny how the lyrics of certain songs — “Let the Loser Melt,” “Nostalgia,” “Greatest of All Time” — seem as if they were written to have maximum ironic value when sung on a reunion tour, but when they actually performed them, it seemed more triumphant than funny-ha-ha-the-joke’s-on-them.

I never saw the Archers the first time around, but I was a fan in high school. I had no idea Bachmann was such a hulking, imposing dude. (Or that he seems to have the same stylist as present-day Bob Mould.) I like the way that physically amplified the aggro quality of some songs, and in other cases, displayed more of a gentle giant thing. He seems to have grown into his voice and character rather well. With that in mind, I don’t feel cheated by never having seem the younger version of the band.

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Mr. Dream @ Webster Hall 6/26/2011

Knuckle Sandwich / Crime / ? / Trash Hit / Holy Name / Croquet / Unfinished Business / Winners / Scarred For Life / Learn the Language

Mr. Dream “Unfinished Business”

Another excellent set from Mr. Dream. This time around, the band was joined by Matt LeMay on guitar, who added a bit of additional noise and treble to the band’s muscular, bottom-heavy sound. I’ve met Matt a bunch of times socially over the years, so it was a revelation to see him up there manhandling a guitar. It was a little like how when you see Ira Kaplan play and he’s playing the instrument like he’s trying to strangle the life out of it. Matt doesn’t seem as murderous as Ira, but he’s still pretty intense.

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