While waiting in the long line almost 2 hours before the bands started, the Grog opened up another entrance for "21 and over with a hard ticket" and apparently only about 3% of the concert goers were able to chose that option. I began to get the vibe that I was going to be enjoying this show from quite a distance. Teens don't drink much, so they don't go to the bar, so they don't pee, hence they don't have to move. They had the stage surrounded 15 feet deep, with 90 minutes left before Sleigh Bells came on. So after I got my wristband, I went to the only place I'm aware of in Coventry that serves good old gluten free Redbridge. The Winking Lizard. By the time I got back from the bar, the Grog was packed to the back. Anyway, I'm not hating on the teens, I definitely remember those days. It was so routine to get there early, go up to the front, and wait. You had a fucking blast and wondered why people needed to drink alcohol to have a good time. Back when crowd surfing was still socially acceptable. I was supposed to meet back up with friends at the Lizard before the show, but somehow they lost track of time. I discovered their whereabouts during the break, shortly before Yeasayer was about to go on. They were hanging out back in the car. It smelled like a skunk was in there and they were giggling like schoolgirls. The skunk was either really funny or it beared a strinking resemblance to Justin Bieber.
If Clevelanders were surprised that April concluded with a sweaty 84 degree day, they shouldn't have been. Sleigh Bells were in town and they brought the noise. After almost a minute in the dark, listening to an anxious little intro beat, they "dropped the hammer down" with the first song of the set, "Tell Em". The sold out and very attentive crowd lost their shit in one way or another. Lead singer Alexis Krauss burst all over the stage like a force to be reckoned with, entrancing the entire room with her dashing looks, full throttle force and charismatic voice. She makes fireworks seem dull and fireworks are illegal in Ohio, so that's quite a feat if you ask me. Sleigh Bells continued to keep the audience jumping and shouting for more. They engulfed the crowd with their thumping laser beam beats and chomping minimalist guitar riffs, while smashing through several songs off their upcoming album Treats. There was some question regarding how they would translate live and they pulled it off, sometimes sounding much better than their previous recordings. They delivered on a storm of hot tracks and high energy. Except for one moment. When Alexis gave a shout out to Pittsburgh at the beginning of "Kids". WTF. We're really looking forward to Pitchfork and they're still one of the reasons why. If you get a chance, go see them, you won't be disappointed. Unless Alexis gives a shout out to Ann Arbor.
Below is the new track they opened the show with. Below that is a video from the first song of Yeasayer's set, featuring Chris Keating lip syncing over a rare recording from Optimus Prime's spoken word poetry kick, and brought to you by Cleveland's own kingofthecastle7. That dude doesn't mess around, after holding his arm up for 3 hours a night, I'm pretty sure he could decapitate you with his closeline. Enjoy!!
