Mogwai - Wilbur Theater, Boston MA, May 1, 2009

Mogwai
The Wilbur Theater, Boston MA.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Support - The Twilight Sad

It has been a long, long time coming for this show. For a fair number of years now I have been a fan of Scottish instrumental mind melters "Mogwai" but their live shows seemed to elude me for one reason or another. Some tours they'd play the middle part of the state, skipping Boston all together. Last fall I was slated to see them live but the band cancelled the remainder of their tour after drummer Martin Bulloch fell ill. The dates were just cancelled, but a few weeks later there was bubbling of a "return visit". I waited a little longer than I like to get tickets and ended up getting 3 row balcony but I was dead center.

I arrived "way too early" and had to kill close to 30 minutes before fellow Scots "The Twilight Sad" took the stage. They were okay, but nothing left me hooked, or dying for more. They were not horrible, but I was ready for the main event.

About 20 past 9 the band took the stage to a thunderous roar. Touring in support of last years "The Hawk is Howling" the band opened with "The Precipice". Three guitars, bass and drums took off and filled the room with sound. It was just a terrific moment, everything I had hoped for. For the next 1 hour and 40 or so minutes I was treated to a smattering of the bands material all sort of mixed just right. There were a little too much "keyboards" for me at times though. I wanted that wall of Mogwai sound I had been reading about (and warned about) to come lashing out from start to finish. The band follows, at times the quiet-loud aesthetic, but never really over does it. There was the part of me that wanted it over done..and over done a lot, but the other part kept saying "let them shine, let them spread their wings some".

The audience was quiet and respectful and would wait for the songs to be over before shouting their adoration for the band or song played. At one time a "Thank you" came from the stage and an audience member shouts "NO...THANK YOU!"

This was the full set:

the precipice
friend of the night
scotland's shame
hunted by a freak
small children in the background
i'm jim morrison, i'm dead
killing all the flies
i know you are but what am i?
thank you space expert
helicon 1
2 rights make 1 wrong
batcat
encore:
my father my king

The pinnacle of the evening for me was the encore. The 20+ minute "My Father My King" from the opening notes I nearly had to sit on my hands. The song builds and builds and builds and then WHAMMMO you get it all thrown at you. My seat shook, the floor shook, it was an indoor earthquake and Mogwai proved they can play louder than balls. As the song begins to fade thus began the barrage of flashing lights and looping, distortion of the guitars/bass etc. I have to admit its cool, for 1-2 minutes, but when it goes on for 5+ minutes and in your mind you KNOW this is the last song there are parts of you that way to shout "Mercy" and have them be done with it already..but in doing that it would all be over too fast.

Mission accomplished. Mogwai 1..my eardrums - 0.

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