TV on the Radio @ The Power & Light District, 10/31/08

Usually when we go to these concerts we don’t expect to see LCD banner ads for $150 Celine Dion tickets affixed to big shiny corporate arenas across the street. But then again we usually don’t go to concerts in contrived outdoor malls. This Halloween show, at Kansas City Power & Light District’s KC Live stage, was sponsored by 96.5 THE BUZZ, which doesn’t really explain the presence of TV on the Radio but does excuse the scads of concert-goers either there for “Shiny” or to start a mosh.

The sound quality was expectedly subpar, and from our vantage point on a catwalk in front of a tropical themed bar with an obnoxious cover charge (probably), we couldn’t hear much of mini-fest opener Beautiful Bodies’ Karen O impression. Not like I was paying attention anyway - hey, look at the ironic clash in styles between conservative occupation and dress normally reserved for women of ill repute! Halloween is the best.

We moved down to the stage area (what is this space normally? Farmer’s market? Synchronized music fountains?) in time to suffer through Shiny Toy Guns, a band with big label cred, a strong fanbase, a candy gimmick and an aversion to melody. Probably expecting to headline a show sponsored by THE BUZZ, Shiny emoted their displeasure emotionally, sulking “poison takes me away” during one chorus, and pandering to the festivities with a “let me see you stripped down to your bones” verse line. The spunky girl, dressed as a box of Fruit Loops, threw out Jolly Ranchers like she was trying to get us to participate in her marketing group presentation, but I caught a watermelon one, so eff that.

Detroit garage act The Dirtbombs took no breaks in plowing through their super-charged set, and the two drummers bit was surprisingly awesome. They’re a band with some touches of stage craftsmanship, such as the way they deconstructed the stage after their set, but why their guitarist played her 6-stringed instrument like a bass I’m not so sure. And that “I can’t stop thinking about it” song from some car commercial? Totally these guys.

There was some good-natured drunken ribbing of Shiny Toy Guns fans by TV on the Radio fans, like one of the audience’s two Ali Gs asking me what TV on the Radio sounds like and “I hope it’s like Blink 182 cause they’re my favorite band EAGLE!!” Likely held to a time constrict, TVotR managed a pretty good setlist, though they haven’t worked out the best way to play Dear Science stuff live yet. "Golden Age" was particularly egregious, and the aggression of "DLZ" was lost, its “la la” harmonies replaced with mediocre whistling. Cookie Mountain material shined, and though I once wrote about being spooked by that record, Dave Sitek’s gingerbread suit put me at ease for sublime renditions of "Province" and "Dirtywhirl." An a capella percussion free-for-all encore of "A Method" and "Let the Devil In" was great with the expansive KC Live stage, and who doesn’t love attractive women drenched in fake blood? Best part is, if I ever got too scared, I could just turn around and look at the Gordon Biersch.

(click to enlarge)

Setlist
Young Liars
Wrong Way
Golden Age
Wolf Like Me
Dirtywhirl
Province
Shout Me Out
Dancing Choose
Blues From Down Here
DLZ
(encore)
A Method
Let the Devil In
Staring at the Sun

Costume Roundup
Joker - 6
Referee - 5 (2 sultry)
Pimp - 4
Conehead - 2
Peacock - 2
Elmo - 2
Shuttlecock - 2
Ali G - 2
Overly complex robot with flashing LED screens - 2
Double Dare contestant - 2
Cowgirl/horse combo
Obama as Robin Hood
Shower
Guy who just took shower
Shot in the head
Pong
Game of bingo
End table
Guy with handlebar mustache drawn on
Harold and Kumar
The Burger King

[review by Michael Ziman; photos by Meghan Sundermeier]