geographer, cotillion @ cafe du nord: photos, review, etc.
On Sunday night, I caught Geographer (myspace) and Cotillion at Cafe du Nord.
Walking in during the Cotillion set, there was already a fairly sizable crowd for a Sunday night. People were milling about and chatting in the back and the atmosphere was pretty jovial. Given that it was a Bay Bridged presents show, those guys and some of the other local blogerati turned out.
Alexi, Blythe, and Burton of the Botticellis are all in Cotillion, a band which also boasts members of Bright Eyes and Judgement Day. Given the shared membership, there are some shared sonic similarities with the Botticellis, but it really is an entirely different vibe. Reverb certainly isn’t as evident. They also have a trio of backup singers.
It was the release show for Geographer’s debut full-length, Innocent Ghosts, and a big portion of the crowd seemed to be out for the event.
Their set up was back to a four-piece, though a different four-piece than when I first saw them in February. They had the same trio we’ve all grown to love–Mike on keys and guitar, Nate on cello and sequencer, Brian on drums–but they’ve added a fourth on bass. Even with the new line-up, they had obviously practiced sufficiently, because they were tight.
I’ve been enjoying listening to Innocent Ghosts. It’s a nice mix of various influences from pop to folk to the electronic touches. It’s a good album, but the band’s live show is great. It’s engaging and fun and I had a good time. Their set seemed to go by in a flash.
I didn’t stay for much of Judgement Day’s crazy string metal, but I did want to note that the violinist’s bowing and fingering patterns reminded me of some styles Anglo-American fiddling. At the very least, the violinist is quite talented.
You can view my photo album online.
