Mixing old, current, and upcoming releases, TV on the Radio put on superb performance at the vintage Troubadour. TVotR kicked off the set list with a song from their EP Young Liars,by playing the song of the same name. After tearing through that, the next stop was more familiar turf for the crowd and a popular track from their sophomore full length album, Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes,with “Dreams.” Following some technical difficulties by vox and guitarist Kyp Malone, humorously stated in the aftermath of an instrument swap that he was now using “A Foreign Axe.”
“Dry, Drunk Emporer” took the band to the political level that they are noted for. Before the nights rendition Kyp stated DDE “is vaguely inspired by Someone Shoot That F-cker In The Face,” The waxing moment in the song took place master distortionist David Andrew Sitek used superb finger-picking in an alternate use of the instrument. At times I felt that the lyrics were being drowned out by the music, which was a little disappointing. However, the last two songs were played to the perfection I was looking for. “Ambulance”, for starters, being the most melodic and soothing song of the night and then coming back for their encore with their most solid snappier sound of the evening played from their upcoming release. Check out those Lucha Va Voom masques. I have been assured that from an inside source that the next album will be very pleasing to the ears.
The lead vocalist sporting an iconoclastic “God’s Gang” t-shirt and flighty dancing was and interesting mix with a edgier gang behind him. If he was in the actual gang, I would not mess with him.This charm quickly waned when the vocalist declared “I’m not feeling funny because I am having too much fun.” In this brutal honesty one has to wonder if in fact he was being honest. This ironic statement made the set a bit embarrassing to be around, but they are up there, that is for sure, and I am sitting here typing about them.
