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September 5, 2005

Xiu Xiu Show Show

Xiu Xiu took the stage at Bowery Ballroom as a two-piece on Friday night and, with the help of a drum machine, managed to make lots of noise. It helped that there were something like 30 cymbals on stage. At one point, Jamie Stewart broke a string on his guitar and quickly replaced it between songs. 30 cymbals, but only one guitar.

Frog Eyes opened, and they remind me of a cross between The Pixies and The Wedding Present, and singer Carey Mercer looks a lot like Andy Richter.

Read Pitchfork's glowing review of 2003's The Golden River.

Posted at 5:41 PM
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13 Comments

Did Xiu Xiu cry on stage? He always sounds like he's about to burst into tears on his albums.

http://script.blogs.com

Posted by: script at 09/05/05 6:13 PM | Reply
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I saw Xiu Xiu a year or so ago and he didn't cry, but there was some frat dude there that shouted along to every song and it was really really odd.

http://doitoldmaid.blogspot.com - new/live franz ferdinand tracks

Posted by: oldmaid at 09/05/05 6:27 PM | Reply
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i saw them when they played the troubadour in LA. did they play apistat commander in nyc? it was my first time hearing that song live, and their rendition might have been the single greatest performed song i've ever seen. of any band. no joke!

Posted by: michael at 09/05/05 7:08 PM | Reply
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They played "apistat commander" song in philly (9/1/05) and it was good, the show in genetal was very good. I think one of the highlighs was when Caralee McElroy sang the chorus on "Sad Pony Guerilla Girl"
The mood was somber, I suppose with the hurricane and such.

Posted by: Hewinsd at 09/05/05 7:42 PM | Reply
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The Folded Palm was Frog Eyes' last album. Both albums are actually quite wonderful.

Posted by: bidi at 09/05/05 11:40 PM | Reply
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My bad- The Golden River is from 2003. Thanks for the correction.

Posted by: jed at 09/06/05 9:46 AM | Reply
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Saw Xiu Xiu at Knitting Factory a year or so ago and it sucked hard; his meek whining was too emo for me.

Posted by: dirt at 09/06/05 10:20 AM | Reply
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Yeah he did Apistat on friday and closed with Caralee singing Sad Girl. Also did great versions of Brian the Vampire and I Love the Valley OH!..Frog Eyes killed.

Posted by: Kevin at 09/06/05 10:40 AM | Reply
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My friend likes to play "I Luv the Valley" at dance parties at her apartment. If you can't nail the scream that occurs after the second "je t’aime the valley", then you're just not cool and don't deserve to be in her presence.

Personally, I don't really like Xiu Xiu. But I do luv "I Luv the Valley."

Posted by: sebrown000 at 09/06/05 2:54 PM | Reply
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Heh. When Xiu Xiu played my town last year, it was one of the biggest wank-fests I've ever witnesed. The only thing worse than their poncey, emo bullshit was the poncey, emo crowd's reverential silence between songs. The room was so hushed that everyone could hear us at the back, laughing our asses off at the sheer ridiculousness of the man and his zither.

Posted by: Little Fury at 09/06/05 4:08 PM | Reply
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I ran sound for Xiu Xiu a couple weeks ago at the local pizza place that hosts bands every weekend.

They were pretty good and I know exactly what you guys mean about that "Sounds like he is gonna cry on the albums" no tears at the show though...

Posted by: Tyler Love at 09/06/05 6:57 PM | Reply
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little fury: why didn't you just leave the show? ive been at shows with assholes like you and i just odnt understand it. if it sucks then fucking leave and let the rest of the people who paid to see it...see it.

Posted by: nick at 09/08/05 4:56 PM | Reply
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the recent nyu show was better if onbly for the absence of rude people who talked, shushed, and snickered. you could say a xiu xiu show is for the converted only, but you could say that of any band doing uncomfortably weird music. oh well. at skirball center we had seats and a much nicer audience, even if the sound wasn't as good as at bowery. plus other passengers opened.

http://echoplex.blogspot.com/2005/11/down-we-go-together.html

Posted by: ocular spectra at 11/08/05 11:33 AM | Reply
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