Two-thirds of Megafaun and all of Bowerbids sing with the Rosebuds' Kelly Crisp at NC Rocks for Change. Photo by Andrew Hibbard
The Triangle played host to plenty of great music events in 2008, drawing names like the Silver Jews, Wilco, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and Spoon. But there was also a rich local music scene. Unranked but in chronological order, here are some of 2008′s best moments in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area.
The Dodos & Megafaun at BCHQ – March 28, 2008
This San Francisco duo on Frenchkiss had a huge year in 2008, topping several year-end lists. But the fact that they stopped at BCHQ instead of 506 or the Cradle was a power move for the small venue. To boot, the Dodos followed Silje Nes and Megafaun was the last to play. The Durham trio might not have been headlining, but playing last makes it seem like they were. Regardless, it was still a great show.
Arcade Fire and Superchunk Rock for Obama – May 2, 2008
It’s no secret that Mac McCaughan is an Obama fan. So when 90s Chapel Hill rockers Superchunk joined up with the Arcade Fire to put on a free show right before the North Carolina primary, it was a huge deal. In part, because Arcade Fire only played a handful of shows in 2008. But also because Superchunk shows are a special treat whenever they come–and Superchunk’s awesome kids stole the show.
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| Claudia Gonson, John Woo, Sam Davol and Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields at Variety Theater. Photo by Clay Walker. |
By my count, Stephin Merritt only smiled five times during the course of the Magnetic Field’s Saturday night show in Raleigh. Mind you, most of those were half-smiles in response to his own acerbic comments. But they were smiles nonetheless and that makes me think Merritt hates this live thing – this prostitution of art.
But Merritt’s downer attitude was not enough to dampen the mood for Claudia Gonson (who, along with Sam Davol, added percussion “Sweetness and Light” in Portastatic’s opening set ). Gonson effervescence and melodic voice were the counterpoint to Merritt’s baritone and melancholy. The two bantered throughout the set (while the remaining band mates were silent).
Highlights included Stephin Merritt deriding audience members preparing to write a blog post about the show and his insistence that the band does not improvise, only to keep on playing while the lights and sound spontaneously cut out during “Take Ecstasy With Me.” Merritt, unfazed, kept playing while Gonson seemed a little put off, but the unplugged sound of Gonson on the piano, Merritt’s bazooki, John Woo’s guitar (no, not that John Woo) and especially Davol’s cello made for the concert’s most beautiful moment.
But as a whole, the band played a tight set, missing nary a note and picking the highlights of the Gothic Archies, the Magnetic Fields and the 6ths. With a set that mixed tracks most of the tracks from Distortion (“California Girls,” “Zombie Boy,” “Too Drunk to Dream,” “The Nun’s Litany,” etc.) to Merritt’s odd catalog of showtunes to The Charm of the Highway Strip (“Lonely Highway”), it was a beautiful show, ending promptly at 11 p.m. because of a union curfew.
Even if Merritt hated it, Meymandi Concert Hall’s audience loved it.
